Cho-ne Monastery
Encyclopedia
Chone Monastery also Chone Gonchen Ganden Shedrubling, or Choni Monastery was originally a Sakya
monastery. It is situated adjacent to Chone Town, Jonê County
, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
, Gansu Province, China, at an altitude of about 2,610 m (8,563 ft).
Chone Monastery was originally founded in 1269 by Drogon Ghogyel Phakpa (1235–1280) and his Mongol patron, Kublai Khan
or (Qubilai Qan), in 1269 CE as a Sakya monastery.
Chone Monastery was part of a separate kingdom formed, according to legend, after its invasion by Chinese warriors who migrated across the mountains from Szechuan conquering the local tribes in 1404. The Yongle Emperor
(May 2, 1360 – August 12, 1424) named one of them hereditary chief, bestowing the name of "Yang" and an imperial seal upon them and the prince established a palace on the north bank of the Tao River
. The Yang family, continued to rule over 48 unruly Tibetan clans in Chon-ne as a semi-independent kingdom from the early 15th century for 23 generations, until 1928, when it was placed under the control of the Lanchow government.
Phakpa, who was trusted to rule Tibet by the Mongol Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, Kublai Khan, visited the area which, until that time was mainly under the influence of the ancient Bon religion. In 1459 the monastery was converted to the Gelug
sect by Choje Rinchen Lingpo.
Its colleges were established in the 18th century by Kunkyen Jigme Wangpo. with the School of Dialectics (Tsenyl Dratsang) being founded in 1714 and the Tantric (Vajrayana
) college (Gyupa Dratsang) in 1729.
Within the grounds are six large buildings - only one of which has been ruined (to the left). The Assembly Hall is in the centre with the Gyupa Dratsang is to the right and behind are the Tsenyi Dratsang, the Chora (Debating Garden), the Taknyi Lhakhang which is dedicated to Hevajra
and the Sariwa Lhakhang. The monastery was famed for its 1773 woodblock
editions of the Kangyur
and Tangyur, copies of which still exist though, unfortunately, the original woodblocks have been damaged beyond repair.
When the monastery was visited by Janet Elliott Wulsin and her husband, Frederick Wulsin, in 1923, Chone Monastery had survived numerous earthquakes. On the main gate was an inscription composed by the Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654 – 20 December 1722) in 1710 which read: "Bestowed by Imperial Command, Temple of Tranquillity" as a favour to a local lama who had visited him in Beijing and returned with 3,000 taels (each approximately 37 grams) of silver, which he used to erect buildings in the monastery. At one time there were 172 buildings including ten chanting halls within the monastery and 3,800 monks. By 1923 the population was only about 700.
The monastery now has only about 120 monks which gives it a rather deserted atmosphere.
Sakya
The Sakya school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug...
monastery. It is situated adjacent to Chone Town, Jonê County
Jonê County
Jonê County is an administrative district in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province, China. It is one of 58 counties of Gansu. It is part of the Gannan Prefecture. Its postal code is 747600. Its area is 4,954 km2, and its population is over 100,000 people...
, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in southern Gansu Province, China. It includes Xiahe and the Labrang Monastery, Luqu, Maqu, and other mostly Tibetan towns and villages...
, Gansu Province, China, at an altitude of about 2,610 m (8,563 ft).
History
- "There are traditions of Tibetan soldiers left behind [after the late 10th century] at several border outposts, such as Chone, where they established viable settlements, and of the remaining Tibetan conscript troops, called the Wun Mo, carving out considerable territory for themselves until they were perhaps absorbed into that amalgam of people of Tibetan stock, which came to form the Hsi Hsia Kingdom (982—1224)."
Chone Monastery was originally founded in 1269 by Drogon Ghogyel Phakpa (1235–1280) and his Mongol patron, Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan , born Kublai and also known by the temple name Shizu , was the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294 and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty in China...
or (Qubilai Qan), in 1269 CE as a Sakya monastery.
Chone Monastery was part of a separate kingdom formed, according to legend, after its invasion by Chinese warriors who migrated across the mountains from Szechuan conquering the local tribes in 1404. The Yongle Emperor
Yongle Emperor
The Yongle Emperor , born Zhu Di , was the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty of China from 1402 to 1424. His Chinese era name Yongle means "Perpetual Happiness".He was the Prince of Yan , possessing a heavy military base in Beiping...
