Duepung Zilnoenling Elementary School, Rukubji

Duepung Zilnoenling Elementary School

Duepung Zilnoenling Elementary School is the abode of guardian deity Drakma Pelzang.

To honour the deity, the people of Rukubji, Bumlo, and Ribana used to have the deity festival (Luchoe) once every three years. A cypress tree was thought to be the deity’s residence, where worshippers might go and offer sacrifices because there was no temple or image of the deity before.

The guardian deity’s home just so happened to be below the road while the national highway was being built later in the 1970s. This infuriated the deity, who then dispersed illnesses and bad luck among the local populace and livestock. Numerous forms of divination claimed that the guardian deity was to blame.

As a result, the locals banded together in 1996 and constructed a tiny shrine with the deity’s image near the current monastery.

Later, great Buddhist masters such as Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and the 69th Je Khenpo Ngawang Thinley Lhundup prophesied that building an abode for the guardian deity would bring good fortune to the entire country.

In 1999, the local sponsor Mindu Tshering and Tshampa Leki approached Jadrel Sangay Dorji Rinpoche at Bay Langdrak, and sought his divination on building the abode for the deity. Rinpoche was pleased with the plan and directed the construction of the abode. The construction work began in the year 2000 and it was completed in 2002. His Eminence Jadrel Sangay Dorji Rinpoche consecrated the abode upon its completion. Rinpoche named the abode Duedpung Zilnoenling.

The monks at the monastery today perform routine rituals and offerings to the deity on a daily basis. This location was offered to Busa Trulku Rinpoche, and the elementary school was established since the hostel, dining hall, and classrooms were completed. Monks who finish primary school will be moved to Busa Wangdue Goenpa Buddhist College to further their education. There are currently 27 monks studying, supervised by Khenpo Tashi Dorji as Uzin (principal), Lopen Pema Tenzin, and Lopen Nima Dorji as Lopen (teacher).

With more beliefs and support to the birth god, the community of Rukubji have incorporated Buddhist practices in their every day-to-day and have become more prosperous, religious, stopped working on important Buddhist dates and have stopped meat affairs during any Buddhist puja, offering or prayers as per their internal endorsed community norms.