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Six Monasteries of the Nyingma Tradition

The Six Mother Monasteries of the Nyingma Tradition are Katog Dorje Den (founded in 1159), Tubten Dorje Drag (1632), Palyul Namgyal Jangchub Ling (1665), Urgyan Mindroling (1676), Dzogchen Urgyan Samten Choling (1685) and Shechen Tennyi Dargye Ling (1735). This version of the six was promoted by the Shechen Rabjam incarnation line of Shechen Monastery.


An earlier list has the monastery of Chongye Palri Tegchog Ling in place of Shechen Monastery. Dodrubchen Monastery is sometimes substituted for Katog. Samye was the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet established by King Trisong Detsen and Shantirakshita with the help of Padmasambhava. Samye is not included in the list of six probably for a number of different reasons such as its importance for all of Tibetan Buddhism and the fact that it has been under Sakya administration for more than several centuries.