Lhamaling Monastery

A Brief Introduction to Lhamaling Monastery

Lhamaling Monastery is located in Bujiu County of Nyingchi prefecture, about 30 kilometers west from Bayi, 4 kilometers west of the main road. It is the biggest and most important place for Tibetan Buddhist activities in Nyingchi area. Lhamaling Monastery is also called Sangduobairi Monastery, meaning the "auspicious copper-colored mountain". Lhamaling Monastery belongs to the Nyingma sect, also called the Red Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism-one of the four main sects of Tibetan Buddhism. It was built in late 1930s as the seat of the exiled Dudjom Rinpoche-the former head of the Nyingma sect. Lhamaling Monastery is now looked after by his son Chuni Rinpoche, together with 8 monks.

Attractions of Lhamaling Monastery

The octagonal main building of Lhamaling Monastery had been wonderfully restored. The monastery was built in 4 storeys and is draped in long strands of wooden prayer beads. Statue of the founder of Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism-Padmasambhava, is enshrined and worshipped in the main hall. There are 20 corners on the roofs of the bottom floor, 8 corners on the second and third floors. The Buddha hall is more than 20 meters high with an inner diameter of over 10 meters. The tower-shaped hall is covered with a golden roof. Its walls are painted with white, blue, red and green pigments. The grassy courtyard in front is home to a few doleful mountain goats brought here from Tsodzong Monastery at Basum-tso.

The other main building, to the right, is where most religious services are held, on 10th, 15th and 25th day of each Tibetan lunar month. The hall is dominated by a huge statue of Sakyamuni. Pilgrims circumambulate both this building and the main temple.

Relics of the stone for Master Padmasambhava's mounting a horse can still be seen in the Lhamaling Monastery. Exquisite murals in the Lhamaling Monastery are also a must for the visitors to the eastern Tibet.

Unique Feature of Lhamaling Monastery

In the monasteries of Nyingma sect, all the Lamas and living Buddha are permitted to get married, which is a difference from the Gelugpa sect. Reproductive belief is quite popular in Tibet. As a result, models of male genital organs are still enshrined and worshipped some Tibetan monasteries to exorcise the evil spirits. However, only the Lhamaling Monastery enshrines and worships both the model of male genital organs and the model of female reproductive organs.