Sera Utsé Hermitage
Encyclopedia
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 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of the Jokhang
in Lhasa
, Tibet Autonomous Region
of the Peoples Republic of China. It is older than Sera Monastery.
It is about a 1½ hour walk up the hill from Tsongkhapa's hermitage or Choding Khang, which is just above the Assembly Hall of Sera Monastery. It has a two-storied chapel and monks' quarters with magnificent views over the city of Lhasa. There is a protector shrine to Pehar
(a Tibetan spirit which belongs to the gyalpo class) and Shri Devi
.
s, are located in the higher reaches of the Dodé Valley
. The west track leads to the Tashi Choling hermitage in the Pawangka valley. The white granite rocks of the hills here get heated and give out strong glare making it a tough climb from the Sera Monastery needing adequate precautions.
Desert conditions prevail on the south western face of the trail (which gets heated during summer) where lizards and Himalayan
griffin
vultures flying above are a common scene. The climbing is through granite rock hills from Sera to the hermitage, through willow trees lined path, circling Gyelchen Kukar (where there is small temple) and passing through the Choding Gon.
It is also noted that Sgrub khang pa also founded two other hermitages in these mountains, as practice-centres (sgrub sde), namely the Purbuchok Hermitage]] (Phur lcog ri khrod), which had one hundred monks and the Rakhadrak Hermitage
(Ra kha brag ri khrod), which housed twelve monks.
Post 1959 revolution
The original large hermitage was mostly destroyed during the 1959 revolution. During this wanton destruction, the temple was gutted and frescoes were defaced with white paint. Later, a small part of the hermitage was refurbished.
, image of the Sixteen arhats, an image of speaking Tara
(Sgrol ma), images of Tsongkhapa (in the cave) and his two disciples (Khedrup Je and Gyeltsab Je) in adjoining caves, and images of bla mas of the Drupkhang incarnation (Sgrub khang sprul sku) lineage. It has also been recorded that some copies of scriptures such as the Bka’ ’gyur and Bsta’gyur, which were here before 1959 are not seen now. Similarly, a statue of Bka’ gdams pa stupa
no longer exists.
Other structures of importance in the hermitage include the residence of the bla ma Sgrub khang bla mas’s (two rooms with a waiting room), a meditation hut or “cave”, now a chapel, where Sgrub khang pa meditated, a small chapel for the protector deity, a Dharma enclosure (chos rwa) and a hut, built below a boulder, of the patron (sbyin bdag) who financed restoration works of the hermitage.
Above the hills, there is the 'gongkhang' (a small chapel or room) with images of the protecting deities; Pehar, who is said to possess "the State Oracle during his trances" and Palden Lhamo
, the multi-riding protectress of the Gelukpa sect.
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 located on the mountain directly behind 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...
itself, which is about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of the Jokhang
Jokhang
The Jokhang, , also called the Qokang Monastery, Jokang, Jokhang Temple, Jokhang Monastery or Zuglagkang , is located on Barkhor Square in Lhasa. For most Tibetans it is the most sacred and important temple in Tibet. It is in some regards pan-sectarian, but is presently controlled by the Gelug school...
in 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...
, 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. It is older than Sera Monastery.
It is about a 1½ hour walk up the hill from Tsongkhapa's hermitage or Choding Khang, which is just above the Assembly Hall of Sera Monastery. It has a two-storied chapel and monks' quarters with magnificent views over the city of Lhasa. There is a protector shrine to Pehar
Gyalpo Pehar
According to Tibetan Buddhist myth, Gyalpo Pehar is a spirit belonging to the gyalpo class. When Padmasambhava arrived in Tibet in the eighth century, he subdued all gyalpo spirits and put them under control of Gyalpo Pehar, who promised not to harm any sentient beings and was made the chief...
(a Tibetan spirit which belongs to the gyalpo class) and Shri Devi
Palden Lhamo
Palden Lhamo , Palden Lamo , Shri Devi , or Ukin Tengri is a protecting Dharmapala of the teachings of Gautama Buddha in the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. She is also called Remati...
.
Topology
The word ‘se ra dbu rtse’ is also spelt as ‘se ra rtse’, which literally means “Sera Peak.”Geography
The hill peak behind the Sera Monastery to its north is known as Sera where a number of small hermitages (ri khrod) are located. The hills are also known as Pubuchok Mountains. The hermitage, at an altitude of 13300 feet (4,053.8 m), hugging the hill slopes, is located very close to the Sera mountain peak. There are two trails which lead to other hermitages. To the east of the Pubuchok mountains, in Lhasa, the Sera Utsé Hermitage, the Ragachok and Purbuchok HermitagePurbuchok Hermitage
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...
s, are located in the higher reaches of the Dodé Valley
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...
