Riwoche Monastery

Riwoche Monastery, Riwoche Tsuklakhang Tragyelma (Tib. ri-bo-che;[1] Ch. Leiwuqi Si) 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 Monastery
The Jnapatapa 14th-century cloth depiction of the abbot of Riwoche Monastery.
Religion
AffiliationTibetan Buddhism
SectTaklung Kagyu
Location
LocationRiwoqê County, Chamdo Prefecture, Tibet
CountryChina
Location within Tibet
Geographic coordinates31°09′N 96°29′E
Architecture
FounderSangye On
Date established1276

History
Sanggye On Drakpa Pel, founder of Riwoche Monastery

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 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. From the time of its founding, the Taklung lineage was divided into "upper" and "lower" branches, Riwoche forming the "lower" branch.[4] Today there are 305 monks residing at Riwoche Monastery.[5]

Description
Riwoche Monastery in 1988, under reconstruction. Photo: S Jones

The main temple is three-storied and has been undergoing restoration since 1985 after its destruction by chinese communists.[6] 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.[4]

Footnotes
  1. Dorje and Kapstein (1991), p. 475.
  2. Life on the Tibetan Plateau Archived 2008-10-23 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "33. Jnanatapa". Asian Art. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  4. Dorje (2009), p. 471.
  5. Tibet Travel
  6. Dorje (2009), p. 472.
gollark: <@151391317740486657> It's not the only bad thing. phones are also nigh impossible to repair and more expensive (per computing power unit or whatever) than a desktop/laptop.
gollark: Hmm, good idea.
gollark: That would obviously be bad for power users, but most people... aren't that, annoyingly.
gollark: My entirely unsubstantiated guess about the next decade's computing trends: phone dock things will begin to replace personal laptops/desktops for many people.
gollark: GNU/Linux meaning "desktop Linux", basically, but... sure?

References
  • Dorje, Gyurme and Matthew Kapstein (1991). The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism: Its Fundamentals and History. Volume Two: Reference Material. Wisdom Publications. Boston. ISBN 0-86171-087-8.
  • Dorje, Gyurme. (2009) Tibet Handbook. Footprint Handbooks, Bath, England. ISBN 978-1-906098-32-2.
  • Dowman, Keith. (1988). The Power-Places of Central Tibet: The Pilgrim's Guide. Routledge & Kegan Paul, London. ISBN 0-7102-1370-0.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.