Palpung Monastery

Palpung Monastery is also called “Ba Bang Si” in chinese Ping Ying. It is the seat of the Tai Situpa and Jamgon Kongtrul, and also the historical seat of the successive incarnations of the Tai Situ in Kham. It is also the “mother-monastery“ of Kagyu pa in Kham

Introduction

The “Palpung” of Palpung Monastery means “accumulation of wealth and gathering of good fortune” in Tibetan. Palpung Monastery means “Monastery of Auspiciousness,” The full name of the monastery in Tibetan is “Palpung Thubten Chokhor Ling.”

The monastery was built around 1223 AD and is located on a hill about 300 meters near Rangqing Village, with an altitude of 3,950 meters and a distance of 85 kilometers from the seat of Dege County.

Brief

Palpung Monastery is one of the four major sects of the Kagyu Pa of Tibetan Buddhism and is the upper and lower main monastery of the Kagyu Pa, with Tsurphu Monastery in Lhasa as the upper monastery and Palpung Monastery as the lower monastery due to their geographical locations.

Palpung Monastery has three great advantages: magnificent architecture, rich collection of classics, and a succession of eminent monks.

Monks from the entire region of Kham who wish to receive the bhikkhu ordination at Tsurphu Monastery must first live and study at Palpung Monastery for three years to qualify. At the same time, Palpung Monastery is also the center and main practice site of the Kagyu Pa (including its various branches) in Kham.

Kagyu Pa monks from Kham region, as well as those from Bhutan, Nepal, and other countries, often come to Palpung Monastery to study. Palpung Monastery also has many affiliated monasteries, numbering 108 in total, spread throughout Qinghai, Chamdo and Bomê in Tibet, Lijiang in Yunnan, and various areas of the Tibetan region in Sichuan, as well as in India, Bhutan, Nepal, and other countries.

Palpung Monastery has a close connection with the Karmapa, as the 16^th Karmapa completed his enthronement ceremony here before going to Tsurphu Monastery.

Palpung Printing House

Palpung Monastery is also known for its Palpung Printing House, which has a collection of scriptures second only to the Dege Printing House (Derge Parkhang). Palpung Monastery is also renown for its production of thangkas in the “Karma style” and its vast collection of precious thangkas. Local thangka production uses minerals, metals (such as gold and silver), and plant pigments, with many colors such as red made from wild plants grown on the slopes of the O-se-la Mountains.

Founding of the Monastery

In 1179 AD, Drigongpa•Renchenbe sent his disciple Badeng Xiangqiu Nengba (Xiongqiu Lhunba) to spread the teachings of the Drigong Kagyu in Kham, starting from the Drigung monastery in Tibet.

When they arrived at the current location of Palpung Monastery between 1181 to 1189 AD, they found three mountains resembling elephants protecting a small hill, which was a good omen of “wealth gathering at the meeting of three elephants.” They then chose this location to build a monastery for practice. Thus, the predecessor of Palpung Monastery, “Xiongli Monastery” (should be “Xionglun Monastery“), was built here, with the “Dro-lang-gan college” and “5 Science College” built on nearby hills. Believers from all over the country came to study and practice, and this place was named “Palpung” as a result. The monastery was named “Xionglun Monastery” after Xiongqiu Lhunba. Every year, a large puja assembly was held, and monks gathered at Qu-chi-xi (the current location of the township government) to study and teach.

During the mid-16^th century, a fire accidentally started by a monk working in the kitchen destroyed the entire monastery, leaving only a corner of the main hall standing.

In the early Qing Dynasty (1636 – 1912 AD), a Sakya monk named “Chi-chen E-re” who traveled from Tibet to Dege was attracted by this unique terrain at Palpung, and built a Sakya monastery on the site of the abandoned “Xiongli Monastery”. However, due to its small size and few monks, it did not develop.

In 1728 AD, a monk from the Karma Kagyu sect who was born in Dege County and recognized by the 10^th Karmapa as the 8^th Situ Rinpoche of Chamdu Karma Monastery, “Situ • Chokyi Gongle”, was invited by the Dege ruler – Chokya• Denba Tseren to preside over the construction of Palpung Monastery, the Karma Kagyu School’s monastery, at the site of the abandoned “Xiongli Monastery” when he was 28 years old. He was also asked by Chokya• Denba Tseren to serve as the abbot of Palpung Monastery and was honored as the first generation of Situ Rinpoche at Palpung Monastery (the 8^th generation of Situ Rinpoche at Chamdu Karma Monastery).

