Meru Nyingpa is also known as “The Old Meru Monastery.” The term “Meru” in Tibetan literally means “red,” hence it is also called the “Red Buddha Hall.” “Nyingpa” means ancient, which distinguishes it from the “New Meru Monastery.”
Meru Nyingpa Monastery is located to the east of Jokhang Temple, separated by only a wall, and it is surrounded by the circular Barkhor Kora.
Meru Nyingpa Monastery was built during the reign of Tibetan King Tritsu Detsan (802-838 AD) and originally belonged to the Nyingma Pa of Tibetan Buddhism. Later, it was converted to Gelug Pa
There are two “Meru Monasteries” in Lhasa, known as “The New Meru Monastery” and “The Old Meru Monastery.”
The “New Meru Monastery,” also called “Meru Monastery,” “Meru Gonsar,” or “Meru Dratsang,”
According to some writings by the Dharmar king of Nechung Monastery that Meru Nyingpa is the sacred site where Thonmi Sambhota created the Tibetan script and also served as his library.
Today, many rooms in Meru Nyingpa Monastery are rented out to local-residents. Most of the inhabitants run small stalls selling offering supplies, making the area busier compared to other monastery
Currently, Meru Nyingpa is a mixed courtyard combining monastery and residential areas, featuring the unique Tibetan characteristic of monks and laypeople living together in the monastery courtyard.
Brief history
According to the “Annals of the Kings of Tibet,” during the reign of Tritsu Detsan (Ralpachen, Reigned from AD 815 to AD 836), there was a strong promotion and development of Buddhism, and many Buddhist temples were built. The then monk minister (Great Abbot) Nyang Tingngezin Sangpo started constructing six Buddha halls around Jokhang Temple in 817 AD, with “Meru” in the east, which is now Meru Nyingpa Monastery.
In 838 AD, Tritsu Detsan was assassinated. After his brother Langdarma ascended to the throne, he initiated a campaign to suppress Buddhism, leading to significant destruction of Meru Nyingpa.
During the Tibetan Buddhist revival period, Meru Nyingpa was restored.
In the 16th century, during the time of the Third Dalai Lama, Meru Nyingpa was converted into Gelug Pa.
In the 17th century, the Fifth Dalai Lama expanded Meru Nyingpa, designating it as the protector deity temple for Nechung Monastery. During the annual Great Prayer Festival, monks from Nechung Monastery would gather here for ceremonies.
Simultaneously, due to the limited space available for development around Meru Nyingpa, Nechung Monastery’ Dharmar king oversaw the construction of a new monastery named “Meru Monastery” approximately 200 meters southeast of Ramoche Temple.
Henceforth, the “Meru Monastery” east of Jokhang Temple became known as “Meru Nyingpa Monastery” (the Old Meru Monastery) to distinguish it from the newly built “Meru Monastery.”
In the early 20th century, under the supervision of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso (AD 1876–AD 1933), Meru Nyingpa underwent extensive renovations and expansions, resulting in its present scale. The entrance was moved from the south to the north,adjacent to the Jokhang Temple, exclusively for Sera Monastery monks to enter Jokhang Temple during the Great Prayer Festival.
During the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, the monastery was damaged and forced to close. Many of its rooms were turned into stables, and the monks’ quarters became public housing, with many local residents moving in. Most statues, scriptures, and other items in the monastery were lost, and the murals on the walls were painted over. Fortunately, the main structures of Meru Nyingpa were not severely damaged.
After 1985, monks returned to Meru Nyingpa, and the monastery reopened to the public, once again offering religious services to devotees. The monks restored the main scripture hall and retouched the remaining murals, allowing them to be seen again.
In 1990, Meru Nyingpa underwent a comprehensive professional renovation.
Monastery Management
By the early 21st century, Meru Nyingpa was jointly managed by Nechung Monastery, Gongkar Chöde Monastery, and Meru Monastery.
Meru Nyingpa has a government-issued monastery permit that states: “(Shannan Prefecture) Gonggar County Chöde Monastery affiliated Meru Nyingpa Protector Deity Temple, address: No. 9, Sera Dago Alley, east of Jokhang Temple, Lhasa City. Person in charge: Langzhen.”
The older Zambala Chapel on the west side is managed by Meru Monastery.
The second-floor Buddha hall of the Zambala Chapel is maintained by Gongkar Chöde Monastery (Sakya tradition).
The monks’ quarters surrounding the monastery have mostly been converted to civilian use, housing many local Tibetans. These residents sell items like mulberry branches, butter, and barley wine, making today’s Meru Nyingpa a unique blend of a monastery and a residential courtyard.
Structure and Architecture
Meru Nyingpa Monastery is oriented north to south. Currently, it consists only of the main hall and two side halls, all of which were rebuilt during the time of the 13th Dalai Lama (Thubten Gyatso, AD 1876 – AD 1933). The central part of the monks’ quarters on the west side and the Zambala Chapel on the east side still preserve the early layout.
