Although Mahayana Buddhism is the state religion, almost all the people residing in the gewog are following Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.
The restored Buddhist monastery Khamariin Khiid (Khamar) is 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of the city, and Sainshand itself houses a museum dedicated to the nineteenth century monastic and literary figure Danzanravjaa, a prominent leader of the Nyingma (Red Hat) school of Tibetan Buddhism.
Nyingma |
The Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, who, according to the Avatamsaka Sutra made ten great vows, is revered as Adi-Buddha in the Nyingma school of Vajrayana, along with his consort Samantabhadri.
The Dorje Phagmo is currently a member of the monastic community of the Thangtong Dewachen nunnery at Zilingkha in Thimphu, which follows the Nyingma and the Shangpa Kagyu tradition.
In 1990, at the invitation of Penor Rinpoche, he visited India, where he taught at various monasteries, including the Nyingma Institute in Mysore.
At that time, it was the seat of late Dudjom Rinpoche (1904–1987), who was chosen as the head of Nyingma school during his later exile to India, after Tibet came under control of the Chinese as an Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China.
The two-armed Mahākāla called Bernakchen (Black Coat) is a protector of the Karma Kagyu school, although he derives from Nyingma terma and was adopted by the Karma Kagyu during the time of 2nd Karmapa, Karma Pakshi.
Rongzom Chokyi Zangpo, scholar of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism