Drepung Monastery is a monastery of the Gelug Pa of Tibetan Buddhism.
The name “Drepung” in Tibetan means “piles of rice,” symbolizing “Prosperity”, as the entire monastery complex with its grand white buildings covering the hillside resembles a vast heap of rice.
Situated in a valley on the southern slope of Mount Gephel about 5 kilometers west of Lhasa at an altitude of 3800 meters, it spans an area of approximately 250,000 square meters. Built layer by layer along the mountainside,
Together with Ganden Monastery and Sera Monastery, it is known as the three major monasteries in Lhasa.
Together with Ganden Monastery, Sera Monastery, Tashilhunpo Monastery, Kumbum Monastery and Labrang Monastery, it is collectively known as the six great monasteries of the Gelug Pa
Drepung Monastery has produced a significant number of religious scholars in Tibet, Kham and Amdo, earning it the title of the “Second Nalanda.”
It was founded in 1416 AD by Jamyang Choggyi, a disciple of the founder of the Gelug sect, Tsongkhapa.
Layout
Drepung Monastery is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with a sloping land to the south covered with trees and shrubs. Facing the Lhasa River and open valley plains in front.
The entire monastery is built gradually along the mountain, consisting of Buddha halls, sutra halls, and monk residences, and towering buildings with a grand scale and well-organized layout.
Notable structures like the majestic Main Hall, the unique Deyang Dratsang, the tightly arranged Aba Monks’ Quarters, and the splendid Ganden Phodrang represent large Tibetan architecture.
Each part includes subsidiary areas such as Kangcun and monks’ quarters, forming a tightly structured architectural unit interconnected yet independent.
The main halls and scripture halls are topped with golden roofs adorned with dharmachakras and victory banners. The colorful decorations complement the towering halls, creating a unique and magnificent scene of Tibetan Buddhist temples.
Each architectural unit typically consists of three horizontal levels: courtyard level, scripture hall level, and Buddha hall level, emphasizing the prestigious status of the Buddha hall as they ascend from the entrance.
Main Buildings
Drepung Monastery consists mainly of Gandan Phodrang, the Main Hall, and the Four Great Dratscang (i.e., Roselin Dratsang, De-yang Dratsang, Aba Dratsang, Gomang Dratsang).
Most of the main buildings in the monastery were constructed successively during the Ming (1368 AD – 1644 AD) and Qing (AD 1636 or 1644 – AD 1912) dynasties.
Ganden Phodrang
Gandan Pochang is the Dalai Lama’s residence in Drepung Monastery. Before the reconstruction of the Potala Palace, the Fifth Dalai Lama lived here, established a strong local political power and holding both political and religious power of Tibet.
As both political and religious affairs were handled in this Phodrang (“Phodrang” meaning “palace”), it was named the “Gandan Phodrang Regime,” making Gandan Phodrang briefly the center of political power in Tibet
Located on the left front part of the Drepung Monastery, it is a completely independent architectural unit.
Surrounded by high walls, with luxuriously decorated roofs, it follows the architectural style of a flat-topped ancient castle, grand and magnificent.
Ganden Phodrang can be divided into three parts on a plan:
Entering through the front gate leads to a small courtyard, with a twisted ancient tree on the right side.
To the left and right sides and the front part of the main courtyard are two-story Open-style corridor buildings and living quarters, while the back part is the main building of the Phodrang
Ascending the stairs from the courtyard leads to the Phodrang main courtyard.
The main building of the Phodrang is more than 2 meters higher than the courtyard, standing three stories tall.
There are many sutra halls and Buddhist halls on the first floor of the building;
The second floor is where the Dalai Lama handled with political and religious affairs, with the central rear of the left side of the sutra room placing the Fifth Dalai Lama’s throne;
The third floor is where the Dalai Lama lived, with his study, bedroom, preaching hall, living room, and also the Dolma Hall and the Guardian Deity Hall.
In the rear courtyard of the harem “Gongga Re,” there is a scripture hall where the monastery’s cultural relics are displayed, originally it was used as an office by the local Kashag Regime
The Main Hall
The Main Hall is the main building of Drepung Monastery, located at the center of the monastery with a total area of nearly 4500 square meters.