Since then, all the Situ Rinpoches who were reincarnated served as the abbot of Palpung Monastery and no longer held the position of abbot of Chamdu Karma Monastery. By 1959, Palpung Monastery had more than 200 branch monasteries throughout Kham and some areas of Tibet.

History

After the construction of Palpung Monastery, it achieved significant development in politics and religion. The monastery claimed to be the “National Teacher’s Temple” and the golden-black hat bestowed by Emperor Yuan to the National Teacher, Karmapa Bashi who was born in Wangbuding area, who also had served as the abbot of Xiongli Monastery

According to the “Overview of Kham in the Old Western Sichuan Province“, the 8^th Situ Rinpoche was granted the title of “The Great Treasures Dharma King” by the imperial court and was allocated half of the people and land under the jurisdiction of the Dege Tusi (local Chieftain) to Palpung Monastery.

During the Qianlong reign (1735 – 1796 AD), Emperor Qianlong personally wrote a horizontal plaque “Praying for the Great Shanggen of Situ” and bestowed it upon the monastery. He also twice summoned the 8^th Situ Rinpoche, Chokyi Gongle, to Beijing to give lectures.

During the period of the Republic of China, the Kuomintang government also attached great importance to the political and religious influence of Palpung Monastery in the Tibetan region. In 1938, Liu Wenhui appointed a missionary from the “5 Science Academy” of Situ Rinpoche as a propagandist in northern Kham, and the Dege County government appointed Situ Rinpoche as the vice-chairman of the county council. In 1940, a group of eight people from Palpung Monastery, including the Situ Rinpoche, were invited to participate in the “Victory Prayer Ceremony for the Anti-Japanese War” in Chongqing, where Chiang Kai-shek presented them with gifts and took a group photo with them.

Palpung Monastery was the first temple of the Dege Tusi, attracting eminent monks and producing numerous talents in Buddhist studies. Many living Buddhas and lamas were scholars who excelled in the study of “5 Science,” leaving behind a considerable body of writings for future generations. The monastery held a significant position in upholding and consolidating the unified rule of the Tusi over politics and religion. It enjoyed high political privileges, with the Situ living Buddha having the right to participate in the highest administrative meetings of the Dege Tusi. The Tusi’s jurisdiction over political, economic, military, and cultural activities, the formulation of important decrees, the promotion of officials, and even the succession of the Tusi, all required the approval and consent of the Situ(the abbot). At the same time, the Dege Tusi also issued orders to Palpung Monastery in the capacity of a Dharma King.

Monastery Structure

Palpung Monastery consists of the mother temple and the branch temples. The monastery has four living Buddha reincarnation systems: Situ, Gongzhu, Qingzhen, and Wengen.

In the initial statistics of 1949, the entire monastery had 725 monks, including 4 living Buddhas, 2 living Buddhas studying abroad, 5 khenpos, 18 administrative lamas, 83 ordinary lamas, and 613 novices. The monastery also had nearly 4000 square kilometers of forests and pastures, over 2000 acres of farmland, and 43,000 livestock. More than 1000 households were engaged in large-scale commerce and usury operations.

After 1949, the political and economic privileges of Palpung Monastery were abolished. By 1959, Palpung Monastery had over 200 branch temples, spread across areas such as Ganzi and Aba in Sichuan, Chamdo, Bomê in Tibet, Yushu, Golog, Deqen, and Lijiang in Yunnan. During the Cultural Revolution, the “rebel faction” carried out the “Destroy the Four Olds” campaign, leading to the occupation of some monastery buildings and significant losses of monastery property and cultural relics.

In 1980, Palpung Monastery was approved for reopening; After 1981, a 16-member Monastery Management Committee was established, raising funds for the restoration of the monastery and gradually developing its self-sustaining economy.

The monastery currently has a building area of 6,237 square meters, with 177 monks, 2 living Buddhas, 1 khenpo, 107 lamas, and 67 novices.

The monastery’s cultural relics include seven large gilded Buddha statues, 9,835 red and yellow bronze alloy bodhisattvas, 10,150 Tangka paintings from various historical periods, 32,400 classics, 129,845 woodblock prints, a set of “Ganzhuer” written with pure gold juice, and nearly 5,000 other Buddhist artifacts, historical decrees, and seals from various historical periods.

In 1988, after the completion of the renovation of the monastery’s main hall, a 15-meter-high and 5-meter-wide gilded Maitreya Buddha statue was newly cast, and a Buddhist college and three practice institutes were established. Six Buddhist halls were also restored. A Buddhist college was built, and two sutra houses, “Naruo” and “Genren” were restored. In 1991, the monastery was approved by the provincial government as a “key cultural relic’s protection unit” in Sichuan.

