Keutsang Hermitage
Encyclopedia
Keutsang Hermitage is a historical hermitage, belonging to the Sera Monastery
, about 8 kilometres (26,246.7 ft) northwest of Lhasa
in Tibet Autonomous Region
. The hermitage was in a precariously perched cave once inhabited by the great Tibetan guru Tsongkhapa. However, the original cave collapsed in a land slide. What is present now was rebuilt, adjoining the ruined Keutsang West Hermitage, at a safer location. As it exists now, Keutsang is located to the east of Sera on a hill side above Lhasa’s principal cemetery. Rakhadrak Hermitage
is located above this hermitage, within a close distance.
This hermitage is one of the pilgrim sites on the Sera Mountain Circumambulation Circuit (se ra’i ri ’khor) of the ‘Sixth-Month Fourth-Day (drug pa tshe bzhi)’ celebrations that devotees visit.
While the Tsongkhapa (1357–1419) lived in the cave here, the past history records that it was used as a retreat by many well known lamas. A particular mention made is that in the twelfth-century, the founder of the Tshal pa bka’ brgyud school, Bla ma zhang (1123–1193) did penance in this cave.
The first Keutsang incarnation
Jampa Mönlam (Ke’u tshang sku phreng dang po byams pa smon lam), the seventeenth abbot of the Sera Jé College (Grwa tshang byes) of Sera founded this hermitage as he wanted to do penance. After he first moved from the Sera Jé College, he lived in a cave for a while and then constructed a small hut for his retreat. During this period the students of the Sera Je college used to visit him seeking his lectures and as a result a small institution developed over the years. After his death, the second incarnate of Kuetsong, Lozang Jamyang Mönlam (Ke’u tshang sku phreng gnyis pa blo bzang ’jam dbyangs smon lam), who was from a wealthy family, provided finances of his family fortunes to build many buildings of the hermitage. The details of third Incarnate are not known but the fourth Incarnate was a close associate of the fourteenth Dalai Lama Tupten Gyatso (Da lai bla ma sku phreng bcu gsum pa thub bstan rgya mtsho). After the death of the thirteenth Dalai Lama, the fourth Keutsang incarnation (Ke’u tshang sprul sku) was instrumental in identifying the fourteenth Dalai Lama. The name, fame and the large structural status of the hermitage are attributed to the association of these High Profile Dalai Lamas. From the early nineteenth century up to 1959 Ke’u tshang also owned the well known Drapchi Temple (Grwa bzhi lha khang), which is situated in the northern part of Lhasa.
The hermitage had a close relationship with Sera all through its history so much so that every official monk of the hermitage enjoyed de facto status of a monk of the Hamdong Regional House (Har gdong khang tshan) of the Sera Jé College also. The monastery also observed all ritualistic practices.
1959 Cultural Revolution
During the 1959 Cultural Revolution
, the fifth Keutsang incarnation Keutshang sku phreng lnga pa of the Keutsang Hermitage was incarcerated for a time and later he sought asylum in India
in the 1980s.
The hermitage was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Rebuilding it was started by a former monk of the hermitage in 1991 and was completed by 1992. The rebuilt hermitage now houses 25 monks.
(Mi g.yo ba)‘s self manifest image is seen (it was earlier on a boulder rock that was moved into the shrine, into a more sanitised and sanctified location) in the Dharma
courtyard (chos rwa). The main temple is in the centre of the enclosed courtyard. It is a double storied building with an assembly hall (’du khang). The second floor of the monastery accommodates the reception and committee rooms. The monastery also has a community kitchen adjoining the living quarters for the monks. A guest house is also part of the complex of buildings.
