This stupa will probably be the last thing I will remember when I am at the end of this earthly journey.

Of course, I didn’t build it. Dorje Phagmo Rimpoche did. What I did was to kickstart the process.

In 2013, fresh out of my last job in the government, I found myself in front of her for the first time. She shared a prophecy wherein she was supposed to build this chorten before anything else to “resume” her Dharma activities in this lifetime. But fate had been cruel to her. She didn’t have any major support. She was not even given the construction permit. Things simply didn’t take off big.

I had Nu. 59,000 in my account. Like many average government employees, I had a skinny bank balance. In spite of that, and without a second thought, I offered 50,000 to start the fulfillment of the prophecy.

Rest, as they say, is history.

Construction started in 2018. Over 4,000 people joined in with donations of modest amounts. One villager offered Nu. 6. Together we built this monument. Later, as my finances improved by leaps and bound, I offered more.

The project was suspended in 2019 after a major setback. However, covid-19 hit, and I was stuck back home from my position in Macau. I personally oversaw the resumption of the construction and its completion. Just as I had started, I also sponsored the final touches—the external carving and gold-painting. It was completed as the world reopened in 2022.

If you are traveling in Zhemgang, Buli, or Tingtibi, this stupa and monastery are just 30+ minutes from these places (road conditions permitting). It has some of the most unimaginable treasure relics buried in it—from the personal effects of Buddha to Guru Padmasambhava to Pema Lingpa to Penor Rimpoche.