(May 2, 1360 – August 12, 1424) named one of them hereditary chief, bestowing the name of "Yang" and an imperial seal upon them and the prince established a palace on the north bank of the Tao River
Tao River
Tao River is a right tributary of China's Yellow River. It starts in Xiqing Mountains near the Gansu-Qinghai border, flows eastward across Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, and then northward more or less along the border between Dingxi Prefecture-level City in the east and Gannan and Linxia...
. The Yang family, continued to rule over 48 unruly Tibetan clans in Chon-ne as a semi-independent kingdom from the early 15th century for 23 generations, until 1928, when it was placed under the control of the Lanchow government.
Phakpa, who was trusted to rule Tibet by the Mongol Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, Kublai Khan, visited the area which, until that time was mainly under the influence of the ancient Bon religion. In 1459 the monastery was converted to the Gelug
Gelug
The Gelug or Gelug-pa , also known as the Yellow Hat sect, is a school of Buddhism founded by Je Tsongkhapa , a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader...
sect by Choje Rinchen Lingpo.
Its colleges were established in the 18th century by Kunkyen Jigme Wangpo. with the School of Dialectics (Tsenyl Dratsang) being founded in 1714 and the Tantric (Vajrayana
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle...
) college (Gyupa Dratsang) in 1729.
Description
The monastery is situated near a bend in the rushing, clear, Tao River surrounded by high wooded mountains, adjacent to the fairly large Chone Town which has a mixed population of Tibetans and Chinese, though the Chinese now predominate. In 1923, the village had "approximately four hundred Tibetan families and had changed very little since its founding six centuries before."- "At the entrance to the [monastery] complex is a Chinese pavilion, containing a steleSteleA stele , also stela , is a stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected for funerals or commemorative purposes, most usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased or living — inscribed, carved in relief , or painted onto the slab...
inscribed in Tibetan and Chinese which commemorates the history of the monastery and its expansion under Manchu patronage during the 18th century."
Within the grounds are six large buildings - only one of which has been ruined (to the left). The Assembly Hall is in the centre with the Gyupa Dratsang is to the right and behind are the Tsenyi Dratsang, the Chora (Debating Garden), the Taknyi Lhakhang which is dedicated to Hevajra
Hevajra
Hevajra is one of the main yidams in Tantric, or Vajrayana Buddhism. Hevajra's consort is Nairātmyā .-India:...
and the Sariwa Lhakhang. The monastery was famed for its 1773 woodblock
Woodblock printing
Woodblock printing is a technique for printing text, images or patterns used widely throughout East Asia and originating in China in antiquity as a method of printing on textiles and later paper....
editions of the Kangyur
Kangyur
The Tibetan Buddhist canon is a loosely defined list of sacred texts recognized by various schools of Tibetan Buddhism, made up of the Kangyur or Kanjur and the Tengyur or Tanjur .-The Tibetan Buddhist Canon:In addition to earlier foundational Buddhist texts from early Buddhist schools, mostly...
and Tangyur, copies of which still exist though, unfortunately, the original woodblocks have been damaged beyond repair.
When the monastery was visited by Janet Elliott Wulsin and her husband, Frederick Wulsin, in 1923, Chone Monastery had survived numerous earthquakes. On the main gate was an inscription composed by the Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654 – 20 December 1722) in 1710 which read: "Bestowed by Imperial Command, Temple of Tranquillity" as a favour to a local lama who had visited him in Beijing and returned with 3,000 taels (each approximately 37 grams) of silver, which he used to erect buildings in the monastery. At one time there were 172 buildings including ten chanting halls within the monastery and 3,800 monks. By 1923 the population was only about 700.
- "Inside the oldest of Choni's chanting halls, dating back five hundred years, Janet and Frederick discovered the enormous gilded figure of Tsongkhapa with his two disciples. Legend had it that Tsongkhapa had appeared on the stone altar of the monastery in 1714, and, after addressing the crowd on the greatness of his church, became transfigured and ascended into heaven."
The monastery now has only about 120 monks which gives it a rather deserted atmosphere.
Festival
On the sixth day of the sixth moon (in August/September) the spectacular Cham-ngyon-wa, or "Old Dance," is celebrated at the monastery, representing the souls of the departed.Further reading
- Rock, Joseph F. (1928). Life Among the Lamas of Choni. Joseph F. Rock. National Geographic Magazine. November 1928, pp. 569–619.
External links
- "Tibet Outside the TAR: Chone Dzong." Tibet Environmental Watch http://www.tew.org/totar/totar.chone.html
- TibetInfoNet "Tibet 2008: Reported Unrest and Related Incidents." http://www.tibetinfonet.net/newsticker/entriesprovince_id=19&location_id=146&prefecture_id=32