Riwoche Monastery | |
---|---|
Religion | |
Affiliation | Tibetan Buddhism |
Sect | Taklung Kagyu |
Location | |
Location | Riwoqê County, Chamdo Prefecture, known as Kham, Tibet |
Country | China |
Geographic coordinates | 31°09′N96°29′E / 31.150°N 96.483°E Coordinates: 31°09′N96°29′E / 31.150°N 96.483°E |
Architecture | |
Founder | Sangye On |
Date established | 1276 |
Riwoche Monastery, or Riwoche Tsukla Khang Tragyelma (Tib. ri-bo-che; [1] Ch. Leiwuqi Si) is a Taklung Kagyu monastery of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded in 1276 by Sangye On, and is one of the oldest and largest monasteries in eastern Tibet. A highly respected Kham regional monastery, it's also famous for its philosophers and logicians, and for the red, black and white painted tree-trunk columns.
Riwoche Monastery is situated 29 km north of the small town of Ratsaka (also known as Riwoche Town), and 134 km west of Chamdo in Kham. It is at an altitude of about 3,400 metres (11, 152 ft) in a fertile valley containing the Dzi River, a tributary to the Mekong River. [2]
Riwoche was founded in 1276 CE by Sangye On, who was a student of Sangye Yarjon, the third lineage-holder of the Taklung branch of the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism, [1] and Abbot of Taklung Monastery. He had promised the abbot's chair to two nephews, Onpo (1251–1296) and Mangalaguru. When Yarjon died, Onpo, just a young man, assumed the hierarch's position for one year. His older cousin, Mangalaguru (1231–1297), later took control of the monastery. [3] Later, Onpu's disciple Choku Orgyan Gonpo (1293–1366), became second abbot of Riwoche.
It became the main branch of the Taklung Kagyu in Kham and, according to Go Lotsawa, the author of the Blue Annals , it once had as many as 2,000 monks, and held the greatest reputation among Khampa monasteries. Riwoche Monastery is also famous for its monks' capabilities in philosophy and in logic. [4]
From the time of its founding, the Taklung lineage was divided into "upper" and "lower" branches, Riwoche forming the "lower" branch. [5] Today there are 305 monks residing at Riwoche Monastery. [6]
The main temple is three-storied and has been undergoing restoration since 1985, after its earlier destruction by Chinese communists. [7] It is very imposing, supported by huge tree trunks and painted in black red and white vertical stripes, which is distinctive of the Taklung lineage. The monastery contained a notable 14th-century cloth painting entitled Jnanatapa which was unearthed in recent years. [3] The central figure depicts the Onpo Lama Rinpoche and the spiritual lineage of Riwoche monastery.
The surrounding community of practitioners includes both members of the Kagyu and Nyingma schools, some of whom are married. [5]
Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche and the Lotus from Oḍḍiyāna, was a tantric Buddhist Vajra master from India who taught Vajrayana in Tibet. According to some early Tibetan sources like the Testament of Ba, he came to Tibet in the 8th century and helped construct Samye Monastery, the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet. However, little is known about the actual historical figure other than his ties to Vajrayana and Indian Buddhism.
The Kagyu school, also transliterated as Kagyü, or Kagyud, which translates to "Oral Lineage" or "Whispered Transmission" school, is one of the main schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Kagyu lineages trace themselves back to the 11th century Indian Mahasiddhas Naropa, Maitripa and the yogini Niguma, via their student Marpa Lotsawa (1012–1097), who brought their teachings to Tibet. Marpa's student Milarepa was also an influential poet and teacher.
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Rangjung Dorje (1284–1339) was the third Karmapa and an important figure in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, who helped to spread Buddha-nature teachings in Tibetan Buddhism.
Anuyoga is the designation of the second of the three Inner Tantras according to the ninefold division of practice used by the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. As with the other yanas, Anuyoga represents both a scriptural division as well as a specific emphasis of both view and practice.
Kyabjé Drubwang Padma Norbu Rinpoche, 1932 – 27 March 2009, was the 11th throneholder of the Palyul Lineage of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, and said to be an incarnation of Vimalamitra. He was widely renowned in the Tibetan Buddhist world as a master of Dzogchen. He was one of a very few teachers left from his generation who received all his training in Tibet under the guidance of what Tibetan Buddhists consider to be fully enlightened teachers.
Sherab Palden Beru was an exiled Tibetan thangka artist who played a key role in preserving the art-form through the training of western students over a period of more than four decades.
The Taklung Kagyu is a sub-school of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.
Dorjidak Gompa or Tupten Dorjidak Dorjé Drak Éwam Chokgar is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery and one of the Nyingma school's "Six Mother Monasteries" in Tibet. It is located in the Lhoka (Shannan) Prefecture in the south of the Tibet Autonomous Region, older southeastern Ü-Tsang.
Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche, also known as "Khen Rinpoche," was a teacher, a scholar, a lama, and a Dzogchen master in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. He was considered by Penor Rinpoche to be one of the most learned living Nyingma scholars. Palden Sherab founded the Orgyen Samye Chokhor Ling Nunnery, the first nunnery in Deer Park (Sarnath).
Getse Mahapandita (1761–1829) was an important Nyingma scholar affiliated with Kathok Monastery.
Karma Gon Monastery, the original monastery of the Karma Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism, was founded in the 12th century by Düsum Khyenpa, the 1st Karmapa Lama in eastern Tibet at the age of 76. Karma Gon, is located on the eastern bank of the Dzachu River in Chamdo, eastern Tibet. Karma Dansa was the cradle of the karma kagyupas. When established the Karmapa had gathered 1000 monks around him here. Karma Gon was named as Karma Dansa as an administrative unit and the Chinese Ming Court enlarged the monastery’s jurisdiction by adding the Mekong’s middle and upper reaches. It was then also called Gama Dansa Si in Chinese.
Katok Monastery, also transliterated as Kathok or Kathog Monastery, was founded in 1159 and is one of the "Six Mother Monasteries" in Tibet of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, built after Samye Monastery. It is located in Payul, Karze Prefecture, Sichuan, China, known as Kham.
Sherab may refer to:
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