History

Approximately 550 years ago, three brothers lived in Tibet. Their father was a very powerful Lama (monk) in his monastery. The three brothers left Tibet in search of their own land to build monasteries and become powerful like their father. They settled in what later would be known as the Solu Khumbu district (Everest Region) in Nepal. There were no people settled in this area at that time. The oldest brother, Lama Sangwa Dorji, build his monastery in what is now called Pangboche. The middle brother, Lama Ralwa Dorji built his monastery in what is now Thame. The youngest brother, Lama Khenpa Dorji, built his monastery near the village of Phakding and is called the Pemacholing Monastery.

As the brothers monasteries were built, the brothers challenged each other for power. They demonstrated their power by acts of strength. Lama Sangwa Dorji threw his robe over the morning sun ray the robe hung from the ray. Lama Ralwa Dorji used his bare hands to bend a metal rod into a knot and Lama Khenpa Dorji stacked 7 wheat kernels on top of each other and placed God on top.

After the monasteries were built, 7 men from Tibet journeyed into Nepal and stole the box in which the statue of Buddha was located. As they retreated to the border of Tibet, Buddha made the box that only weighed approximately 2 kg when they left the monastery, become heavier and heavier to the point where it was too heavy for the 7 Tibetan thieves to carry. Buddha also made the weather become terrible. The wind blew and the snow fell and the sky became very dark. Buddha’s voice was heard from the box and the thieves were persuaded to return God to the Pemacholing monastery.

God still lives in the 550 year old Pemacholing Monastery in the same box that the thieves returned. Today, 16 adult monks, 3 nun monks and 21 child monks continue to live and worship in the monastery. Each year during the Doomji festival in June, three monks who hold the keys to unlock the box that God lives in, let God out for a special day during the festival.

As the box became heavy, the thieves opened the box and saw the statue of Buddha sweating. They then heard the voice of Buddha saying that I’m not going to Tibet. Buddha also said that If you take me to Tibet, you will all die. Buddha said that I live under the big white leafed tree. This tree can still be seen at the Pemacholing monastery. Sometime between 450 and 550 years ago, the original monastery located in Gyphede was destroyed by a landslide. The monastery was relocated and built at the present location just above Phakding.

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