In front of the hall, there is a stone-paved square measuring 200 square meters, Climb the 17 broad stone steps leading to the open corridor in front of the hall with 8 columns.
The sutra hall of the main hall is large in scale, covering an area of about 1800 square meters with 221 rooms and 183 columns. The carvings on the columns are exquisite, complemented by delicate embroidered scripture banners, thangkas, and Buddha statues, as well as murals. It can accommodate up to eight thousand people for chanting in the same time, preserving a large number of ancient Tibetan texts and scriptures.
Rising in the center of the scripture hall is a spacious skylight covering an area of over 100 square meters.
The hall is adorned with intricately carved beams and pillars, hanging banners, and colorful curtains, along with eye-catching gilded bronze statues, bright oil lamps, creating a magnificent and splendid atmosphere.
The Buddha statues enshrined in the main hall are exquisitely crafted and vivid, especially the central statues of Majursri Bodhisattva and the Maha Sitatapatra, both tall and delicate. The back-lighting of the statues, surrounding decorations, and vivid animal carvings make them rare and exquisite artistic masterpieces.
Behind the main hall is the “Duisong Lakhang” (Tryadhva-Buddha Hall), one of the earliest lakhangs of Drepung Monastery, built during the Jamyang Choggyi period
There are about 18 meter in deepth and 18 meters in width, up to two floors. The top of the front door features a large skylight, improving the interior lighting.
Each of the three Buddha stautes in the hall is accompanied by two disciples, placed in stupa-shaped niches. In the center, there are Sakyamuni Buddha and two disciples, housed in three gilded copper stupas, and this kind of Buddhist niche decoration is relatively rare.
On both sides of the door of the Buddhist hall, there are statues of Vajra Warriors and King Hayagriva. On both sides of the statue of the three Buddhas are statues of the eight disciples of the Buddha who are more than ten feet tall. They have a solemn look.
There is a corridor behind and on the side of “Duisong Lakhang” with precious early murals in the north section. The exit of the corridor still holds a royal plaque (3 meters long, 1.2 meters wide and 4 centimeters thick) from the Tongzhi era of Qing dynasty inscribed with the words “输诚向化.”
To the left of the “Duisong Lakhang” is the “Miwang Lakhang,” housing a large seated statue of the 12-year-old Jowo Buddha, sponsored by Polha Miwang, so it is known as the “Miwang Jowo.” The statue is proportionate, finely detailed, and radiates a warm and approachable presence.
To the right of the “Duisong Lakang” is the “Lunben Lakhang,” featuring two smaller white stupas known as the “Lunbu Stupas” at the front.
Behind them, there are three silver stupas: the central one is the stupa of the Third Dalai Lama (Sonam Gyatso) at 6.16 meters tall; the northern one is the stupa of the Fourth Dalai Lama (Yonten Gyatso) at 5.57 meters tall, with a 1-meter wooden base, reaching a total height of 6.57 meters; the southern one is the Regent’s stupa at 4.6 meters tall.
The exquisite and luxurious silver-coated stupas are adorned with precious jewels. It is said that the construction of just the stupas of the Third and Fourth Dalai Lamas used up 14,800 taels of silver.
The second floor of the main hall only houses the “Kangyur Lakhang,” while the rest rooms serves as storage. The lakhang houses many of the “Kangyur” scriptures, including three precious editions: one is Dali version of the “Kangyur” sent by the Yunnan Tusi Mu-Zeng in the late Ming Dynasty, one woodblock edition from the Kangxi period of
Qing dynasty, and a complete “Kangyur” scripture transcribed in gold juice for the Dalai Lama’s birthday in 1675 AD.
On the northwest side of the third floor of the main hall is a small hall called the “Jampa Tongzhen (Maitreya Enlightenment) Lakhang,” It is small in scale and houses a bronze statue of “Jampa Tongzhen (Maitreya Buddha).” It is said to be a life-size statue of Maitreya Buddha at the age of 8 years old. The statue is exuding a somewhat innocent and childlike charm, considered outstanding among Buddha statues. In front of the statue, there is a white conch shell, which is said to be a gift from Tsongkhapa to Jamyang Choggyi when he built Drepung Monastery, This conch has been kept in the “Jampa Tongzhen Hall (Maitreya Hall)”.
