Purbuchok Hermitage
Encyclopedia
Purbuchok Hermitage is a hermitage situated in the northeastern corner of the Lhasa
Valley in the northern suburb of Dodé
in the Tibet Autonomous Region
of the Peoples Republic of China. Destroyed by the Chinese in 1959, it was mostly restored in 1984. Affiliated to the Sera Monastery
, it is the last hermitage to be visited on the “Sixth-Month Fourth-Day” (drug pa tshe bzhi) pilgrimage circuit. The hills surrounding the monastery have been given name tags of the three protectors of the divine paradise namely the Avalokiteśvara
, Manjusri
and Vajrapani
. It is also identified with the six-syllables divine mantra (sngags)- OM Mani Padme Hum
.
along with Sera Utsé Hermitage
. The mountainous landscape of the hermitage is imbued with serene sanctity and is blessed (jinchen), which fact is expressively described. The hills to the west are described to be in the shape of two auspicious golden fish (trashi sernya). The northern mountain is called the Soul-Mountain of Mañjuśrī (Jampelyangkyi Lari) and also as Moktogo, with a rock outcrop interpreted to be in the shape of conch shell. The eastern mountains are ascribed to contain the palace of Avalokiteśvara
The mountain-abode (neri) of Vajrapāni, who is said to be the “door-keeper” (gosung) for the entire region, appears as if it had a flag on its peak. Consequently, the hermitage has provided inspiration to the meditating monks in different “metaphysical rhetoric of sacred space".
(Padma ’byung gnas) meditated here. The main cave where he did penance is known as the ‘Cavern of Dochung Chongzhi (Rdo cung cong zhi’i phug pa)'. However, it was in the twelfth century that the founder of the Tshalpa Kagyu school, Zhang Drowé Gönpo Yudrakpa (1123-1193), founded a practice centre here. Thereafter, this location has been known as 'Purchok' (literal meaning), “a dagger at its pinnacle”. Over the centuries, the monastery has seen many eminent monastic officials playing a role in its building, such as the Zhang ’gro ba’i mgon po g.yu brag pa (1123–1193), female saint Ma cig lab sgron, Sgrub khang dge legs rgya mtsho’s (1641–1713), Ngawang Jampa (Phur lcog sku phreng dang po ngag dbang byams pa, 1682–1762) and Pan chen blo bzang ye shes (1663–1737). Royal family members like the Queen Tsering Trashi (Rgyal mo tshe ring bkra shis) and the King of Tibet Pho lha nas (1689–1747) also supported the activities of the hermitage. However, the most significant face of development occurred during the third Purchok incarnation Lozang Tsültrim Jampa Gyatso (Phur lcog sku phreng gsum pa blo bzang tshul khrims byams pa rgya mtsho) who was teacher of the 13th and 14th Dalai Lamas.
However, upon the Chinese invasion of 1959, the hermitage saw almost total destruction. Since 1984, with approval of the local government, a reconstruction phase was begun and the hermitage has been substantially restored now to its past glory.
While the 'Three Protector's temple' has been refurbished around the original walls, all the other areas have been re-built. The main temple is three tiered with an yellow building that towers over the entire hermitage complex credited to have been built the founder of the hermitage – Drupkhangpa – which is the 'Temple of the Three Protectors' where images of the 'Three Protectors' namely Avalokiteśvara, Mañjuśrī, and Vajrapāni are new since the original statues were destroyed. The temple caretaker's room and a kitchen are adjacent to the temple.
Descending from the temple of the three protectors temple leads to a courtyard with several entry doors; northern side has monks' rooms with yellow coloured windows and the southern side has Purchok Rinpoché's rooms. Further away, through a smaller courtyard, is the 'Scripture Chapel' (Kangyur Lhakhang). Living quarters of the monks are on the top floor of the main temple. Below the top floor are a firewood store and a gong
room (gong used to call the monks for prayers and eating). At the lowest level of the main temple compound are: the main temple, cave temple of Purchok Rinpoché, protector deity chapel, a mani [wheel] temple (mani lhakhang), a kitchen and a store room.
In the Dharma enclosure (chöra), a large open space in front of the main temple, had in the past a “Dharma Enclosure Assembly Hall” that was destroyed and not rebuilt. However, some murals are seen at the base of one of the walls of this enclosure. A new library has been built adjoining these ruins that houses a collection of the Tengyur
.
(Künrik Nampar Nangdzé), the Medicine Buddha (Menla), the Sixteen Arhats (Neten Chudruk), and the monastery’s protector deities. In 2000, a novel addition introduced was the emphasis on the teachings of the classical philosophical Buddhist texts, as supplementation to the ritualistic practices carried out by the monks.
