ཨKhedrup FoundationSangchen Ogyen Tsuklag
An 8th-century monastery · Trongsa, Bhutan

Sangchen Ogyen
Tsuklag Monastery

Founded in the 8th century by Monmo Tashi Khyidren — the Bhutanese consort of Guru Padmasambhava — and revived in 2009 under the 5th Khedrupchen Rinpoche, our monastery preserves the unbroken Longchen Nyingthik lineage in the village of Samcholing, central Bhutan.

Our storySupport our work
Founded
8th c.
Monastics
~50
Lineage
5th
Young monks of Sangchen Ogyen Tsuklag Monastery in maroon robes walking single-file past a whitewashed stone wall with traditional painted Bhutanese window frames

Sangchen Ogyen Tsuklag Monastery, Samcholing village, Trongsa — central Bhutan.

Our purpose

To preserve the sacred teachings of the Buddha, and to share them in a way the modern world can meet.

The Khedrup Foundation was officially established on 6 October 2017 to provide sustainable support for the monastery in Trongsa, which had been entrusted to the 5th Khedrupchen Rinpoche by the Royal Government of Bhutan in 2009. We are guided by three mandates: effective management with transparency, the propagation of Buddha Dharma, and the preservation of the Longchen Nyingthik lineage.

❖

Preserve

Conserve a 1,200-year-old temple, its 8th-century wall paintings, sacred relics, and the unbroken transmission lineage that flows through them.

❖

Practice

Provide monks, yogis, and lay practitioners a home for retreat, study, and the daily ritual life that keeps the dharma alive.

❖

Share

Open the wisdom of Buddha Dharma to global audiences through modern means — academy, retreats, and dialogue.

Where we practice

Three centers across Bhutan

The Foundation oversees one historic monastery and two retreat centers, all rooted in the Longchen Nyingthik tradition of the Nyingma school.

Sangchen Ogyen Tsuklag Monastery
8th century

Sangchen Ogyen Tsuklag Monastery

also known as Rephel Mebar Lhakhang

Samcholing village, Drakteng Gewog, Trongsa Dzongkhag, central Bhutan

Consecrated by Guru Rinpoche himself, this 1,200-year-old monastery preserves sacred relics including holy water revealed by Guru Rinpoche, a horse footprint, an 8th-century wall painting of Zhitro Lhatsog, the 'spoken Buddha' statue by Trulku Chogden Gompo, and a treasure bell from Terton Sherab Mebar.

Community: ~50 monks, 7 teachers, 1 Khenpo, 3 yogis in permanent retreat, plus elderly residents

Phajo Gonpa Gomde Retreat Center
16th century

Phajo Gonpa Gomde Retreat Center

Lauri Gewog, Samdrup Jongkhar district, Bhutan

A sacred retreat center for long-term spiritual practice rooted in the Pema Lingpa lineage of Dzogchen Buddhism. Sits beside the 17th-century Sangchen Lhundrup Tsemo monastery, overlooking the Brahmaputra River and facing the Jomo Kukhar mountain range.

Community: Monks and yogis in extended retreat

Drupdey Pelchen Khang
2017

Drupdey Pelchen Khang

Bhutan

A meditation retreat center for monks and lay practitioners combining Shedra (study) and Drupda (experiential practice) in the Longchen Nyingthig tradition. Its first retreat ran from 2017 to 2024; in 2025 the center is expanding with eight private retreat cabins and a central temple hall.

Community: Long-term retreatants

Khedrupchen Rinpoche, Founder & President, Khedrup Foundation

Photo: Scott A. Woodward

Our founder

Khedrupchen Rinpoche

Ugyen Tenzin Thinley Lhendrup · The Fifth Khedrupchen

Khedrupchen Rinpoche, the 5th in an unbroken lineage of Khedrup tulkus dating to 1730, was born in 1990 on the full moon day of the third lunar month in Shingkhar Lauri, eastern Bhutan, to Yum Tshewang Paldron and Yab Tenzin Dorji. His birth was attended by traditional signs — circular rainbows above his parents' home and the blooming of a rare multi-colored flower.

He began his monastic education at age 13 at Phagchok Monastery under Lama Kunzang Namdrol, then continued his advanced studies at Mindrolling (Ngagyur Nyingma) College in Dehradun, India, from 2006 to 2015, graduating with an Acharya degree. From 2016 to 2018 he served on the teaching faculty at Mindrolling.

Read full biography
Current work

What we are building

Each project sustains the monastery’s daily life — kitchens and classrooms — or preserves what generations before us left in our care.

Rephel Mindrol Lhakhang Conservation
Phase 1 active (2024–2025)

Rephel Mindrol Lhakhang Conservation

Structural renovation of the two-story main temple — the first major work in 200+ years. Phase 2 will conserve 8th-century wall paintings and frescos.

Tshokhang Grand Assembly Hall
Completed March 2021

Tshokhang Grand Assembly Hall

A 500-person assembly hall centered on a 6-ft Manjushri statue unique to Bhutan, with installations honoring Longchen Rabjam, Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa, and Khedrup Jigme Kundrol. USD 48,000 / Nu. 3.5M.

Buddhist Academy — Integrated Learning Center
Completed 2024

Buddhist Academy — Integrated Learning Center

Seven classrooms, twenty-four twin-share rooms, and two faculty units. IT lab and library planned for 2025, alongside the restoration of ten long-term retreat centers above the academy.

Shedra Building Construction
Inaugurated March 2021 · facility under construction

Shedra Building Construction

Dedicated residence and instruction space for the Shedra (Buddhist college), currently housing 9 scholars and 4 teachers in shared quarters.

Kitchen & Dining Hall
Completed November 2022

Kitchen & Dining Hall

Replaced centuries-old buildings that suffered from cracking walls, water infiltration, and poor insulation. New hall serves 100+ people.

Drupdey Pelchen Khang Expansion
Underway (2025)

Drupdey Pelchen Khang Expansion

Eight private retreat cabins in four buildings, plus a central temple hall for teachings and group practice — replacing inadequate semi-permanent structures.

Support our work

Every offering carries the lineage another generation forward.

Donations fund daily meals, robes, education, retreat infrastructure, and the conservation of 8th-century wall paintings. Contributions are routed through Bhutan National Bank and Standard Chartered New York.

DonateGet in touch