The top of the Buddha hall is unique with a square pointed roof; above the hall entrance hangs a plaque inscribed with the Chinese characters “穆隆元善”. The plaque bears an oval seal with the inscription “大清道光丙午年孟秋之印”, and two additional seals: one with the characters “勿穆氏” and the other with “琦善之印”. This plaque was dedicated by Qi Shan, the Minister stationed in Tibet at the time, upon his departure from Tibet in July of the twenty-sixth year of the Daoguang era (1846 AD).
The fourth floor of the main Hall houses the Sakyamuni Buddha Hall, featuring a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha giving teachings, it is said that it was to be made of 500 taels of silver. Thirteen silver stupas are placed on both sides.
The side hall is dedicated to the Arhat, housing statues of ancestral masters and arhats in Buddhism, as well as the emanation body statue of the main living Buddha of Drepung Monastery.
At the top of the Buddha hall is a golden roof in a “Xieshan style”, adorned with elaborate brackets influenced by architectural styles from the mainland of China.
Four major Dratsang
Dratsang is not only the scripture study unit of the “Gelug Pa” monastery, but also a first-level management organization below the “main hall”, also known as the “school of scripture”. The scale of its building is second only to the main hall.
The architecture of Dratsang can be basically divided into two parts. One part is the large sutra hall where the monks gather in Dratsang, and the other part is the smaller Buddhist halls.
Below Dratsang is the “Kangcun”. Each “Kangcun” has its own independent sutra hall and monk’s residence, and each “Kangcun” has several “Mi-cun”.
If a Tibetan Buddhist monastery is a university, then “Dratsang” is equivalent to “department”, “Kangcun” is equivalent to “class”, and “Micun” is equivalent to “group”.
In the early days of the establishment of Drepung Monastery, there were seven Dratsangs, i.e, Duomen, Ming-hui, Guang-le, Wen-si, Xia-guo, Tiao-fu and Mantra.
These seven Dratsang are presided over by seven disciples of Jamyang Choggyi.
Over time, as more monks arrived from different regions to study scriptures in Drepung monastery, according to the content of their study and their place of origin, the 7 dratsangs were merged into the four major Dratsang of Roselin Dratsang, De-yang Dratsang, Aba Dratsang, Gomang Dratsang.
Among the four major Dratsang, except “Aba Dratsang”, which is a Tantric Dratsang, the other three are Exotoric Dratsang.
These three Exotoric Dratsangs all adhere to their own practices based on the classics written by Tsongkhapa and his disciples.
Among them, “Roselin Dratsang” is accustomed to the classics of “Panchen Sonam Dragpa”, “Gomang Dratsang” majors in the classics of “Gongchen Jangyang sherab”, and “Deyang Dratsang” practicing according to the teachings of the “Fifth Dalai Lama.”
Roselin Dratsang
Roselin Dratsang is the largest dratsang in Drepung Monastery. Its construction area is about 1860 square meters, mainly including two parts: the Sutra Hall and the Buddhist Hall.
The scripture hall has 102 pillars, covering an area of 1053 square meters (70 meters in width and 60 meters in depth). The scripture hall is flanked by scripture shelves on both sides, with a total length of over 60 meters, housing various scriptures. The interior decoration of the scripture hall is as luxurious as the main hall.
Behind the scripture hall is the Jampa Buddha hall, which houses the Jampa Buddha (Maitreya) statue.
The Jampa Buddha hall is divided into three rooms side by side. The front rooms are interconnected. The middle room is 11 meters wide and 6.8 meters deep. The left room is 4.7 meters wide and 6.8 meters deep. The right room is 5.2 meters wide and 6.8 meters deep.
The back of the Buddha hall is filled with various Buddha statues, leaving only a narrow passage in the front for incense offerings by pilgrims.
This dratsang has the largest number of monks, mainly from regions such as Sichuan, Yunnan, and Chamdo, overseeing 23 Kang-cun.
Gomang Dratsang
The scale of Gomang Dratsang is second only to Roselin Dratsang, and it is also divided into two parts: the Sutra Hall and the Buddhist Hall.
The Sutra Hall covers an area of 985 square meters (36.5 meters long from east to west and 27 meters deep) and has 102 columns.