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
Valley in the northern suburb of Dodé
Dodé Valley
The Dodé Valley or Dog bde is a northern suburb of Lhasa, Tibet. A number of historical hermitages belonging to Sera Monastery are located here including the Purbuchok Hermitage and Sera Utsé Hermitage. The hills around the valley are known as the Purbuchok mountains. It is a common location for...
in the Tibet Autonomous Region
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
of the Peoples Republic of China. Destroyed by the Chinese in 1959, it was mostly restored in 1984. Affiliated to the Sera Monastery
Sera Monastery
Sera Monastery is one of the 'great three' Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet, located north of Lhasa. The other two are Ganden Monastery and Drepung Monastery. The origin of the name 'Sera' is attributed to a fact that the site where the monastery was built was surrounded by wild roses in...
, it is the last hermitage to be visited on the “Sixth-Month Fourth-Day” (drug pa tshe bzhi) pilgrimage circuit. The hills surrounding the monastery have been given name tags of the three protectors of the divine paradise namely the Avalokiteśvara
Avalokitesvara
Avalokiteśvara is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He is one of the more widely revered bodhisattvas in mainstream Mahayana Buddhism....
, Manjusri
Manjusri
Mañjuśrī is a bodhisattva associated with transcendent wisdom in Mahāyāna Buddhism. In Esoteric Buddhism he is also taken as a meditational deity. The Sanskrit name Mañjuśrī can be translated as "Gentle Glory"...
and Vajrapani
Vajrapani
' is one of the earliest bodhisattvas of Mahayana Buddhism. He is the protector and guide of the Buddha, and rose to symbolize the Buddha's power. Vajrapani was used extensively in Buddhist iconography as one of the three protective deities surrounding the Buddha...
. It is also identified with the six-syllables divine mantra (sngags)- OM Mani Padme Hum
Om mani padme hum
is the six syllabled mantra particularly associated with the four-armed Shadakshari form of Avalokiteshvara , the bodhisattva of compassion...
.
Geography
The hermitage is located at the northeastern corner of Lhasa, midway to the northern mountains in the Lhasa suburb of the Dodé ValleyDodé Valley
The Dodé Valley or Dog bde is a northern suburb of Lhasa, Tibet. A number of historical hermitages belonging to Sera Monastery are located here including the Purbuchok Hermitage and Sera Utsé Hermitage. The hills around the valley are known as the Purbuchok mountains. It is a common location for...
along with Sera Utsé Hermitage
Sera Utsé Hermitage
Sera Utsé Hermitage, Sera Utse, Sera Ütse, Sera Tse or Drubkjang Tse is a historical hermitage, belonging to Sera Monastery. It is located on the mountain directly behind Sera Monastery itself, which is about north of the Jokhang in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China...
. The mountainous landscape of the hermitage is imbued with serene sanctity and is blessed (jinchen), which fact is expressively described. The hills to the west are described to be in the shape of two auspicious golden fish (trashi sernya). The northern mountain is called the Soul-Mountain of Mañjuśrī (Jampelyangkyi Lari) and also as Moktogo, with a rock outcrop interpreted to be in the shape of conch shell. The eastern mountains are ascribed to contain the palace of Avalokiteśvara
Avalokitesvara
Avalokiteśvara is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He is one of the more widely revered bodhisattvas in mainstream Mahayana Buddhism....
The mountain-abode (neri) of Vajrapāni, who is said to be the “door-keeper” (gosung) for the entire region, appears as if it had a flag on its peak. Consequently, the hermitage has provided inspiration to the meditating monks in different “metaphysical rhetoric of sacred space".
Legend
According to the local legend, Drupkhang Gelek Gyatso (1641–1713), during his sojourns around Tibet, planned to visit 'Zangri', the centre of Zangri Karmar, established by Machik Lapdrön, the well-known female saint of the twelfth century. However, in a dream he had one day before his departure to Zangri, he saw a statue white statue that was inferred as that of Machik Lapdrön’s son, Tönyön Samdrup. Subsequently, after Drupkhangpa moved to Sera Utse (as his permanent hermitage), he started exploring the region to locate the 'white stupa' that he had seen earlier in a dream. He located it at Purbochuk, between 1701 and 1706. He then performed the prescribed rituals and prayers at the location, which was later developed by one of his students – Ngawang Jampa (Purchok Kutreng Dadengpo Ngawang Jampa, 1682–1762) – initially as a cave. Around this cave, subsequent developments took place with funds generated by the Purchok Rinpoché from several benefactors (devotees) of the region.History
The earliest history of the hermitage is traced to the ninth century when PadmasambhavaPadmasambhava
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...
