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Zhaibung Monastery
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The Zhaibung Monastery is the largest monastery
of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism.
It sits at the foot of the Genpeiwoze Mountain about
five km west of Lhasa City, the capital of the Tibet
Autonomous Region.
The monastery is surrounded by mountains in three
sides, with white clouds flowing in the blue sky.
The Lhasa River meanders like a silvery belt.
Monastery halls and monk dorms, all with white walls,
overlap against the backdrop of the Genpeiwoze Mountain,
as if the majestic monastery was built with white
rice by deities. No wonder Zhaibung also means "monastery
erected with auspicious rice" in Tibetan.
The Zhaibung Monastery was built in l4l6 by Jamyang
Qoigyai Zhaxi Bendain, disciple of ZongkaPa, founder
of the Gelug Sect. In the beginning, the monastery
had seven Zhacang (sutra lecturing halls). They
were later downsized into four: Lhoseling Zhacang,
Gomang Zhacang, Deyang Zhacang, and Ngaba Zhacang.
The three treasures enshrined in the Tantric Hall
were created according to the order of Zongkapa.
Major statues of Buddha enshrined here include the
statue of the Terrible Yamantaka with nine mouths,
34 arms and 16 feet. To its left is the statue of
his servant. To its right is the statue of Zongkapa
created by Zongkapa himself Above it is a three-dimensional
Mandala made of white and red sandal wood in accordance
with the doctrine preached by Zongkapa. Other statues
enshrined here include the statues of deities of
ferocious looking. Legend has it that, when making
the facial part of the statues of deities of ferocious
looking, Zongkapa and other monks recited Yamarazha
Sutra for over 100,000 times for each handful of
clay used. When making other pans of the statue,
they recited the sutf8 for over l0,000 times. It
is also said that, when the lower part of the statue
was built, the upper part took shape naturally.
The Zhaibung Monastery attracts numerous Chinese
and foreign Buddhists and visitors with its three
treasures.
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