The monastery measures 52.2 meters in length from east to west and 39.4 meters in width from north to south, covering an area of 2056.68 square meters.
At the center of the back is a three-story Buddha hall, which is the main building of the monastery, surrounded by two-story monks’ quarters and a courtyard on three sides.
The monks’ quarters, which are two stories high, surround the Buddha hall on its sides and front. In front of the monks’ quarters, there is a bright corridor, creating a clear, well-structured, and tightly integrated layout.
Main Hall Porch
The original main gate of the monastery was on the south side, leading through the center of the southern monks’ quarters into the courtyard. Later, it was relocated to the north side, exiting through a narrow courtyard formed by the main hall and the side rooms.
The main hall has a nearly square floor plan, covering an area of 606.3 square meters (25.8 meters in length from east to west and 23.5 meters in width from north to south).
At the center, a stone staircase protrudes, topped by a wooden porch that serves as the entrance to the main hall.
The porch is primarily composed of four large pillars and the beams resting on them, with intricately carved components and tight construction. The massive pillars have a cross-sectional shape of sixteen sides, representing one of the forms of mandalas described in Buddhist scriptures.
The capitals and bases of the pillars are adorned with carvings of lotus flowers and pendant ornaments. The pillar bodies are decorated with copper bands, which both beautify and reinforce the pillars. These large pillars are often constructed by adding rectangular side pieces to a central square timber.
The “brackets” on the pillars serve a decorative function. In traditional Tibetan architecture, these brackets have two layers: the lower, shorter, and thicker layer called “tumu,” which is simply decorated; and the upper, longer layer called “gongmu,” which has varied and rich contours, often featuring motifs of clouds and petals.
In addition to their varied contours, the surfaces of the brackets are carved with various patterns and painted in multiple colors, creating a splendid and magnificent effect.
Main Hall
The ground floor of the main hall consists of the scripture hall and Buddha hall, with storage rooms on either side.
Passing through the porch, one enters a slightly dim 16 pillar space – a scripture hall with a depth of 11.3 meters and a width of 11 meters. The central four pillars are elevated to support a high skylight, providing light from the courtyard on the second floor. This is where the lamas chant scriptures and perform Buddhist rituals.
The walls of the scripture hall are covered with murals depicting Vajrayana themes, painted on a black background with yellow single-line outlines. The mural lines are smooth, but they are of relatively recent date.
At the rear of the scripture hall, about one meter above the floor, is the Buddha hall. The front door of the Buddha hall consists of five intricately decorated screens. The central part is a Buddha hall. The right side room is a storage room, and opposite it on the left side is a ladder.
The central section is the main Buddha hall, enshrining a Vajrasattva statue crafted under the guidance of the Fifth Dalai Lama (Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso). This is the core of the entire monastery, connected to the scripture hall by a few steps, emphasizing the devotion of Buddhists to the Buddha through its elevated position.
A stone staircase to the right of the porch leads to the courtyard on the second floor of the main hall. This courtyard is U-shaped and connects to two-column rooms above the porch on the south side. From the entrance of the main hall, one can see the intricately designed corner floor-to-ceiling windows. This sunny area is where the abbot of the monastery receives guests.
In the courtyards on the east and west sides, there are Tibetan-style wooden ladders leading up to the third-floor platform and the Buddha hall, which stands at the highest point of the entire monastery.
Due to numerous renovations and expansions, the early appearance of Meru Nyingpa is difficult to determine. Generally speaking, the current layout follows the pattern of small to medium-sized Gelug Pa monasteries popular in the early 19th century.
Zambala Buddha Hall
The earliest structure within Meru Nyingpa Monastery is the “Zambala Lakhang” (Zambala Small Scripture Hall). “Lakhang” means Buddha hall or temple, and it enshrines deities or bodhisattvas of lower rank compared to the main Buddha hall.
The Zambala Lakhang is akin to a local wealth deity temple, and it is said that in the early years, people would retreat here for solitary meditation on wealth deity practices.
The Zambala Buddha Hall is located in the center of the monks’ quarters on the west side of the main hall, oriented west to east. It covers an area of 54 square meters (7.5 meters long and 7.2 meters wide) and consists of three parts: a front courtyard, a circumambulation path, and the Buddha hall.
The Zambala Buddha Hall is a low structure with a narrow corridor and poor lighting.
The Buddha hall itself is small, with a width of 2.5 meters and a depth of less than 3 meters. In the center, there is a small shrine housing a statue of Zambala. The left, right, and back sides have a circumambulation path about a meter wide, with walls adorned with murals of a thousand Shakyamuni Buddhas on a red background outlined in black.
