Jampaling Monastery is named after the Jampa Buddha (Maitreya Buddha) as the main deity inside the monastery. “Jampa” in Tibetan means “future.”
Jampaling Monastery faces south and is located about 300 meters south of the town of Zhanang County, halfway up the mountain.
Established by “Tunmi·Tsangsrub Tashi” in the year 1472 AD, it belongs to the Gelug pa of Tibetan Buddhism.
It is a branch of the Gomang Dratsang of Drepung Monastery in Lhasa city
Architectures
The magnificent architecture of the Jampaling Monastery covers an area of 137,100 square meters (457 meters long from east to west and 300 meters wide from north to south).
The monastery complex consists of nine main buildings, including the Jampa Hall, Jampaling Ladrang, Jampa Buddha Hall, Jampaling Pagoda, Jampaling Dratsang, Danni Shop (Bhutan Shop, Nepal Shop), Buddha Exhibition Platform, and Dzongden Temple.
Surrounding the monastery are polygonal stone walls with a perimeter of 1,360 meters, a thickness of 1 to 1.5 meters, and a height of approximately 1 to 2 meters, following the natural contours of the mountain ridge. The southern and northern walls are adjacent to steep cliffs, making the terrain very challenging.
Originally, there were four to five watchtowers on each side of the walls, with sides ranging from two to four meters and mostly three stories high, while those at higher elevations were two stories high, each approximately two meters tall.
Unfortunately, during the “Cultural Revolution” in the 1960s, the monastery was almost entirely destroyed, with numerous cultural relics lost,
Jampa Hall
It is the main hall of Jampaling Monastery, located at the center of the architectural complex, is surrounded by outer walls carved with eight auspicious treasures patterns.
In front of the main hall, there are seven stone steps, six meters long and three meters wide.
There is a porch with two columns beyond the steps, 18 meters wide and 12 meters deep.
On each side of the main door, there is a small room.
Upon entering the main door, you will find the main scripture hall with 36 columns adorned with painted and carved patterns on the column heads. Flanking the scripture hall are wooden niches containing clay sculptures of famous historical figures of the Gelug pa such as Tsongkhapa.
Surrounding the scripture hall are various ceremonial instruments like horns, ritual bells, and drums. In the Buddha hall, there is a front altar with offerings such as water basins and butter lamps.
Behind the altar is the main Buddha statue: a gilded bronze statue of Sakyamuni Buddha in the center, a clay sculpture of the Tara on the right, and a silver-made Bodhi stupa on the left. On both sides of the Buddha hall door stand two clay sculptures of guardian deities.
Encircling the Buddha hall is a circumambulation corridor.
The walls of the porch, main scripture hall, Buddha hall, and circumambulation corridor were once adorned with murals depicting the Jataka tales and stories of the Buddha’s life, but they were destroyed
Jampaling Ladrang
Located to the south of the main hall, it is managed by “Kundeling” in Lhasa City.
Jampaling Ladrang was built in memory of Panchen·Jampaling Sonam Namgye (1400-1475 AD, the brother of Tunmi·Tsangsrub Tashi).
Covering an area of 120 square meters (12 meters long from east to west, 10 meters wide from north to south), it has 20 columns with round column bases, finely carved and decorated, with no painted decorations on the column heads, intricate yet orderly.
It has three floors:
The first and second floors serve as the residence for the living Buddhas and abbots.
The third floor houses a small Buddha hall, measuring 12 meters long from east to west, 10 meters wide from north to south, covering an area of 120 square meters, with murals painted on the walls around the Buddha hall.
Inside the hall, there is a gilded bronze statue of Panchen·Jampaling Sonam Namgye, with murals covering the four walls. To the west, there is a stupa of Panchen·Jampaling Sonam Namgye, with a square base and circular body, measuring 1 meters on each side, constructed of stone blocks and surrounded by walls on the east, south, and north sides.
The roof of Jampaling Ladrang is crowned with gold, presenting a magnificent appearance.
Jampa Buddha Hall
Located to the east of Jampa Hall, facing south, it is two stories high and covers an area of 100 square meters. There are 12 columns, the column bases are decorated with lotus petals, and the stigmas have original carvings and paintings.
In the hall, there is an eight-year-old life-size gilded bronze statue of Jampa Buddha, a silver statue of Vajrapani Bodhisattva on the right, and a gilded bronze statue of Master Tsongkhapa on the left. There is also an eleven-faced clay statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.
The four walls of the Buddhist hall are covered with murals depicting the story of Jampa Buddha, focusing on describing the historical process of Jampa Buddha from becoming a monk to becoming a Buddha. The first details are described vividly and realistically. This palace was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.