. The west track leads to the Tashi Choling hermitage in the Pawangka valley. The white granite rocks of the hills here get heated and give out strong glare making it a tough climb from the Sera Monastery needing adequate precautions.
Desert conditions prevail on the south western face of the trail (which gets heated during summer) where lizards and Himalayan
Himalayan
Himalayan can refer to:* The Himalayas mountain range* Himalayan , the type of cat* List of rabbit breeds#Himalayan, the breed of rabbit* The Himalayans, a band...
griffin
Griffin
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...
vultures flying above are a common scene. The climbing is through granite rock hills from Sera to the hermitage, through willow trees lined path, circling Gyelchen Kukar (where there is small temple) and passing through the Choding Gon.
History
The known history of the hermitage is traceable to the fourteenth century only when the Buddhist guru Tsongkhapa (1357–1419) lived here in retreat in the meditation huts or sgrub khang or caves (two monks live here now). The he name: “sgrub khang” means “retreat house.” It was during late seventeenth or early eighteenth century that Sgrub khang dge legs rgya mtsho (1641–1713) lived here and he was called “the man from the sgrub khang,” or Sgrub khang pa. As the founder, he made it his retreat on the advice of the abbot of the Sera Jé college (Grwa tshang byes) of Se ra, Jo ston bsod nams rgyal mtshan. He lived here for many years in meditation and led an ascetic life. He was recognized posthumously among the first incarnation of bla ma lineages of Sera. Many of his disciples who lived here also became equally renowned and they founded or served as the head lamas (gnas kyi bla ma) of important Sera-affiliated retreat centres. Two notable names mentioned are of Phur lcog ngag dbang byams pa (1682–1762) and Mkhar rdo bzod pa rgya mtsho (1672–1749).It is also noted that Sgrub khang pa also founded two other hermitages in these mountains, as practice-centres (sgrub sde), namely the Purbuchok Hermitage]] (Phur lcog ri khrod), which had one hundred monks and the 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...
(Ra kha brag ri khrod), which housed twelve monks.
Post 1959 revolution
The original large hermitage was mostly destroyed during the 1959 revolution. During this wanton destruction, the temple was gutted and frescoes were defaced with white paint. Later, a small part of the hermitage was refurbished.
Structures
Entry to the hermitage is through dilapidated walls into a small courtyard and a Lakhang, which provides a commanding view of the Lhasa valley. The hermitage structure, as partly rebuilt post 1959 revolution, is still a fairly large building complex with two courtyards. The structures seen here are: a small hut well kept as an assembly hall (only three monks live here) which houses metal images of Vajrabhairava (Rdo rje ’jigs byed), – large metal image - an image of Yamantaka Ekavira, idol of the BuddhaBuddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
, image of the Sixteen arhats, an image of speaking Tara
Tara (Buddhism)
Tara or Ārya Tārā, also known as Jetsun Dolma in Tibetan Buddhism, is a female Bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism who appears as a female Buddha in Vajrayana Buddhism. She is known as the "mother of liberation", and represents the virtues of success in work and achievements...
(Sgrol ma), images of Tsongkhapa (in the cave) and his two disciples (Khedrup Je and Gyeltsab Je) in adjoining caves, and images of bla mas of the Drupkhang incarnation (Sgrub khang sprul sku) lineage. It has also been recorded that some copies of scriptures such as the Bka’ ’gyur and Bsta’gyur, which were here before 1959 are not seen now. Similarly, a statue of Bka’ gdams pa stupa
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
no longer exists.
Other structures of importance in the hermitage include the residence of the bla ma Sgrub khang bla mas’s (two rooms with a waiting room), a meditation hut or “cave”, now a chapel, where Sgrub khang pa meditated, a small chapel for the protector deity, a Dharma enclosure (chos rwa) and a hut, built below a boulder, of the patron (sbyin bdag) who financed restoration works of the hermitage.
Above the hills, there is the 'gongkhang' (a small chapel or room) with images of the protecting deities; Pehar, who is said to possess "the State Oracle during his trances" and Palden Lhamo
Palden Lhamo
Palden Lhamo , Palden Lamo , Shri Devi , or Ukin Tengri is a protecting Dharmapala of the teachings of Gautama Buddha in the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. She is also called Remati...
, the multi-riding protectress of the Gelukpa sect.