The retreat center of the Dzogchen Monastery was built in the Eighteenth Century at the location prophesied by the great Vidyadhara Jigme Lingpa (1729-1798). Jigme Lingpa was a terton and great master of the Nyingthik tradition who had three visions of Longchenpa, and received his direct lineage, renowned as the Longchen Nyingthik. It is said that Jigme Lingpa was invited to start the retreat, but due to the distance and other circumstances, could not attend in person. However, he prophesied the place where it was built and consecrated it from a distance, at which time his blessing grains miraculously appeared at the site of the retreat. 

Although the the great retreat center of Dzogchen was essentially destroyed during the upheavals beginning in the 1950s, it was originally located on a mountain slope surrounded by beautiful trees and a meadow

Remains of the main Dzogchen Retreat Center

. The shrine room was two stories high, and the main shrine had statues of the Maitreya Buddha,  Omniscient Longchenpa and others. The shrine walls contained paintings of the lineage masters and yidam mandalas and protectors. The individual retreat cells were located in the Four Directions. In the shrine room on the second floor was the famous "speaking statue" of Guru Rinpoche, flanked on his left and right by the statues of Omniscient Longchenpa and the Vidyadhara Jigme Lingpa.  The Guru Rinpoche statue is well-known throughout Eastern Tibet, and is one of the most precious and sacred statues in all of Tibet. The shrine room also housed a library containing the the Kangyur and Tengyur, and stupas containing the relics of thirteen yogis who attained the rainbow body while in the retreat. Also on the second floor were Protectors Shrines of Gesar, Mahakala, Mahakali and others.

Some of the main practices at the retreat center are the Kagye (Eight Classes of Herukas), Gongdu (Embodiment of Realization) and Phurpa (Vajra Kilaya), as well as  the practices of the three roots of the Nyingthik Lineage.

Shri Singha Monastic College