On the back side of the main temple there is a three-story secondary temple building, which houses a Scripture Temple (Bka’ ’gyur lha khang) on the second floor, while the first floor provides the staircase and some storage space. The altar
, at the centre of the second floor, has three protector deities enshrined in it. These are the images of main Idol of Dpal ldan lha mo at the middle with images of Rdo rje g.yu sgron ma the “site deity” (gnas bdag) of the monastery and of Nyang bran rgyal chen, on the flanks. On the same floor, there is also the Tengyur chapel (Bstan ’gyur lha khang) that has a collection of the translated Indian
Buddhist treatises. The third floor has the Maitreya
Chapel (Byams khang) where a two storied tall statue of Maitreya (Byams pa) is deified. This idol overlooks the cemetery in the hermitage precincts. This floor also provides for residential accommodation for the Da lai bla ma and the rooms for the Ke’u tshang bla ma. In the northeast corner of the hermitage, there is a large “Dharma enclosure” or chos rwa that was built in 2004. This enclosure is regularly used by younger monks to recite and memorize the scriptures related to rituals, which are the hallmark of the hermitage.
days, as well as the tenth and twenty-fifth of the lunar month
. Local villagers also invite the monks of the hermitage to their houses to perform rituals, which adds to the coffers of the hermitage. Apart from the monthly rituals, the monks of the hermitage also perform annual ritual cycles such as the Tibetan New Year, eight sets of two-day Avalokiteśvara
fasting rituals (smyung gnas), and also chant the rainy season precepts in summer. A memorization exam to test the skills of all the junior monks on the ritual texts is held in the eighth Tibetan month. This examination is held by a senior scholar of 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...
, about 8 kilometres (26,246.7 ft) northwest of Lhasa
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...
in 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....
. The hermitage was in a precariously perched cave once inhabited by the great Tibetan guru Tsongkhapa. However, the original cave collapsed in a land slide. What is present now was rebuilt, adjoining the ruined Keutsang West Hermitage, at a safer location. As it exists now, Keutsang is located to the east of Sera on a hill side above Lhasa’s principal cemetery. Rakhadrak Hermitage
Rakhadrak Hermitage
Rakhadrak Hermitage is a historical hermitage, belonging to the Sera Monastery. It is located to the northeast of Sera and to the north of Lhasa in Tibet Autonomous Region. It is located just up the mountain from the Keutsang Hermitage.-History:The historical fame of the hermitage is two-fold...
is located above this hermitage, within a close distance.
This hermitage is one of the pilgrim sites on the Sera Mountain Circumambulation Circuit (se ra’i ri ’khor) of the ‘Sixth-Month Fourth-Day (drug pa tshe bzhi)’ celebrations that devotees visit.
Topology
The word ‘Keutsang’ spelt ke’u tshang denotes “cave,” “cavern,” or “overhang.” Thus, the 'hermitage' is pre-fixed with this word suggesting that it was a cave monastery.Geography
Keutsang monastery is situated in deep ravines to the east of Sera on a hill side above Lhasa’s principal cemetery.History
The first Keutsang incarnation
Kwetsang Rinpoche
Kwetsang Rinpoche was a lama of Sera who participated in the search for Tenzin Gyatso four years after Thubten Gyatso died....
Jampa Mönlam (Ke’u tshang sku phreng dang po byams pa smon lam), the seventeenth abbot of the Sera Jé College (Grwa tshang byes) of Sera founded this hermitage as he wanted to do penance. After he first moved from the Sera Jé College, he lived in a cave for a while and then constructed a small hut for his retreat. During this period the students of the Sera Je college used to visit him seeking his lectures and as a result a small institution developed over the years. After his death, the second incarnate of Kuetsong, Lozang Jamyang Mönlam (Ke’u tshang sku phreng gnyis pa blo bzang ’jam dbyangs smon lam), who was from a wealthy family, provided finances of his family fortunes to build many buildings of the hermitage. The details of third Incarnate are not known but the fourth Incarnate was a close associate of the fourteenth Dalai Lama Tupten Gyatso (Da lai bla ma sku phreng bcu gsum pa thub bstan rgya mtsho). After the death of the thirteenth Dalai Lama, the fourth Keutsang incarnation (Ke’u tshang sprul sku) was instrumental in identifying the fourteenth Dalai Lama. The name, fame and the large structural status of the hermitage are attributed to the association of these High Profile Dalai Lamas. From the early nineteenth century up to 1959 Ke’u tshang also owned the well known Drapchi Temple (Grwa bzhi lha khang), which is situated in the northern part of Lhasa.
