LEAF-go-VSO
Monasteries
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Monasteries |
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In February 2009 we visited two monasteries in the far NW of Yunnan, the Ganden Sumtseling Gompa on the outskirts of Zhongdian and the much more remote Dhondrupling Gompa beyond the town of Benzilan (about 100km further north). At the present day they're working Yellow Hat Sect lamaseries, but both suffered heavily at the hands of the Red Army when China moved in to quell the Tibetan uprising of 1959. Restoration has been taking place since the 1980s. In fact, the Dhondrupling Gompa has even moved location by some 10km! We've been to the Ganden Sumtseling Gompa two (and a half! see later) times before. See also our Zhongdian (July 2006)and NW Yunnan (January 2007) pages. Ganden Sumtseling Gompa (Songzanlin Monastery), Zhongdian
The monastery was estabished in 1679, modelled on the Potala Palace in Lhasa, but the present structure is a much later creation. The photos above show the changes that have taken place between summer 2006 (left) and winter 2008/9 (right). Note the new hall filling the gap on the right. This, the last of the three main golden-roofed halls, was only constructed in 2007-08. Presumably the original was shelled by the Chinese Army in 1959. There is now even a gift shop (the new building in front of the left-hand hall), a walkway round a lake, an enormous bus park, a substantial boundary wall, and the Y30 entrance fee is much more rigorously enforced. Such is progress and tourist industry development in the land of Shangri-la!
The annual Gedong Festival takes place on the 29th day of
the 11th lunar month. It's a Tibetan Mask Dance depicting spirits, gods and
mythical animals. Lesley, Freda, Annie and Trish chanced upon it in January
2008. Photos to follow soon.
Left: Up on the roof of the Dratsang (Main) Hall. The small hall contains
a large drum - we were there when it bonged!; Right: Edie and the
monastery seen from the path round the lake.
As well as the monastery's library, the Tsong Khappa Hall
contains a large statue of Je Tsong Khappa (1358-1417) who was the founder of
the Yellow Hat Sect of Tibetan Buddhism (the same as the Dalai Lama). The Dratsang
Hall is the main prayer and study assembly hall. The Zhu Kang Hall
contains a magnificent Sakyamuni (Founder of Buddhism) statue. Dhondrup Ling Gompa (Dongzhulin Monastery), Benzilan
The Dhondrup Ling Gompa is much harder to get to than the Ganden Sumtseling. From Zhongdian it's a 3 hour bus journey down into the Yangtze valley to the small Tibetan town of Benzilan (2100m), then another 30 minutes up the hill in a microbus to the monastery. It was established in 1667 higher up into the Baima Xueshan mountains but was destroyed by the Red Army in 1959. The present buildings only date from 1985, when the monastery was rebuilt in traditional style on a promontory overlooking the deep valley at an altitude of about 2800m. The place has a completely different, much quieter, feel than touristy Ganden Sumtseling Gompa. We were the only visitors on the day, and we got the impression that even Chinese tourists are few and far between at this relatively remote spot. It still cost Y30 to get in though!
The Tibetan Wheel of Life (Bhavacakra)
The Buddhist Wheel of Life depicts the continuous circle of birth, life and death from which one liberates oneself through enlightenment. It's a common artistic feature in Tibetan Buddhist temple entrance halls such as the Dhondrup Ling Gompa Prayer Assembly Hall. Nearby are paintings of the Four Guardian Kings who protect the temple and the Buddhist teachings: King Yukorgyeong, King Pakgyepu; King Mikmisang; and King Namtoese. At Dhondrup Ling Gompa the Wheel of Life is to the left of the door. On the right is the Tomtsun Tamba, a sort of Buddhist Creation story. The 12 Links of Causality The outer ring of the wheel is divided into 12 sections, each depicting one of the 12 Links of Causality. These are listed below (the artistic representation at Dhondrup Ling Gompa is given in brackets): (1)Ignorance (a blind person); (2) Conditioning (a potter); (3) Consciousness (a monkey); (4) Name and Form (a boatsman); (5) Six Sensory Organs, i.e. eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind (an empty house); (6) Contact, touch (a kissing couple); (7) Sensation ( a man hurt by an arrow); (8) Desire, thirst (a drunkard); (9) Sensuality (a person picking fruit); (10) Procreation (a pregnant woman); (11) Birth (a woman giving birth); (12) Old Age, death (an old man).
The Six Realms The middle section of the wheel is divided into six sections which represent the Six Realms (or Worlds) of Existence. These six worlds are: (1) The World of Gods (Devas); (2) The World of Demigods
and Demons (Asuras); (3) The World of Humans; The World of Gods is always at the very top of the wheel. At Dhondrup Ling Gompa the World of Demigods and Demons is on the top left (merged somewhat with the World of Gods) and on the top right is the World of Humans. The World of Animals is the segment on the left and the World of Hungry Ghosts is on the right. Between the World of Animals and the World of Hungry Ghosts, at the very bottom of the wheel, is the gruesome World of Hell.
The HubThe rim of the hub has a clear demarcation into black and white halves, representing sin and purity. The white half shows the path to enlightenment, the black half the decent to Hell. In the centre of the hub a trio of animals termed the Three Poisons are personified as the Boar, Serpent and Bird (representing delusion, anger and desire respectively). The Three Poisons are turning in a "Wheel of Woe", each consuming and energised by the Poison affronting them and being consumed by that which they affront in turn (each of the Poisons has one of the other Poisons in its mouth).
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