Gari Monastery, also known as “Garu Gonpa,” is a Gelug pa nunnery of Tibetan Buddhism. It is situated behind the 5th village of Niangre Township in Lhasa, near the top of a high mountain. The name “Gari” in Tibetan means “Dakini Dance Site.” This nunnery has a history spanning nearly a thousand years.
Located on steep, serene slopes, Gari Monastery enjoys a peaceful environment. Its proximity to the more famous Pabongka Ritro (Giant Rock Palace), known as “the most beautiful peach blossom monastery in Lhasa,” often leaves Gari Monastery less visited and quieter.
Brief
Gari Monastery is situated at an altitude of over 4,700 meters, approximately 9 kilometers from the Potala Palace in Lhasa. Originally built in 1113, it was initially part of the rare “Chod” tradition.
Chod
“Chod” is a spiritual practice mainly found in the Yungdrung Bön and the Nyingma and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism (classified as Anuttarayoga Tantra in Kagyu and Anuyoga in Nyingma). These practices, also known as “cutting through the ego,” are based on the Prajnaparamita or “Perfection of Wisdom” scriptures, explaining the Buddhist philosophy of “emptiness.”
Around 1792, Gari Monastery converted to the Gelugpa tradition. Like many other monasteries, it suffered damage during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s. Reconstruction began in 1985 following the implementation of new religious policies in the 1980s.
By 2004, the monastery housed 97 nuns, with ages ranging from over 60 to 18 years old.
By 2012, it had developed complete facilities, including a water room, bathhouse, garbage pit, vegetable greenhouse, and library. The nuns, called “Jomo,” cultivate a courtyard filled with various beautiful flowers, distinguishing Gari Monastery from other temples.
2 important figures
Pang·Tangpa Sang Gyal
Pang·Tangpa Sang Gyal was an Indian Buddhist Mahasiddha who visited Tibet five times. He is reputed to have taught Buddhism in Tibet and discussed the Dharma with Milarepa. Pang·Tangpa Sang Gyal is the founder of the “Shijay” and “Chöd” lineages. His teachings were divided into “Pudruk” and “Madruk”; “Pudruk” was transmitted by Mangjor Zhonu, while “Madruk” was transmitted by Machig Labdrön.
Khenchen Gyatso Trinle
The first Zari Khenchen Gyatso Trinle, during his tenure as abbot of Pabongka, established a teacher-student relationship with Gari Monastery, leading to its conversion to the Gelugpa tradition. Before this, Gari Monastery adhered to the “Shijay” tradition.
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