Nechung
Encyclopedia
Naiqung Monastery, Naiqung Jog ( "the small dwelling"), or Naiqung Goinba , is the seat of the State Oracle of Tibet.
It is also referred to as Sungi Gyelpoi Tsenkar, the "Demon Fortress of the Oracle King."
It is about 10 minutes walk down from Drepung Monastery, and was the residence of the three-headed, six-armed Pehar
, the chief protector of the Gelug
s (Yellow Hat sect) and the seat of the State Oracle or Nechung Oracle
. It is medium-sized temple which used to house about a hundred monks.
, India. The Dalai Lamas traditionally always consulted him before making an important decision.
It was the residence of the Protector Pehar
, a deity of the Horpas, who lived to the east of (Lake) Kokonor
. According to tradition, he is held to have been originally brought to Samye
Monastery by Padmasambhava
who bound him to protect the dharma. An alternative story is that he was brought back by a Bon general, Tara Lugong, who took possession of the meditation school near Kanchow of the Bhaţa Hor, a tribe of Uighurs
, about the end of the 8th century CE. Pehar
was regarded as the guardian deity of the treasures of Samye Monastery and, later, as the 'protector of religion'.
During the time of Lobsang Gyatso, the Fifth Dalai Lama (r. 1642-1682), Pehar
was first moved from Samye to Tse Gugtang and then to the present site of Nechung Monastery.
Although the State Oracle is a Nyingma
monk, he has been adopted by the Gelugpas and is now chosen for his receptivity to possession by Pehar
during trance
. He is considered to be the medium of Dorje Drakden, one of Pehar
's aspects.
When the State Oracle is possessed by Pehar
, he becomes very agitated, with tongue lolling, bloodshot eyes and displays superhuman strength, lifting heavy weights, twisting swords, etc. He mumbles words which are recorded and then interpreted by monks and also blesses grain which is thrown to the crowd.
Unlike most Central Asian shamans, who are thought to leave their bodies when in a trance-like state and travel to the land of the spirits from where they bring back messages, Tibetan oracles act "as a mouthpiece for the gods or spirits who possess him and speak through him, very often without his own knowledge of what is being said, answering directly the questions of those who consult him." The tradition of oracles was inherited from the pre-Buddhist religion of Tibet, Bön. The "great" Fifth Dalai Lama was "the first to institutionalise the State Oracle of Nächung."
Nechung was almost completely destroyed during the Cultural Revolution
and annexation
of Tibet by China, though now, it has been largely restored and there is a huge new statue of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava
) on the second floor. There is a college of debate to the east of Nechung which is once again attended by young students.
A new Nechung Monastery has been built in Dharamsala, India.
It is also referred to as Sungi Gyelpoi Tsenkar, the "Demon Fortress of the Oracle King."
It is about 10 minutes walk down from Drepung Monastery, and was the residence of the three-headed, six-armed Pehar
Nechung Oracle
The Nechung Oracle is the State Oracle of Tibet. The medium of the State Oracle currently resides with the current Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India...
, the chief protector of 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...
s (Yellow Hat sect) and the seat of the State Oracle or Nechung Oracle
Nechung Oracle
The Nechung Oracle is the State Oracle of Tibet. The medium of the State Oracle currently resides with the current Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India...
. It is medium-sized temple which used to house about a hundred monks.
History and functions
It was the seat of State Oracle until 1959 when he fled with the Dalai Lama to India who now lives in exile in DharamsalaDharamsala
Dharamshala or Dharamsala is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district....
, India. The Dalai Lamas traditionally always consulted him before making an important decision.
It was the residence of the Protector Pehar
Nechung Oracle
The Nechung Oracle is the State Oracle of Tibet. The medium of the State Oracle currently resides with the current Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India...
, a deity of the Horpas, who lived to the east of (Lake) Kokonor
Kokonor
Kokonor may refer to:* Qinghai province, in China* Qinghai Lake, in China...
. According to tradition, he is held to have been originally brought to Samye
Samye
The Samye Monastery or Samye Gompa is the first Buddhist monastery built in Tibet, was most probably first constructed between 775 and 779 CE under the patronage of King Trisong Detsen of Tibet who sought to revitalize Buddhism, which had declined since its introduction by King Songtsen Gampo in...
Monastery by Padmasambhava
Padmasambhava
Padmasambhava ; Mongolian ловон Бадмажунай, lovon Badmajunai, , Means The Lotus-Born, was a sage guru from Oddiyāna who is said to have transmitted Vajrayana Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet and neighbouring countries in the 8th century...
who bound him to protect the dharma. An alternative story is that he was brought back by a Bon general, Tara Lugong, who took possession of the meditation school near Kanchow of the Bhaţa Hor, a tribe of Uighurs
Uyghur people
The Uyghur are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia. Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China...
, about the end of the 8th century CE. Pehar
Nechung Oracle
The Nechung Oracle is the State Oracle of Tibet. The medium of the State Oracle currently resides with the current Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India...
was regarded as the guardian deity of the treasures of Samye Monastery and, later, as the 'protector of religion'.
Nechung Oracle
The Nechung Oracle is the State Oracle of Tibet. The medium of the State Oracle currently resides with the current Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India...
was first moved from Samye to Tse Gugtang and then to the present site of Nechung Monastery.
Although the State Oracle is a Nyingma
Nyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
monk, he has been adopted by the Gelugpas and is now chosen for his receptivity to possession by Pehar
Nechung Oracle
The Nechung Oracle is the State Oracle of Tibet. The medium of the State Oracle currently resides with the current Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India...
during trance
Trance
Trance denotes a variety of processes, ecstasy, techniques, modalities and states of mind, awareness and consciousness. Trance states may occur involuntarily and unbidden.The term trance may be associated with meditation, magic, flow, and prayer...
. He is considered to be the medium of Dorje Drakden, one of Pehar
Nechung Oracle
The Nechung Oracle is the State Oracle of Tibet. The medium of the State Oracle currently resides with the current Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India...
's aspects.
When the State Oracle is possessed by Pehar
Nechung Oracle
The Nechung Oracle is the State Oracle of Tibet. The medium of the State Oracle currently resides with the current Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India...
, he becomes very agitated, with tongue lolling, bloodshot eyes and displays superhuman strength, lifting heavy weights, twisting swords, etc. He mumbles words which are recorded and then interpreted by monks and also blesses grain which is thrown to the crowd.
Nechung was almost completely destroyed during the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
and annexation
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
of Tibet by China, though now, it has been largely restored and there is a huge new statue of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava
Padmasambhava
Padmasambhava ; Mongolian ловон Бадмажунай, lovon Badmajunai, , Means The Lotus-Born, was a sage guru from Oddiyāna who is said to have transmitted Vajrayana Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet and neighbouring countries in the 8th century...
) on the second floor. There is a college of debate to the east of Nechung which is once again attended by young students.
A new Nechung Monastery has been built in Dharamsala, India.
External links
- Nechung the State Oracle of Tibet by David Cherniack