(Padma ’byung gnas) meditated here. The main cave where he did penance is known as the ‘Cavern of Dochung Chongzhi (Rdo cung cong zhi’i phug pa)'. However, it was in the twelfth century that the founder of the Tshalpa Kagyu school, Zhang Drowé Gönpo Yudrakpa (1123-1193), founded a practice centre here. Thereafter, this location has been known as 'Purchok' (literal meaning), “a dagger at its pinnacle”. Over the centuries, the monastery has seen many eminent monastic officials playing a role in its building, such as the Zhang ’gro ba’i mgon po g.yu brag pa (1123–1193), female saint Ma cig lab sgron, Sgrub khang dge legs rgya mtsho’s (1641–1713), Ngawang Jampa (Phur lcog sku phreng dang po ngag dbang byams pa, 1682–1762) and Pan chen blo bzang ye shes (1663–1737). Royal family members like the Queen Tsering Trashi (Rgyal mo tshe ring bkra shis) and the King of Tibet Pho lha nas (1689–1747) also supported the activities of the hermitage. However, the most significant face of development occurred during the third Purchok incarnation Lozang Tsültrim Jampa Gyatso (Phur lcog sku phreng gsum pa blo bzang tshul khrims byams pa rgya mtsho) who was teacher of the 13th and 14th Dalai Lamas.
However, upon the Chinese invasion of 1959, the hermitage saw almost total destruction. Since 1984, with approval of the local government, a reconstruction phase was begun and the hermitage has been substantially restored now to its past glory.
Structure
The hermitage, as seen in 2004, after restoration works carried out generally in keeping with the original layout, consists of three main wings namely: the main temple (dukhang’du khang) in the first enclosure; the Temple of the Three Protectors (Riksum Gönpo LhakhangRigs gsum mgon po lha khang) in the second enclosure; and a new library building with the debating courtyard. Open space to the west and southwest of the library enclosure has the living quarters of the monks.While the 'Three Protector's temple' has been refurbished around the original walls, all the other areas have been re-built. The main temple is three tiered with an yellow building that towers over the entire hermitage complex credited to have been built the founder of the hermitage – Drupkhangpa – which is the 'Temple of the Three Protectors' where images of the 'Three Protectors' namely Avalokiteśvara, Mañjuśrī, and Vajrapāni are new since the original statues were destroyed. The temple caretaker's room and a kitchen are adjacent to the temple.
Descending from the temple of the three protectors temple leads to a courtyard with several entry doors; northern side has monks' rooms with yellow coloured windows and the southern side has Purchok Rinpoché's rooms. Further away, through a smaller courtyard, is the 'Scripture Chapel' (Kangyur Lhakhang). Living quarters of the monks are on the top floor of the main temple. Below the top floor are a firewood store and a gong
Gong
A gong is an East and South East Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat metal disc which is hit with a mallet....
room (gong used to call the monks for prayers and eating). At the lowest level of the main temple compound are: the main temple, cave temple of Purchok Rinpoché, protector deity chapel, a mani [wheel] temple (mani lhakhang), a kitchen and a store room.
In the Dharma enclosure (chöra), a large open space in front of the main temple, had in the past a “Dharma Enclosure Assembly Hall” that was destroyed and not rebuilt. However, some murals are seen at the base of one of the walls of this enclosure. A new library has been built adjoining these ruins that houses a collection of the Tengyur
Tengyur
The Tengyur or Tanjur is the Tibetan collection of commentaries to the Buddhist teachings, or "Translated Treatises"...
.
Religious observances
The monastery, with its strength of thirty-eight monks, basically functions as a ritualistic establishment, as in the past. The rituals observed are the performance of the self-initiation (danjuk) rituals of Vajrabhairava (Dorjé Jikjé), Sarvavid VairocanaVairocana
Vairocana is a celestial Buddha who is often interpreted as the Bliss Body of the historical Gautama Buddha; he can also be referred to as the dharmakaya Buddha and the great solar Buddha. In Sino-Japanese Buddhism, Vairocana is also seen as the embodiment of the Buddhist concept of shunyata or...
(Künrik Nampar Nangdzé), the Medicine Buddha (Menla), the Sixteen Arhats (Neten Chudruk), and the monastery’s protector deities. In 2000, a novel addition introduced was the emphasis on the teachings of the classical philosophical Buddhist texts, as supplementation to the ritualistic practices carried out by the monks.