The hermitage had a close relationship with Sera all through its history so much so that every official monk of the hermitage enjoyed de facto status of a monk of the Hamdong Regional House (Har gdong khang tshan) of the Sera Jé College also. The monastery also observed all ritualistic practices.
1959 Cultural Revolution
During the 1959 Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
, the fifth Keutsang incarnation Keutshang sku phreng lnga pa of the Keutsang Hermitage was incarcerated for a time and later he sought asylum in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in the 1980s.
The hermitage was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Rebuilding it was started by a former monk of the hermitage in 1991 and was completed by 1992. The rebuilt hermitage now houses 25 monks.
Structure
The hermitage complex is enclosed by compound walls with an east gate and a west gate of entry. It has a number of images installed in various temples and chapels, which are all new. In a small chapel near the west gate AcalaAcala
In Vajrayana Buddhism, Ācala is the best known of the Five Wisdom Kings of the Womb Realm. He is also known as Ācalanātha, Āryācalanātha, Ācala-vidyā-rāja and . The Sanskrit term ācala means "immovable"; Ācala is also the name of the eighth of the ten completion stages of the Bodhisattva path...
(Mi g.yo ba)‘s self manifest image is seen (it was earlier on a boulder rock that was moved into the shrine, into a more sanitised and sanctified location) in the Dharma
Dharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
courtyard (chos rwa). The main temple is in the centre of the enclosed courtyard. It is a double storied building with an assembly hall (’du khang). The second floor of the monastery accommodates the reception and committee rooms. The monastery also has a community kitchen adjoining the living quarters for the monks. A guest house is also part of the complex of buildings.
On the back side of the main temple there is a three-story secondary temple building, which houses a Scripture Temple (Bka’ ’gyur lha khang) on the second floor, while the first floor provides the staircase and some storage space. The altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
, at the centre of the second floor, has three protector deities enshrined in it. These are the images of main Idol of Dpal ldan lha mo at the middle with images of Rdo rje g.yu sgron ma the “site deity” (gnas bdag) of the monastery and of Nyang bran rgyal chen, on the flanks. On the same floor, there is also the Tengyur chapel (Bstan ’gyur lha khang) that has a collection of the translated Indian
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
Buddhist treatises. The third floor has the Maitreya
Maitreya
Maitreya , Metteyya , or Jampa , is foretold as a future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. In some Buddhist literature, such as the Amitabha Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, he or she is referred to as Ajita Bodhisattva.Maitreya is a bodhisattva who in the Buddhist tradition is to appear on...
Chapel (Byams khang) where a two storied tall statue of Maitreya (Byams pa) is deified. This idol overlooks the cemetery in the hermitage precincts. This floor also provides for residential accommodation for the Da lai bla ma and the rooms for the Ke’u tshang bla ma. In the northeast corner of the hermitage, there is a large “Dharma enclosure” or chos rwa that was built in 2004. This enclosure is regularly used by younger monks to recite and memorize the scriptures related to rituals, which are the hallmark of the hermitage.
Religious observances
Keutsang, as a religious ritual hermitage, celebrates the new and full MoonFull Moon
Full moon is a lunar phase.Full Moon may also refer to:- Literature :* Full Moon , a novel by P. G. Wodehouse* Full Moon o Sagashite or Full Moon, a manga* Full Moon Press, an American small-press publisher...
days, as well as the tenth and twenty-fifth of the lunar month
Lunar month
In lunar calendars, a lunar month is the time between two identical syzygies . There are many variations. In Middle-Eastern and European traditions, the month starts when the young crescent moon becomes first visible at evening after conjunction with the Sun one or two days before that evening...
. Local villagers also invite the monks of the hermitage to their houses to perform rituals, which adds to the coffers of the hermitage. Apart from the monthly rituals, the monks of the hermitage also perform annual ritual cycles such as the Tibetan New Year, eight sets of two-day 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....
fasting rituals (smyung gnas), and also chant the rainy season precepts in summer. A memorization exam to test the skills of all the junior monks on the ritual texts is held in the eighth Tibetan month. This examination is held by a senior scholar of Sera Monastery.