Qinghai Thrangu Monastery,Tibet

Qinghai Thrangu Monastry is located at Jekudo city, Yushu county in Qinghai's state, 5km south of Jekudo city which is about 800 kilometers from provincial capital Xining (approimately 12 hours of driving).

 

This mountainous region is also the home of the source of the three Asian mighty rivers: the Hwang Ho (Yellow River), Yangtze Kiang and the Mekon.

 

Tibetan Khampa Yushu has its own unique character of natural and cultural landscapes. Folk dance and songs, gorgeous costumes, colourful tents and horse racing festivals are extremely well known all over the world. Amidst this ethereal and conducive background and setting, the Thrangu Monastery has thrived for more than a thousand years and has produced and attracted many realized Buddhist masters of all lineages

 

History

 

One must relate the introduction of Buddhism to Tibet without forgetting the role of the Princess Wen Cheng Temple which incidentally is situated about 10km away and managed by Thrangu Monastery. This temple is more than 1300 years old and built by the Chinese Princess Wen Cheng who married the famous Tibetan King - Tsongtsen Gampo in the 7th Century A.D. She brought with her the famous Sakyamuni statue and is still venerated today at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa.

 

Both Princess Wen Cheng and Thrangu Monastery have been the source of inspiration and the catalyst for the spread of Buddhism throughout the Kham province and especially the Karma Kagyu teachings.

 

At its peak, the Monastery had more than 10,000 lamas and was known as the "Monastery of the 10,000 Lamas". At the 13th century, Thrangu Monastery was seriously destroyed by the Mongolian's attack.

 

The 7th Karmapa, Chodrak Gyamtso rebuilt and expanded this Monastery.Upon recognizing and naming the 1st Tulku Thrangu Rinpoche, the Karmapa handed the monastery over to him. Thrangu Monastery became one of the foremost centers for the study of Buddhist philosophy in Tibet.

 

Many great scholars studied and resided in Thrangu Tashi Choling. One of the most emminent is the Great Mipham Rinpoche who stayed there in retreat for five years and, during that time, composed many treatises and commentaries including the commentary on the Ke Juk.

 

A very special type of lama dancing has been perfected on special occasions at the monastery. Terton Chogyur Lingpa had a vision (mind Terma) of a special long life dance and proclaimed that this dance must be learned and performed at Thrangu Tashi Choling.

 

The spirit of Thrangu Monastery

 

The Monastery still practices and maintains its famous heritage and traditions. Previous Karmapas such as 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche, 9th Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche and Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche and other highly realized masters have either meditated, performed retreats or expounded Buddhist Dharma and Philosophy in this very place.

 

There are four Rinpoches who have guided and benefited this magnificent monastery. They are the Venerable Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche, Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, Dzuri Rinpoche and Lodro Nyima Rinpoche. These Rinpoches have continuously reincarnated many times together in this Monastery to uphold this sacred and holy place out of compassion so that beings in the future can continue to benefit from the Buddha Dharma.

 

A notable lama once said " To see the greatness of a mountain, one must keep one's distance; to understand it's mood, one must experience it from above and below, at sunrise and sunset, in all weather and during the various seasons. The life of a mountain is as intense and varied as that of a monastery. There is a deep inner relationship between the mountains and monasteries, the true embodiment of the spirit of the Himalayas. What monasteries and mountains have in common is Greatness, Simplicity, Strength, Aloofness and Endurance. Wherever beauty, solitude and grandeur conspire to produce an atmosphere of awe and religious inspiration there will be found a sanctuary, a hermitage or monastery, or a place of pilgrimage. These citadels of faith amidst the most challenging forces of nature are the fulfillment of nature on a higher plane, expressing its transcendent spirit through the ascending aspirations of Man ". This really captures the spirit of Thrangu Monastery.

 

Current Day

 

With the time changing, the Monastery was seriously damaged. Only one statue of Vairocana Buddha still remains and is now less one with the more important historic, artistic and religious value.

 

In 1982, when permission was given by the authorities to rebuild this Monastery, all the lamas here had the heavy responsibilities of seeking the means to see that this Monastery recapture some semblance of its glorious past. In 2005, the contruction the Main shrine hall was completed and the grand inauguration ceremony was held in July of the same year.

 

The present Thrangu Monastery includes two main shrine halls, three retreat centers, one institution, Princess Wen Chen Temple and retreat huts. There are more than 140 stupas and 270 monks.

 

The four-storey shrine hall offers four-meter high of Buddha statues of the three times and one thousand bronze Buddhas, sutras etc. The other five storey shrine hall offers a 10-meter high of Buddha Amitabha statue, Four-armed Chenrizig and Guru Padmasambhava statue etc. Three huge gold plated statues, one 10-meter high Buddha Maitriya statue, Eight 6-meter high Bodhisattvas, 30 lineage masters and Arhat statues. One thousand pieces of one-meter high bronze Buddha Sakyamuni statues and thangkas.

 

The three-storey Jamgon Kongtrul shrine hall includes pictures of previous reincarnation of Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoches,three Buddhas of Infinite Life, eight Medicine Buddhas and Bodhisattva Manjushri statues. More than 30 gold plated statues. The four-storey is Tara Shrine Hall which offers 42 gold-plated Tara and other statues. There are four two-storey height shrine halls offers 200 pieces of gold plated lineage masters,deities and protectors’ statues of the four lineages: Nyima,Kagyu,Sakya and Gelu. This non-sectarian aim embodies the entire Buddhist culture.

 

The Institute of Learning

 

In accordance with the wishes of Thrangu Rinpoche and Karthar Rinpoche, Lodro Nyma Rinpoche is builting a school to serve the young monks of the monastery and the lay children from the area including the nomad children.

 

A 3-storey building, with the total area of 1400 square meters, includes 13 classroom, 6 dormitories and one library. The inauguration was scheduled on August 20,2005. The school year starts in September and students are now about 70 young lamas.

 

As a tibetan buddhist school, the school will give the young monks a secular as well as religious education. teaching them Tibetan, Chinese, English, computer studies and skills such as tibetan medicine, thangka drawing & sculpture and tailoring etc. In addition, the school is able to accommodate non-Tibetan disciples who wish to do study and do the retreat with some degree of comfort.