Sera Monastary is the second of the three great Geluk monastic citadels close to Lhasa. It was established in 1419. 4km north of Lhasa, beautifully situated at the foot of a hill. Sera means 'merciful hail' which is though to derive from the fact that Sera was in constant competition with Drepung ('rice heap monastery') and that 'hail' of Sera destroyed the 'rice' of Drepung. At its height it has around 7,000 monks but today only a few hundred monks remain.
The main entrance is at the south of the monastery compound. The two main colleges, Sera Me and Sera Je, as well as the main assembly hall are at the north of the compound by the side of the main axis.
View Larger Map1. Choten and prayer wheels at the entrance of Sera Monastery
2 to 4. Inside the Sera Monastery
5. The tanka unfurling wall of Sera.
6. Ornamented doorway to a prayer hall
7 & 8. Debating is part of the training for Tibetan monks. They are held daily in the afternoon in a garden at the back of the monastery.
No comments:
Post a Comment