Its architectural pattern and column arrangement are the same as those of Roselin Dratsang
The back part of the sutra hall is divided into three Lakhangs, i.e, “Qieba Lakhang”, “Mindru Lakhang” and “Dolma Lakhang”.
The monks mainly come from Inner Mongolia, Qinghai and Naqu areas, and it has 16 Kangcun under its jurisdiction.
Deyang Dratsang
Deyang Dratsang has the smallest building area among the four major Dratsang, with a total construction area of about 952 square meters.
Among them, the Sutra Hall has 62 pillars and covers an area of approximately 375 square meters.
At the back of the sutra hall is the Buddhist hall, which is about 55 square meters;
There is a lattice-style screen door (12.1 meters wide) in the middle of the front part of the sutra hall; there are storage rooms or warehouses 1.7 meters square on both sides.
On the left side of the sutra hall, there are monk’s dormitory and kitchen, which are irregular in shape.
The main enshrinement in the hall is “Vise Jampa Buddha”, which signifies the ability to dispel all poverty.
Aba Dratsang
Aba Dratsang is the tantric academy of Drepung Monastery, located on the back right side of the main Hall.
Its construction method is rather special: the front is a closed courtyard, surrounded by monks’ rooms, and the rear is a sutra hall. The sutra hall is 54 meters wide and 42 meters deep, with a total of 48 pillars and an area of 467 square meters. The walls are covered with murals of Tantric themes.
Behind the sutra hall is the Jieji Lakhang, with an area of 56 square meters.
The main statue is a statue of Jieji Buddha. The Buddha statue is tall and ferocious, and the appearance of the Buddha is terrifying. It is said that the statue contains the whole body of Rero Drawa with only one finger missing.
The Jieji Buddha, also known as “Yamantaka”, has 9 heads and 34 arms. It is one of the three major deities of Tantric Buddhism and the incarnation of Manjushri Bodhisattva. It is said that it was built the great master Tsongkhapa himself.
The statue of Tsongkhapa on the right side of the Jieji Buddha is said to have been made by Master Tsongkhapa himself. Its nose bridge is straight and upright, which is obviously different from the statues of Tsongkhapa in other monasteries.
The Dratsang also enshrines the remains of the tantric master Re translator (Dorje Drakpa).
This Dratsang is one of the earliest buildings of Drepung Monastery. Construction started in 1416 AD and it took about three years to be “completed”. Although the entire building has been repaired many times, the overall building has basically retained its original features.
Debating Field
There is no vegetation around the monastery, it is all gravel and barren hills, yet inside, there are several courtyards with lush trees. This is the debating place of Drepung Monastery.
There are two such debating filed in each Dratsang (that is, school of scripture).
Each debating filed has a level-by-level debate platform. During the debate, the lamas sit in sequence.
While theoretically, all lamas in the monastery can participate in debates, in reality, only a few who with sufficient knowledge of Buddhist studies can ascend the debate platform and progress through the debating eventually achieving the highest honor of the “Geshe” degree through victories in monastery-wide debates.
Drepung Monastery also has irregular scripture debates, starting at 14:30 p.m.
Shoton Festival at Drepung Monastery
Drepung Monastery hosts various Buddhist ceremonies, including events on significant Buddhist commemoration days and auspicious days in the Tibetan calendar such as the 15th and 30th days of each month.
One of the most grand celebrations at Drepung is the “Shoton festival“.
“Shoton” in Tibetan means “yogurt banquet” and was originally a purely religious event.
According to Buddhist rules, there are several days in summer when monks are prohibited from going out, known as “summer retreat,” which lasts nearly 30 days
On the day the ban is lifted, laypeople offer yogurt to the monks as alms.
During the time of the 5th Dalai Lama, various performances by groups such as the Tashi shopa Tibetan Opera Troupe and the Sherong Yak Dance Troupe were presented at Drepung Monastery’s Ganden Podrang Square to honor the Dalai Lama, marking the beginning of activities such as Buddha exhibitions and the rotation of Magistrate Monks at Drepung Monastery.
Over time, the content of “Shoton” became more diverse, combining religious and entertainment activities, with the scale continuously expanding.
