Highest Monastery in world?

The Highest Monastery in the world is situated in Tibet at Tingri County near Choezong village, and it is known as the Rongbuk monastery, located at an altitude of 5050 meters, around 8km from the Mount Everest North face base camp.  

Nyingmapa master Ngawang Tenzin Norbu built the Rongbuk monastery in 1902. It was later extended by many Nyingma masters including Je Trulshik Rinpoche. One of the most compassionate Tibetan masters during the nineties. 

They are three different Rongbuk monasteries; the main Rongbuk monastery is in the center known as Dza Rongbuk. Another two are lower Rongbuk and Upper Rongbuk.  Je Trulshik Rinpoche build the lower Rongbuk. 

Upper Rongbuk monastery is the meditation cave of Maha Guru Rinpoche, in the 8th Century with the Kandro Yeshe Tsogyal. We can still witness the body prints of Maha Guru Rinpoche and Kandro Yeshe Tsogyal on the stone. The underground cave located just near the Black Yak hair tea tent is worth visiting. This cozy meditation cave was once the retreat area of Je Padmasambhava ( Maha Guru Rinpoche ) 

Photo: Stunning Mount Everest surrounded by stars 

There is a local Tibetan monk Aku Sangay ( Uncle Sangay ) Who looks after the cave and also the nuns who meditate at the back of the meditation cave. Every year starting from April to around the end of October, Aku Sangay and nuns will be staying there, and in winter they will move back to the main Dza Rongbuk monastery because of the water problem.

Conclusion 

The reason great masters meditate at higher mountains has a connection with the wind and the flowers and plants which grow on the hill. The wind is the primary source of the human body and mind. It is said that wind is the mind. The cold wind will keep the Yogi alert, and the plants and flowers smell will give them the energy to focus on concentration. 

Tibet is an excellent place for meditation; the mountains are the palace of great Yogis, Gods, and Goddesses. I have read stories of Yogis who went inside the hills into the Palace of the God and Goddess of the mountain via staying for a few weeks and later came back because of compassion towards Sentient Beings. 

Rongbuk monastery is not as huge as other monasteries in Tibet, but it is a very blessed monastery with footprints from many great Sages. Travelers who are traveling to Mount Everest base camp, we highly recommend visiting Rongbuk monastery and Upper Dza Rongbuk meditation cave for blessings.

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