Tokden Monastery is a center of both the new and old traditions of Yundrung Bon Buddhism. In 1385 Rigdzin Shachen Nyimadzin first built a small practice community (Tibetan: gar). A few ngakpas (tantric practitioners) practiced the teachings of the Secret Mantra there. After that Tokden Yungdrung Tsultrim meditated in a retreat cabin for many years before he built a monastery near the gar. This enabled ordained monks to practice there. His practice came from the Shen Tshang lineage. And since that time the former community of the ngakpas and the new community of the monks practiced together the three vehicles of Buddha's teaching, namely the Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen. The hermitage and the monastery constitute a great monastery "Tokden Gon Palshenten Mindrol Tashi Chil Ling".
Presently the monastery has been known as "Ngawa Tokden Gonpa" or "Tokden Monastery of Ngawa". It is located on a mountain five kilometers north-east of Aba County, Qiang and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. There are 318 monks studying Tibetan traditional culture and practicing Bon Buddhism.
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