Tibet: Drepung & Sera Monastery, Apr 2024

Drepung Monastery (哲蚌寺) is one of the three pillars of the Tibetan state and is said to be the largest monastery in the world once housing over 10,000 resident monks.  Nowadays, about 600 monks reside here.  Drepung translates to “rice heap” which is a reference to the white buildings dotting the hillside.  There is a one-and-half-hour kora around the monastery.  The main assembly hall, Tsogchen, is the principal structure in the Drepung complex that can be reached by passing through a medieval kitchen filled with giant cauldrons and ladles.  The impressive hall is supported by over 180 columns and draped with thangkas and monks’ robes.  The back-room chapel is guarded by Chana Dorje and Tamdrin on either side of the door and houses the statues of Sakyamuni with his two disciples, the Buddhas of the Three Ages, and nine chortens above.  Unfortunately, like all the other temples and monasteries in Tibet, photography is not allowed inside.

Drepung Monastery

Drepung Monastery

Drepung Monastery

Prayer wheels outside Drepung Monastery

Drepung Monastery

Drepung Monastery

The main assembly hall, Tsogchen, at Drepung Monastery

Drepung Monastery

Drepung Monastery

Yak butter sculptures

Drepung Monastery

Drepung Monastery

Drepung Monastery

Drepung Monastery

Drepung Monastery

 

Sera Monastery

Sera Monastery

Sera Monastery

Pilgrims at Sera Monastery

Monks entering the garden for the famous Tibetan Monks Debate.

Monks getting ready for their daily debate

Tibetan Monks Debate at Sera Monastery

Tibetan Monks Debate at Sera Monastery

Monks debating Buddhist philosophy at Sera Monastery.  The usual form is a debate between a Challenger who will stand and ask questions and a Defender who will sit and answer those questions.  The dramatic clapping by the Challenger is used to punctuate the end of the question.

Tibetan Monks Debate at Sera Monastery

Tibetan Monks Debate at Sera Monastery

The central purpose of the Tibetan Monks Debate is to defeat misconceptions and gain insight into the nature of reality through the analysis of the state of existence of ordinary phenomena.

Tibetan Monks Debate at Sera Monastery

 

And that’s a wrap for my trip to Tibet!  I will be back again to visit the western Ali Prefecture, also known as the “roof of the roof of the world” or as the Tibetans say: “the real Tibet”.

Thanks for stopping by!

Click the “Follow” button to signup for email subscription or keep checking back for more blog posts to come.

Alternatively, get connected through
my Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/beatricetravelsblog or follow me on Instagram @beatricetravels.