Currently, the monastery has 375 monks, including 4 living Buddhas (still in India) and 3 khenpos. The monastery’s self-sustaining economy mainly engages in activities such as medicinal herb processing, commerce, sculpture, painting, construction, livestock breeding, and printing and selling scriptures.

Architecture

Among Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, the Gelugpa sect is the most magnificent, with extremely grand and spacious scripture halls and main halls. In comparison, monasteries of other sects are often much smaller in scale. “Kagyu” means “receiving the transmission of teachings through talking.” This sect places particular emphasis on tantra, with practice relying solely on oral transmission and personal instruction from the guru (teacher). As individual practitioners do not require large teaching halls or other facilities and buildings, Kagyu sect monasteries are generally small in scale, with fewer buildings. However, Palpung Monastery is the only monastery of the Kagyu sect that can compare with the grandeur of Gelugpa monasteries, and its magnificent architecture is rare outside of the Gelugpa sect.

The abbot who oversaw the construction of the monastery, Situ Chokyi Chongne, had traveled extensively to areas such as Amdo, Nepal, and India, studying Tibetan religious painting and architectural art. When rebuilding Palpung Monastery, he incorporated the architectural style of Gelugpa monasteries and Indian monasteries into the traditional Kagyu sect monastery architecture, forming a building style that is both grand and magnificent, as well as delicate and mysterious.

The main hall of Palpung Monastery, “Dro Lhakang,” was built on a mountain ridge and is a three-story courtyard-style building. The main hall is approximately 24 meters high and has a 20-meter-high Maitreya Buddha statue supported by 36 beams and pillars, including eight large pillars that are as thick as a hug and made from entire trees.

The second floor is the living quarters of the living Buddha, with carved beams and painted rafters, and is decorated with gold and bright colors. The walls of the hall are covered with precious murals, depicting Buddhist stories and the six realms of reincarnation, with vivid images and brilliant colors, making them a masterpiece of the Tibetan painting “Gadri” school.

There are also approximately 115 monk dormitories and many kitchens and courtyards. At its peak, up to 1,000 monks studied Buddhism here.

In addition to the main hall, ” Dro Lhakang,” there are more than 130 buildings that have been renovated and expanded by successive “Situ Living Buddhas,” with an extremely luxurious interior and countless treasures, and exquisitely crafted Buddha statues. However, during the “Cultural Revolution” in the 1960s, it was destroyed.

The surrounding buildings of Palpung Monastery include a sutra printing factory, the Upper Nigu Meditation Center, the Lower Naruo Meditation Center, the Zhongshangen Tathagata Meditation Center, the Golden Pagoda Hall (the 8th Rinpoche’s golden body tower), the Kalachakra Hall, and the Tangka School.

The monastery has five scripture halls, named “Baiyukong,” “Cuojukong,” “Duogankong,” “Lasakong,” and “Gaidikong,” to accommodate learners. There are also two meditation places called “Riche,” an ink printing institute called “Bakong,” two “Dongke” places for Kora walk, 108 monk residences, 130 “Chorten”, and one school called “Xiezha.” There are also many other places such as the platform for Dhamar dance

According to the “Palpung Monastery Chronicle,” at its peak, there were three large halls, five small halls, 35 lecture halls, and 25 meditation halls, as well as more than 180 large and small monk dormitories. There were more than 800 resident monks (currently 400). The entire building complex is built along the mountain and is connected from bottom to top. Although some “Ri-che” and “Chorten” were destroyed during the “Cultural Revolution,” the basic appearance of the entire monastery has been preserved.

Current status and development

Due to its long history, magnificent architecture, and rich collection, Palpung Monastery has produced many eminent monks. Since its opening to the public in 1981, the monastery has become a gathering place for Tibetan Buddhist monks and followers from various regions such as Sichuan, Qinghai, Yunnan, Gansu, and Tibet, who come to live, study, and practice here. Followers from Bhutan, Nepal, Sikkim, India, and various Western countries also frequently come to pay their respects. The monastery is renowned and attracts a large number of visitors. In 1991, the American Paul Getty Foundation for Architectural Preservation sent representatives to inspect Palpung Monastery and identified it as a site eligible for financial support for the preservation and restoration of ancient buildings.

The significance of Palpung Monastery is not limited to its religious importance. It is also an important center for literature, history, art, astrology (astronomy), and medicine, encompassing not only Tibetan but also Sanskrit.

How to get to there

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Palpung Monastery is located in a valley that there is only one jeep-able trail leads to the Derge-Pelyul Road. The valley junction is about 45 km southeast from Derge county or 70 km northwest from Pelyul county.

The closest airport is Garze airport which is about 210 kilometers north from this site.