In front of the Buddha hall and the circumambulation path, there is a front courtyard (forecourt) nearly 8 meters wide. The porch at the front of the courtyard was added later. The corridors on the three wings of the courtyard were originally monks’ quarters but have been converted into communal rooms. The few remaining lamas have moved to the monks’ quarters on the second floor of the main hall.
The central walls of the Buddha hall are mainly rammed earth walls with a surface layer of straw-mixed mud and white lime about 2 centimeters thick, on which murals were once painted (now lost).
The pillars of the Buddha hall are made of thick materials, with beams often processed into square or rectangular cross-sections, and the rafters are also quite thick.
According to Tibetan historical records, during the grand prayer festival in the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama, the Zambala Buddha Hall served as the assembly hall for the monks of Nechung Monastery. At that time, the monastery hosted 114 monks. During regular religious festivals, the monastery typically gathered 34 monks, while daily prayers were attended by only 4 monks.
Murals
The monastery is small in size but contains many exquisite murals, most of which were painted during the expansion of the monastery under the 13th Dalai Lama.
The murals are magnificent and intricate, with dazzling colors and meticulous brushwork. They are painted on a black background, primarily outlined in yellow single lines.
The themes of the murals have a strong Vajrayana influence, focusing on Nyingma deities such as Nyenchen Tanglha and his retinue, the Five-Headed Nechung Protector Deity and his retinue, the Twelve Tenma Goddesses, and the Lord of the Charnel Grounds.
Among these, the series of murals depicting the Five-Headed Nechung Protector Deity and his retinue are particularly rare.
The murals exhibit styles influenced by Han Chinese, Nepalese, and Indian art traditions.
Three Harmonious Beasts
At the top of Meru Nyingpa, there are three Harmonious Beasts
These three harmonious beasts are:
The Garuda-Lion, also called the Eight-legged Lion, is a hybrid of the Garuda (golden-winged bird) and a lion. It has the body, four claws, mane, and tail of a lion, and the head and wings of a Garuda. There is an additional claw on each knee, which is usually not depicted. The Garuda governs the sky, the lion governs the earth, and the Garuda-Lion is considered the union of heaven and earth.
The Otter-Fish, also called the Fur Fish, is a hybrid of a fish and an otter. It has the head, gills, and tail of a fish, and the body of an otter covered in brown or black fur.
The Makara-Conch, also called the Sea Monster Conch, is a hybrid of a Makara and a conch shell. The Makara has a head with scales, horns, fangs, a mane, and an upturned nose. It extends its head and two legs from the mouth of the conch shell. Sometimes the Makara’s coiled tail extends from the top of the shell.
Originally, otters eat fish, the Garuda is the lion’s natural enemy, and sea monsters eat conch shells. However, the Three Harmonious Beasts are the offspring of these legendary natural enemies.
In Tibetan culture and Buddhism, these three creatures are used as symbols of auspiciousness. Their significance lies in resolving hatred through tolerance to achieve harmony, hence they are also called symbols of reconciliation.
Their images are relatively rare, occasionally seen on prayer flags (Wind-horse flag), auspicious patterns, Tibetan wooden furniture, or images related to astrology. Some people also paint these images on the walls of their house as decorations.
Penma Walls and Ornaments
The architectural art of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries is not only reflected in their layout but also deeply ingrained in decorative elements such as Penma walls and roof embellishments.
At the entrance of the monastery, one can see the distinctive Tibetan red Penma walls adorned with golden roof decorations.
Penma walls are constructed using willow branches and are sometimes referred to as willow walls. They have a velvety texture and are exclusively used in monasteries that possess the Three Jewels of Buddhism (the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha), or in residences and estates belonging to religious figures such as the Dalai Lama or the Panchen Lama. They have become a symbol of architectural prestige.
The origin of Penma walls is sometimes attributed to early thorny barriers placed atop walls to deter thieves from climbing over. Even today, remnants of this can be observed atop walls of residential buildings.
Depending on the architectural significance, Penma walls are constructed in multiple layers, with higher-grade structures such as the Potala Palace having three to four layers.
At Meru Nyingpa, the Penma walls are divided into two layers, separated by a thin stone cornice. The walls are adorned with copper-gilded “bienchen,” a type of religious ornament commonly featuring auspicious symbols like the Eight Auspicious Symbols, the Seven Jewels, images of celestial guardians, and deer listening to the teachings.
On the northern Penma wall of Meru Nyingpa, one can also see skull-shaped “bienchen,” a fierce motif commonly used in the protector deity temples of monasteries.
Prayer flagpoles and treasure vases are also important architectural ornaments. At Meru Nyingpa, prayer flagpoles are mainly located at the four corners of the main hall, and a treasure vase is placed atop the highest point of the Buddha hall. Against the backdrop of the blue sky, the treasure vase shines brightly, and the prayer flagpoles seem to point directly towards the heavens, imbued with an upward momentum akin to ascending smoke.
Leave a Reply