Kalibon Monrisosum Monastery

The inhabitants of the village Kalibon had campaigned for the construction of a monastery near their village in the holy Bon landscape of Morisosum (Mon ri zur gsum) for quite some time. This region is of great religious importance for the followers of Bon religion. In the mean time a monastery has been built and Geshe Tsultrim Chogden inaugurated it.

Legend has it that the region around Kalibon was chosen as a new home by Tibetan settlers because the pastures were particularly fertile. Stones in which Bon syllables are engraved (called Matri stones) indicate that the Bon religious was practiced in this region since a long time.
Close to Kalibon, at the foot of Mount Morisosum (Mon ri zur gsum) stands a shrine in the middle of ruins. According to oral tradition there used to be a temple which was built by Haracipar, an important Bon master. A further sacred site close by is the footprint of the Bon master Karu Druwang.

When Geshe Yungdrung Wangyal saw these signs, he decided to build a shrine in 2002 to minimise the problems of the local population. Additionally, together with the local population he started collecting money to build a monastery in this place sacred in Bon religion. The villagers offered their labour force and food for the workers. Since the beginning of the construction the Tapriza NGO has supported the project annually with a contribution.

Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche and the abbot Tenpa Yungdrung Rinpoche of the Triten Norbutse main monastery in Kathmandu have nominated Geshe Tsultrim Chogden as the abbot of the new Kalibon monastery. The inauguration and the first ceremonies of the building carcass were held in 2011 and the villagers additionally built a adjacent kitchen. In 2012 unfortunately the upper floor and the roof collapsed due to heavy rainfall. Luckily no one was harmed. However, now more money needs to be collected and more construction work has to be done before the monastery can hold rituals and ceremonies again. (M. Kind)