Manang Yogini Retreat Campus – Incubation Plan (Nepal)
I. Origins of the Sacred Site The Manang Valley—part of the sacred region known locally as Nyeshang—is a Himalayan highland long revered as a field of meditation and awakening.
According to lineage accounts, the disciple known as “the Hunter Khyira Gönpo Dorje” met Jetsun Milarepa here, laid down his bow, transformed his karma, and ultimately attained realization in the same valley. This story made Manang a symbol of karma turning into awakening.
In 1964, Melong Tsampa Rinpoche (1914–1981), from a renowned yogic family of Kham, established a hermitage in Manang. He is one of the seven uncles of H.E. Garchen Rinpoche, collectively known as the “Seven Great Yogis.” Through years of retreat and guiding villagers in Dharma practice, he transformed a barren valley into a place of confidence and blessing.
His son, Mase Karma Drugyu Tenzin Rinpoche (1941–2020), expanded the hermitage into Manang’s first Drikung Kagyu monastery—Kunsang Künjung Monastery—becoming a local center of practice and education.
In 2019, GarTul Chimi Dorjee Rinpoche—nephew of H.E. Garchen Rinpoche—continuing his family’s yogic lineage and aspiration, was formally appointed by H.H. Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang Rinpoche to lead the Manang Yogini Retreat Campus.
For the benefit of local devotees, Rinpoche requested teachings from His Holiness, leading to the historic September 2024 visit to Manang, where Phowa Transmission and Amitāyus Empowerment were bestowed at the campus site—the first such visit by a Drikung throne holder in 850 years, signifying a reconvergence of ancient lineage and modern aspiration.
Today’s design-and-construction plan carries the blessings of Milarepa, the yogic bloodline of the Garchen family, and the compassionate resolve of GarTul Chimi Dorjee Rinpoche—so that the ancient yogic lineage may take root again in the Himalayas as a place of awakening that bridges tradition and the future.
II. Rinpoche’s Aspiration & Action GarTul Chimi Dorjee Rinpoche was born into a yogic family, inheriting a bloodline of discipline and compassion. His maternal uncle, H.E. Garchen Rinpoche, is a great Drikung Kagyu master, and Garchen Rinpoche’s seven uncles—known as the Seven Great Yogis—are renowned for their realization. From childhood, this heritage impressed upon him that practice is not a choice but a responsibility.
In 2019, under the appointment of H.H. Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang Rinpoche, Rinpoche undertook the mission to re-establish the Manang Yogini Retreat and founded the Gar Jamtse Foundation. With the support of local devotees, villagers, and students, he secured the campus land and began a new practice base that unites lineage and contemporary vision.
He recognizes that this valley, transformed by Milarepa’s practice, should again become a place for hearing the Dharma, settling the mind, and genuine meditation.
Rinpoche’s vision is clear and expansive:
- Unite architectural expertise with the aspiration for practice to establish a new training base that inherits the lineage and serves the present.
- Create long-term retreat spaces where monastics and yogins can practice in stability.
- Provide an international center for students to gather for teachings and collective practice.
- Serve longstanding local hopes in Manang—access to the Dharma close to home, without long travel.
At the heart of the campus stands the Vajrayogini Temple—the Mother of All Wisdom and the principal feminine deity of Vajrayāna—embodying the light of realization and the resurgence of women’s wisdom in practice. Though young, Rinpoche does not limit himself; with pure conviction and sustained resolve, he leads local devotees, architects, and volunteers so the ancient lineage can speak a contemporary language: bringing practice near, guiding all who seek transformation to find refuge and direction in this sacred valley, and allowing an ancestral sanctuary to blossom anew in today’s world.
III. Campus Overview Guided by Lineage × Practice × Sustainability, the campus integrates ancient Dharma spirit with contemporary architecture. Planned facilities include:
Vajrayogini Temple — lineage center and main shrine hall.
Meditation & Teaching Hall — space for teachings, group practice, and pujas.
21 Retreat Cottages — independent huts for short- and long-term retreats.
Grand Café — hygienic kitchen and community dining for practitioners and volunteers.
Water Shed — mountain water provisioning and circular reuse system.
Elderly Retreat — long-stay retreat housing for local elders and early practitioners.
Eight Stupas — a sacred environment symbolizing the Buddha’s eight great deeds.
Landscape & Pathways — trails and ecological design for contemplative walking.
IV. The Sacred Seat of Vajrayogini The campus core will be the Vajrayogini Temple. As the Mother of All Wisdom and the principal feminine deity of Vajrayāna, Vajrayogini symbolizes the energy of realization and the light of wisdom. This will be the first Vajrayogini sanctuary in the Manang region and the dharmic heart of the entire retreat campus—making it a place “mothered by wisdom, traveled by practice.”
V. Collaboration & Design Ethos The Manang Yogini Retreat is designed by SMA (Sustainable Mountain Architecture), a Nepal–Europe team dedicated to high‑mountain sustainable architecture, guided by the principles: Design with Wind, Design with Sun, Design with Water.
SMA “listens to the breath of the mountain”: letting wind, light, water, climate, and terrain shape the most natural posture of buildings. The team has completed multiple Himalayan projects in Nepal and India and, in 2025, received the France Global Best Stone Architecture Award for works uniting aesthetics and sustainability.
Given Manang’s high‑altitude cold, strong dry winds, and slow vegetation, building a retreat center is not only a technical challenge but a bow to nature. SMA ensures sustainability with beauty through:
- Indoor thermal comfort and energy efficiency
- Modern hygienic kitchen design (Grand Café)
- Water provisioning and circular reuse system (Water Shed)
- Regenerative use of local materials and traditional craftsmanship
This collaboration fulfills Rinpoche’s aspiration—to make the practice space a dojo of co‑existence with nature—honoring people, winds, trees, flowers, and all beings, creating an environment both modernly comfortable and deeply ecological.
VI. Phase I – Timeline & Budget Phase I | Design & Preparation (Oct 2025 – Mid 2026)
- Architectural drawings and structural review for three facilities (Water Shed / 21 Retreat Cottages / Grand Café)
- Building permit applications
- Media production and website build; materials for public explanation and fundraising
Phase II | Fundraising Launch (Mid 2026)
- Public launch of the fundraising campaign; website and film release
Phase III | Groundworks (Spring 2027)
- Start of Phase‑1 construction: Water Shed, Grand Café, 21 Retreat Cottages
Current fundraising goal: NT$ 973,912 to cover Phase I (design, reviews, permits, media, website, administration), paving the way for 2026 fundraising and 2027 construction.
Item USD NTD Architectural drawings & field survey 18,800 579,416 Media production & website build 9,800 302,036 Structural review & permit applications 3,000 92,460 Total 31,600 973,912