Kangmar Monastery, also known as “Kangmao Monastery,” meaning “Red Wall Monastery.” It belongs to the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism.
Location
It is located in Rangkou Village in Shua-jing-si Town of Hongyuan County on the Chengdu-Aba Highway 347km. The original location was in Lao-kang-mao Village of Kang-le Township, but it was relocated to Sa-mu-long Village in Rangkou Township due to a fire.
Establishment
Kangmao Monastery was founded in 1398 AD and is one of the 108 monasteries established by the disciple of Tsongkhapa, “Chagou·Awang Dragba.”
Initially, it was established as the ”Solid land” of Jia-de-ge Monastery and later moved to Shua-jing-si as the Longevity temple of the Suomo Tusi. It was reorganized by Zanla “Wenbu Gongque Nanjia” and, after consulting with the Luhuo Living Buddha “Gongque Yixi Bajue,” the monastery’s management system was established in the form of the Suomo Tusi’s governance, and the monastery was named “Kangmar Auspicious Perfect Land.”
Soon after, the monastery was dissolved due to invasion by Mongol troops. Following the wishes of the Suomo Tusi “Shiyin Gyantsan” and the master “Jiamuyang,” “Qiongcha Xianzhe · Gendeng Dragba” moved the monastery to Zhongla Yuriba, which was given by the Suomo Tusi in 1723 AD. The monastery was named ” Gyadu Gegon Tsetanling.”
The successive Jiamuyang Living Buddhas paid great attention to the monastery and included it as one of the branch monasteries of Labrang Monastery. In 1935, the monastery was destroyed by fire due to various reasons, and the scriptures, Buddha statues, and stupas, as well as all the belongings and ritual objects, were turned to ashes. At that time, the “Qiongcha Renpoche” was young, but with the great care of the Zanla Living Buddha “Gasang Danzen Gyatso,” the monastery was relocated to Do-sa-mu-long Gully in Rangkou, Hongyuan County, and gradually supported and reorganized, leading to its prosperity.
The monastery is presided over by the Qiongcha Renpoche, and Qiongcha, Zanla, and Huaxiu are the three major reincarnation systems of the monastery.
The religious followers include people from the upper, middle, and lower Rangkou, as well as the people of Karla. The Rangkou tribe is said to have a history of over a thousand years, dating back to the time of Songtsen Gampo, when a small part of the military stationed here was sent from the “Rangkou Tribe,” one of the three tribes of Ali.
Historical Records
Throughout its long history, Kangmao Monastery has experienced numerous ups and downs, but has always adhered to the rules of the Gelug sect. The original monastery, “Jia’erde Longevity Monastery,” according to historical records, suffered from military disasters multiple times in history. At one point, the monks had no fixed place of residence and lived in some red houses in the Sutra Hall. In Tibetan, “Kangmao” means “red wall,” and the monastery was named Kangmao Monastery because the monks were active in these red houses. This name has been used to this day.
There are currently 43 monks and 7 monastery administrators.
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