Kandze Monastery
Encyclopedia
Kandze Monastery is situated 2 km north of Garzê Town
on a hilltop overlooking the town, in Tibet
.
overlooking their castles known as Mazur and Khangsar. It once housed 1,500 monks making it, with Chamdo
, the largest in Kham
. The pilgrimage circuit around the monastery was almost eight kilometres long.
In the 1909-1918 war the castles were occupied by Chinese troops and are now in ruins.
It has been extensively renovated since 1981 and now houses about 700 monks, including three tulku
s - one of whom returned from Switzerland and established a girls' school.
and Gelugpa lineages. There are also a number of fine tangkas representing the meditational deities, Guhyasamaja, Cakrasamvara, and Yamantaka.
Upstairs is a library containing the Kangyur
and old images of the eleven-faced form of Avalokiteśvara
and the great Gelupa teacher, Je Tsongkhapa
(1357–1419). There is also Gonkhang room dedicated to the guardian deities mentioned above which is entered through spectacular black and gold door, and recently-painted images of protector deities. The Maitreya Hall contains a huge image of Jampa (Maitreya
), the Buddha-to-come, flanked by images of Shakyamuni, Tsongkhapa, Dipamkara and Sitatapatra
.
To the northeast of the monastery on a hill is a reconstructed white chorten.
Garzê Town
Garzê or Gānzī , is a town of about 9,000 in the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in western Sichuan Province, China....
on a hilltop overlooking the town, in Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
.
History
The monastery was built c. 1642 CE by the Khoshut or Qosot MongolsMongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
overlooking their castles known as Mazur and Khangsar. It once housed 1,500 monks making it, with Chamdo
Chamdo
Qamdo , or Chamdo, officially organised as Chengguan of Qamdo County , population in 1999 about 86,280, is a major town in the historical region of Kham in the eastern Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. The capital of Qamdo County and Qamdo Prefecture, it is Tibet's third...
, the largest in Kham
Kham
Kham , is a historical region covering a land area largely divided between present-day Tibetan Autonomous Region and Sichuan province, with smaller portions located within Qinghai, Gansu and Yunnan provinces of China. During the Republic of China's rule over mainland China , most of the region was...
. The pilgrimage circuit around the monastery was almost eight kilometres long.
In the 1909-1918 war the castles were occupied by Chinese troops and are now in ruins.
It has been extensively renovated since 1981 and now houses about 700 monks, including three tulku
Tulku
In Tibetan Buddhism, a tulku is a particular high-ranking lama, of whom the Dalai Lama is one, who can choose the manner of his rebirth. Normally the lama would be reincarnated as a human, and of the same sex as his predecessor. In contrast to a tulku, all other sentient beings including other...
s - one of whom returned from Switzerland and established a girls' school.
Description
The main Assembly Hall is striking building with a golden roof from which there is a magnificent view of the valley and nearby town. It is approached by a long flight of stairs and the inner sanctum is reached though long passageways formed by red wooden columns. Inside three sets of images are displayed high up in glass cabinets representing the founders of the Nyingmapa, KadampaKadampa
The Kadampa tradition was a Tibetan Mahayana Buddhist school. Dromtönpa, a Tibetan lay master and the foremost disciple of the great Indian Buddhist Master Atisha , founded it and passed three lineages to his disciples. The Kadampa were quite famous and respected for their proper and earnest...
and Gelugpa lineages. There are also a number of fine tangkas representing the meditational deities, Guhyasamaja, Cakrasamvara, and Yamantaka.
Upstairs is a library containing 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 old images of the eleven-faced form of Avalokiteśvara
Avalokitesvara
Avalokiteśvara is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He is one of the more widely revered bodhisattvas in mainstream Mahayana Buddhism....
and the great Gelupa teacher, Je Tsongkhapa
Je Tsongkhapa
Tsongkhapa , whose name means “The Man from Onion Valley”, was a famous teacher of Tibetan Buddhism whose activities led to the formation of the Geluk school...
(1357–1419). There is also Gonkhang room dedicated to the guardian deities mentioned above which is entered through spectacular black and gold door, and recently-painted images of protector deities. The Maitreya Hall contains a huge image of Jampa (Maitreya
Maitreya
Maitreya , Metteyya , or Jampa , is foretold as a future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. In some Buddhist literature, such as the Amitabha Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, he or she is referred to as Ajita Bodhisattva.Maitreya is a bodhisattva who in the Buddhist tradition is to appear on...
), the Buddha-to-come, flanked by images of Shakyamuni, Tsongkhapa, Dipamkara and Sitatapatra
Sitatapatra
Sitātapatrā is the 'Goddess of the White Parasol' - protector against supernatural danger. She manifests as the wrathful form of Avalokiteshvara-Names:...
.
To the northeast of the monastery on a hill is a reconstructed white chorten.