Tibet Lhasa Tsurphu Monastery

Tsurphu Monastery 

Tsurphu Monastery (Tibetan: མཚུར་ཕུ་དགོན་པ་) is the traditional seat of the Karmapa, the head of the Karma Kagyulineage of Tibetan Buddhism. It is located approximately 65 kilometers northwest of Lhasa, nestled in a secluded valley at an altitude of 4,300 meters, surrounded by towering mountains.

The monastery was founded in 1189 by Dusum Khyenpa, the First Karmapa, at the age of 80. A foremost disciple of Gampopa, who himself was the main student of the great yogi Milarepa, Dusum Khyenpa established Tsurphu as the central monastery of the Karma Kagyu school.

Tsurphu is historically significant as the birthplace of the tulku system—the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of recognizing reincarnate lamas. In the 13th century, Karma Pakshi was recognized as the reincarnation of the First Karmapa, thereby becoming the Second Karmapa and initiating the unbroken line of successive Karmapas.

This tradition has continued for centuries, preserving the teachings and practices of the Karma Kagyu lineage. Today, the legacy endures through His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, who is the current incarnation in this sacred line.