Jampaling Dratsang
The buildings of Jampaling Dratsang are distributed around Jampa Hall and built according to the mountain terrain. The walls are painted with 8 auspicious patterns
There are buildings such as gate, scripture halls (with an area of 16 columns), and Buddhist halls.
From the gate to the scripture hall, there are murals depicting the six realms of samsara, monks begin their monastic life, and rigorous practice, all of which are grand and magnificent.
Thangka unfolding platform
Located about 26 meters southeast of Jampaling Pagoda, built with large stones, the rectangular platform is 18 meters high, 16 meters long, and 7.5 meters wide, with walls 1.5 meters thick. Each level of the Buddha platform is adorned with murals.
There was originally a huge thangka depicting a Jowo Buddha embroidered with golden threads, approximately 16 meters long and 8 meters wide, bordered with brocade on all sides and exquisitely detailed with scrolls at the top and bottom.
On the 30th day of the fifth month of the Tibetan calendar, Jampaling monastery celebrates the Thangka unfolding festival, where monks from various monasteries such as Tshongdu Dratsang, Jampaling monastery, Dratang Monastery participate.
During this festival, the huge thangka is hung on the platform for Buddhist followers to admire and pay their respects.
This platform is the best-preserved building within the Jampaling monastery
Jampaling Pagoda
Located southwest of the Jampa Hall, covering an area of 3100 square meters. Surrounded by a square stone wall, 7 meters high and 1 meter thick, with a small square tower at each corner.
The Jampaling Pagoda, reaching 13 stories high, was constructed by “Panchen·Jamling Sonamgye” and “Lhochen Sonam Gyatso” and was repaired by “Jekyi Pude Hutuktu” in 1915.
The tower is made of stone blocks and slabs, covered with mud and white lime on the outside, displaying exquisite craftsmanship.
Today, only the base of the tower and some treasure vases remain, with the top part missing.
Legend has it that a grand celebration was held when the pagoda was completed, and since then, various activities such as dancing and Tibetan opera performances have been held at Jampaling monastery from the 24th to the 30th day of the fifth month of the Tibetan calendar each year. Additionally, a lively seven-day trade fair starts on the first day of the sixth month.
Dzongden Temple
Located on a hill about 200 meters east of the Jampa Hall, facing south and occupying an area of 418 square meters.
Originally situated in Skong Township, the temple was named “Garchen Gunba.” It was later relocated to this location in the year 472 AD and was constructed by monks from the Sakya pa.
Consisting of a porch, scripture hall, and Buddha hall, the temple is adorned with murals from the porch to the Buddha hall, spanning two floors.
The first floor houses the scripture hall and Buddha hall, with a central well leading to the second floor, supported by 14 columns.
The second floor serves as the Buddha hall, housing a gilded statue of Sakyamuni Buddha.
Murals adorn the temple from the porch to the Buddha hall.
Tanne Shop
The shops of Bhutan and Nepal are located on the east and west sides of the front of the Jampa Hall, established slightly later than the Jampaling Pagoda
Every year, from the first day of the sixth month of the Tibetan calendar, the Jampaling monastery holds a grand annual trade fair, which lasts for seven days.
The reason for this is that during the completion ceremony of the Jampaling Pagoda, a famous Tibetan merchant named Losang attended. In commemoration of Losang, the first day of the sixth month of the Tibetan calendar was designated as the annual trade fair, lasting for 7 days.
Jampaling monastery specifically built the shops for merchants from Bhutan and Nepal to conduct business here. Each shop has 8 rooms, covering an area of 360 square meters, and is a Tibetan-style flat-roofed building.
They are all two-story buildings, with the first floor being the shop and the second floor being the residence for the merchants.
In addition to business, the Tanne shop also engages in cultural exchange activities. It is very rare to open a shop within a monastery, which is uncommon in other monasteries in the Tibetan area.
Features
About three hundred meters outside the main gate of Jampaling monastery, there is a rock with a pair of large eyes painted on it. Legend has it that these eyes are specifically watching to see if there are any thieves among the crowd going to worship the Buddha, if they are devout to the Buddha, and if there are any monks in the monastery who are not following the rules or truly believe in the Buddha.
If there are indeed these two types of people, these eyes will manifest and bring retribution; there are three such large eyes inside Jampaling monastery
Jampaling monastery was established in the flourishing 15th century of the Gelug pa, it uniquely combines Buddhist rituals with business, making it distinctive.
Engaging in business within a monastery with strict religious doctrines and rules is itself a violation of common customs, but due to the involvement of the prominent merchant “Losang”, this was an inevitable outcome of the religious development at a certain historical period.
Simultaneously, it also facilitated cultural exchanges between Tibet and countries like Bhutan, Nepal, and the mainland of China
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