Why Mustang Valley
Located at a crossroads of ancient trade routes between Tibet and India, the Mustang Valley is a spiritually significant location to the Bon, Buddhist, and Vedic traditions. Bon, the pre-Buddhist religious and cultural tradition of Tibet, has been present and active in the area for at least seven thousand years; and, its traditions have been passed down generationally through unbroken family lineage. Encompassing present-day Jomsom, Nepal and the upper reaches of the Kali Gandaki River, this valley historically provided one of the few accessible paths through the Himalayan range. This path allowed for a cross-pollination of ideas and meditative practices between the Vedic and Buddhist traditions of India and the Bon culture of Zhang Zhung, in what is present-day Tibet.
Many enlightened Bon yogis, such as Drenpa Namkha and Yangton Tashi Gyaltsen, used the caves in the mountains of the Mustang Valley to meditate. Hindu sage Valmiki Rishi wrote the great epic “Ramayana” while in the valley, and Buddhist teachers such as Shantarakshita and Padmasambhava have walked along the banks of the Kali Gandaki river as they traveled from India to Tibet.
Through the generous support of our donors and with guidance from Geshe Sonam, we hope to preserve and sustain this rich heritage so that current and future generations may benefit from the ancient and sacred wisdom found here.
