Sera Monastery, Tibet |
The Sera Monastery is the representative monastery of the Gelugpa of the Tibetan Buddhism. It lies on the southern slope of the Serawoze Mountain in the northern suburbs of Lhasa. The monastery was built by SagyaYexei, one of the disciples of Tsongkhapa who was the founder of Gelugpa of the Tibet Buddhism in 1419. It is one of the six main monasteries of the Gelugpa of the Tibetan Buddhism. As one of the three main monasteries of Lhasa, it is here that the monks "famous daily debates" take place.
Location: It is located in the southern slope of the Serawoze Mountain of the northern suburb of Lhasa. Some people believe it means "hailstone", while others believe it means "raspberry", the full name of the monastery is "Sera Thekchen-ling Monastery".
History
The full name of Sera Monastery is "Sera Thekchen-ling Monastery". There are two legends about the origin of the name. One is that it was hailing when the monastery built its basement, hailstone pronounces "sera" in the Tibetan language, so when the monastery was built, it was named "Sera Monastery"; another legend is that the monastery was surrounded by a grove of rose trees, and rose also pronounces "sera" in the Tibetan language, so Sera Monastery means "the rose monastery" in Tibetan language.
The Sera Monastery was built by SagyaYexei who was the devoted disciple of Tsongkhapa in 1419. On behalf of his master, SagyaYexei went to Nanjing to pay homage to the Ming Dynasty Yongle emperor, who granted him the honorific title "Western Paradise Buddha Grand State Tutor", and a large number of sutras, Buddhist statues, monks robes, silks, gold and silver, which were used to build Sera Monastery.
Sera Bengqin Festival
The Sera Bengqin Festival is a grand festival held in the Sera Monastery on December 27 of the Tibetan calendar (about February in the Gregorian calendar). On that day, a Dorje Pestle is carried to the Potala Palace. The Dalai Lama prays to the Buddha to confer strength and then he blesses the pestle. Following this, the Khenpo (president) of the Ngaba Zhacang will place the pestle on the monks and followers who believe that the power and support of the Buddha are transferred. Tens of thousands of believers come to witness this event as it only occurs at the Sera Monastery.
Other Highlights in the Monastery
During the Shoton Festival which runs from June 30 to July 6 in the Tibetan calendar (approximately August in the Gregorian calendar) the Buddha-Unfolding Festival is held. This is a fantastic occasion to worship the Buddha which is open to both locals and tourists. The only celestial burial place in Lhasa is on the hill behind the Sera Monastery. However, visitors are not permitted to witness a celestial burial due to the local customs.
Opening Hours: 09:00 to 16:00
Recommended Time for a Visit: Two hours
 The Sera Monastery |
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