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Monasteries

Before the ‘peaceful liberation’ of Tibet by China in 1950, Tibet had approximately 2000 major monasteries and 110,000 Buddhist monks. Today there are only 1700 monasteries left and about 64,000 monks but what remains are still astounding and are a representative view of the wealth of history and culture in Tibet. It is therefore hardly surprising that most of the manmade attractions to be visited in Tibet are the monasteries themselves.

Samye Monastery

It was an Indian teacher Padmasambhava, who founded the oldest monastery in Tibet in AD 770. He is also considered the founder of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery is built on a mandala foundation with the main temple placed in the center symbolizing the mythical Buddhist peak of Mount Meru.

Tashi-Lhunpo Monastery

The residence of the Panchen Lama, this monastery was founded in 1447 by one of the principal disciples of the Founder of the Yellow Sect, Tsongkhapa. Nearly 4000 monks used to live in this red and white building, which sprawls over 300,000 square meters along the slopes of Mount Niser, southwest of Shigatse. Today, there are only 600 monks staying here. Within the walls of this monastery one can find the Maitreya, a chapel built in 1914 to house the 26-meter tall statue of the Buddha of the Future. There is also an eleven-meter tall memorial to the fourth Panchen Lama, which was erected in 1662 and is decorated with 85 kilograms of gold, 15 tons of silver and countless precious stones.

Sa’gya Monastery

Located 145 kilometers southwest of Xigaze, this monastery was founded in 1073 along with the creation of a new order, the Sa’gyapa school. The striking dark gray buildings have white horizontal stripes under the roof and red vertical stripes at the corners. The monastery, which is actually made up of two sections, is home to many priceless articles as well as over 10,000 volumes of Tibetan books on astronomy, medicine, calligraphy and history. The southern monastery is largely intact from the violent years of the Cultural Revolution but the northern monastery was almost completely destroyed. Today several of the buildings have been rebuilt.

The Three Monasteries of the Yellow Hat Sect

The three monasteries near Lhasa are considered focal points of the Yellow Hat sect and pillars of the theocratic state.

• Sera
  Nestling at the foot of Wu Du Hill, 5 kilometers north of Lhasa, this monastery got its name from the sera flowers (wild roses) found growing on the hill. It was built in 1419 by a disciple of Tsongkhapa at the site of a hut where his master had spent many years studying and meditating. At its peak, the monastery was home to almost 5000 monks and was reputed for its academy.

• Gandan
  During the Cultural Revolution, this monastery, which was founded in 1409 by Tsongkhapa, was almost completely destroyed. Little of the monastery’s treasures were preserved and buildings were ripped apart to their foundations. Rebuilding was finally completed in 1985 but is limited to only the important buildings.

• Drepung
  Probably the largest monastery in the world, with almost 10,000 monks living within its walls at the pinnacle of its influence, the Drepung was built in 1416 and was the predecessor of the Potala Palace. It lies 10 kilometers to the west of Lhasa and is built on the slopes of Mount Guopei.

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