Tibetan Monasteries

The foundation of Buddhism in Tibet lies in the practice of monasticism. Around six thousand monasteries existed in Tibet of which nearly all were destroyed by Chinese communists during the Cultural Revolution. Most major monasteries have been re-established, although partially but many remain in ruins to date.

In Mongolia, out of the total male population one third was monks during the 1920s decade; most of who lived outside the monasteries. At the onset of the 20th century, more than 750 monasteries functioned in Mongolia, which were again ruined during the communist rule and later re-established when Buddhism was revived in Mongolia, after the fall of Communism.

The four schools of Tibetan Buddhism Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug each have their own set of monasteries. The Nyingma lineage has six mother monasteries. The composition of these six is believed to have changed with the passage of time. Sheche, Palyul,Mindroling, Kathok, Dorje Drak and Dzogchen Monastery form the Nyingma lineage. The first ever monastery that was established in Tibet is Samye by Padmasambhava and Shantarakshita.

The Kagyu monasteries are usually found in the Kham region of Tibet. A very important monastery is also found in central Tibet called Ralung. There are four other monasteries, which are very important in the Kagyu tradition. They are the palpung monastery, which forms the seat of the Jamgon Kongtrul and Tai Situpa, the Ralung Monastery forming the eat of Gyalwang Drukpa, Surmang Monastery, which is the seat of Trungpa Tulkus and lastly the Tsurphu Monastery, which is the seat of the Gyalwa Karmapa.

The Sakya lineage has just one main monastery the Sakya Monastery that is the seat of the Sakya Trizin.

The Gelug tradition or the Gelugpa lineage has three most important centers; the Ganden Monastery forming the seat of the Ganden Tripa, the home monastery of the Dalai Lama which is the Drepung Monastery and the Sera Monastery all of which are located near Lhasa. One of the three other monasteries with a particular and very important regional influence is Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse region whose founder is the Dalai Lama himself. This monastery is the seat of Panchen Lama. In central and eastern Amdo region one can find the remaining two monasteries, the Labrang and Kumbum Monasteries respectively.A greatly spiritual and historically important pilgrimage site for Buddhists is the Jokhang Temple located in Lhasa which is believed to be built by the King Songtsen Gampo in 647 AD.

Other than these historically and spiritually important sites, monasteries are found all over the world where the roots of Buddhism have penetrated deep into the social and cultural fabric of the society and the West is not an exception. Buddhist monasteries will be found in many places in several countries like the USA, UK, Australia, France wherever the Buddhist migrated to. The Monasteries are an integral part of Buddhist culture and may very well be said the backbone of Buddhism. The essence of Buddhism is reflected in the Monasteries irrespective of the lineage they belong to.