sera monastery tibet 3 850

Sera Monastery in Lhasa Tibet

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Here is some of what the souvenir ticket says from the unguided tour. Sera monastery was founded by Jamchen Choje Shakya Yeshe in 1419. It consists of an assembly hall, 3 colleges and about 33 houses. It is one of the 3 major monasteries of the Gelugpa (yellow hat) sect of Buddhism in central Tibet. It used to house many thousands of monks and now only a few thousand live there. If you go at the right time, you will see the monks “debating” in the courtyard…

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Sera Monastery in Lhasa TIbet.
Tibetan Monks at Sera Monastery in Tiber.
Man sitting on rock in front of Sera Monestery.
Huge bronze water vats at Sera Monastery.
Looking down at Sera Monastery from hill above.
Religious paintings on a rock at the Sera Monastery.
Tibetan monks at monastery in front of desert mountain.
Tall white wall at Sera monastery where tanka paintings are hung.
Elder Buddhist monk watching over younger monks.
Rock painted with Buddhist figures.
Tiberan Buddhist monks debating in courtyard.
Cinder-block building in Tibet with traditional decorations.
Part of Sera Monastery next to mountain side.
BLue Buddha painted on stone.
Pilgrim visiting Sera Monastery with backpack.
Pile of white stone.
View from Sera Monastery of valley and mountains.
Sera Monastery complex roof design.

To “debate” newer students are questioned by the older ones. Wrong answers will fill the courtyard with a constant sound of the student-teacher slapping his hands together to correct the student. The huge building with the blank white wall is for hanging VERY large Buddhist “tanka” paintings.

Tibet, China