In 1849 AD, when the 11th Dalai Lama was 11 years old, Construction of Wu Yao’s palace behind Kelsang Phodrang Palace in Norbulingka was completed. Since then, the Dalai Lama has spent summers in Norbulingka.
During the Shoton Festival, renowned theater troupes from all over Tibet come to Norbulingka to perform for the Dalai Lama, contributing to the significant development of Tibetan opera.
During the time of the 13th Dalai Lama, the Shoton Festival featured performances by famous Tibetan opera and dance troupes from various regions of Tibet at Norbulingka, officially establishing the Shoton Festival as a prominent cultural performance event in Tibet.
Today, the Shoton Festival has become the largest religious festival at Drepung Monastery and is one of the biggest festivals in the Lhasa
On the 30th day of the sixth month in the Tibetan calendar, known as the “Shoton Festival,” events start at Drepung Monastery with a morning exhibition of large thangka paintings, followed by Tibetan opera performances, making it a joyous celebration for both monks and laypeople.
Brief History
In 1409 AD, Master Tsongkhapa successfully founded the Monlam Puja (the Great Prayer Festival) in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. In the same year, he personally initiated the construction of Ganden Monastery, the ancestral monastery of the Gelug Pa. This marked the formation of the new Gelug pa he had painstakingly founded. It is believed by monks and lay people all over Tibet; As the Gelug pa grew in influence, the number of believers was increasing day by day. The construction of Drepung Monastery was founded under this background.
In 1416 AD, with the support of the prominent noble Lhagpa Sang, Tsongkhapa’s disciple Jamyang Choggyi founded Drepung Monastery, which quickly developed into one of the most powerful monasteries of the Gelug pa.
In 1464 AD, Drepung Monastery established a monastic college (Dratsang) for the study of Buddhist scriptures. 7 disciples of Jamyang Choggyi oversaw seven Dratsang (colleges) within the monastery, which later merged into the four major Dratsang. Many renowned Tibetan monks received their education here.
In 1518 AD, there was initially a residence for Phagmo Drupa local government officials in Drepung Monastery, called “Dokham Omu”; Phagmo Drupa’s 11th “desri” dedicated it to the second Dalai Lama Gendun Gyatso, who was the 10th Khenpo of Drepung Monastery at that time, and renamed it “Gaden Phodrang”.
In 1530 AD, the 2nd Dalai Lama Gedun Gyatso oversaw the reconstruction of Ganden Podrang during his tenure as the 10th abbot of Drepung Monastery. Subsequent expansions were carried out during the era of the 3rd Dalai Lama Sonam Gyatso, shaping the monastery into its current form. The 4th and 5th Dalai Lamas resided here.
In 1578 AD, Altan Khan bestowed the title “Dalai Lama, Venerable Teacher, Ocean of Wisdom, All Wazir of Holy Consciousness” upon Sonam Gyatso, marking the beginning of the title “Dalai Lama.” Sonam Gyatso posthumously recognized his predecessors as the first and second Dalai Lamas.
In 1642 AD, with the support of Gushi Khan of the Khoshut Mongols, the 5th Dalai Lama defeated the Tsangpa rulers and established the Gelug sect’s political power at the Ganden Podrang, marking the beginning of the unique “Religion-State unity” in Tibet.
In 1648 AD, the White Palace of Potala Palace was completed, and the 5th Dalai Lama moved to the Potala Palace, relocating the political center. The regional political power under the Gelug sect’s rule was collectively referred to as the Ganden Podrang Regime.
In 1959, prior to the democratic reforms, Drepung Monastery owned 51,000 acres of land, 300 pastures, 40,000 cattle, and 2,000 serfs. It collected 2.8 million kilograms of grain as land rent annually, along with 133,000 kilograms of butter. There were a total of 3,305 affiliated temples domestically and internationally.
In 1962, Drepung Monastery was designated as a key cultural heritage site in the Tibet Autonomous Region,
In 1982, it was recognized as a national key cultural heritage site.
From 1980 to 1989, the local government allocated funds for extensive repairs of the monastery, turning it into a Buddhist sacred site for worship and tourism for Buddhists and tourists from around the world.
As of 2019, the monastery accommodates over 900 monks.
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