Rabsal Tsankhang is a Gelug Pa monastery of Tibetan Buddhism
It was built during the reign of Songtsen Gampo, and Princess Wencheng once resided here.
Location
Rabsal Tsankhang is located in Rabsal Alley One, to the south of Jokhang Temple and Barkhor South Street, near Ani Tsamkhung Nunney.
From the Southern Rigsum Lakhang in the south, head east along Linkuo South Alley. The first intersection is the Lhasa Small Mosque, and the second intersection is Rabsal Alley 2nd. Turn into Rabsal Alley 2nd, and the first alley on the left leads to Rabsal Tsankhang.
If coming from Makye Ame and Ganden Tratsang, the first alley on the left is Rabsal Alley One (opposite Store No. 6 on Barkhor South Street). Walk to the end of Rabsal Alley One, and the first yellow house on the left is Rabsal Tsankhang.
Introduction
During the time of the Twelfth Dalai Lama, this temple was managed by the Mey College of Sera Monastery.
Like Trapchi Lhamo Monastery, Rabsal Tsankhang is dedicated to the deity Trapchi and is a place for seeking wealth.
Rabsal Tsankhang is one of the subsidiary temples of Sera Monastery. It is not very large.
The outer walls of Rabsal Tsankhang are yellow, and upon entering, there is a very steep staircase.
The courtyard of Rabsal Tsankhang is surrounded by an iron fence. The first floor is residential, and the second floor houses the main shrine.
Tsan and Tsankhang
The term “Tsankhang” refer to places where “Tsan” is worshipped.
“Tsan” refers to a fierce deity. In reality, most “Tsan” beings, like humans, are sentient beings in the cycle of samsara, with many originally being fierce ghosts who were later tamed or subdued by eminent Buddhist monks, becoming fierce worldly protectors of the Buddhism Dharma.
“Tsan” is not a Buddha, Bodhisattva, or transcendent protector like Palden Lhamo or Mahakala, therefore not objects of refuge for Buddhists.
Buddhists do not take refuge in or pay homage to worldly protectors; they only make appropriate offerings and pray for mundane wishes.
In the old city of Lhasa, there are numerous Tsankhangs, with the so-called “Four Great Tsankhangs” surrounding the Jokhang Temple, located in the east, west, south, and north directions respectively:
- Khama sha Tsankhang in the east (the residence of the One-eyed Tsan),
- Rabsal Tsankhang in the south,
- Tsiu Marpo Hall in Tengye Ling Monastery in the west,
- Darpoling Tsankhang in the north.
These four Tsankhang are all three-story buildings managed by Gelugpa-affiliated monasteries and have historical connections with the protector halls of Samye Monastery.
Offerings
In the main hall of Rabsal Tsankhang, the primary deities worshipped are the three statues of Tsongkhapa and his disciples, Padmasambhava, Palden Lhamo, and Trapchi Lhamo, along with other Gelug sect founders.
Because the temple is managed by the Mey College of Sera monastery, the left side of the main hall features the deity Chatri Kyentse, the one-eyed guardian of Karma Sha Tsankhang. On the right side is Tawo, the unique protector of Mey College of Sera monastery. The central figure is the main deity here, Thubten Wangchuk.
Thubten Wangchuk is also known as “Rulzhang,” which roughly translates to “god in the water.”
On the far left of the central altar is a stone considered to be the soul stone of Thubten Wangchuk, kept in the temple. According to legend, this stone was unearthed by Songtsen Gampo from Lake Wotang when he was filling the lake to build Jokhang Temple.
Tibetans believe that mountains, lakes, and all things can host souls, making the person with their soul stored in something else extraordinarily powerful. In the Epic of King Gesar, many enemies are invincible because their souls are stored in other objects, which must be destroyed to defeat them.
To the right of this stone is another slab with the footprint of Songtsen Gampo.
This small temple actually houses several local guardian deities of Lhasa. On the right side of the main hall are the three most famous guardian deities of Lhasa.
Starting from the left is Nyonya Gyachen. His ancestral home is in the Jinda family temple, Jinda Monastery, in Gyalse Village, Nyanre Township. Originally a monk, he fell in love with a girl and secularized. He was killed by the monks of this temple and became a deity, later designated as a guardian deity.
In the center is Palden Lhamo, a personal bodyguard of a monk and also a guardian of Lhasa city. She is one of the main protectors of the Gelug sect, with her three daughters residing near Jokhang Temple.
On the right is Trapchi Lhamo, a maid brought by Princess Wencheng from the mainland. She was poisoned and had her feet cut off. She drove the poison to her face, turning it black, and replaced her feet with chicken feet. She later became the protector deity Trapchi Lhamo.
The temple is filled with the scent of alcohol, as it is believed that the wealth deity Trapchi Lhamo loves to drink. Thus, devotees bring offerings of alcohol, khata scarves, and tsampa (roasted barley flour) when worshipping.
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