It’s not the Potala Palace, this is the most beautiful mandala in China!

Leaving Baiyun County, we headed to Gaden Monastery, where Tibetan intellectuals gather. A friend of mine affectionately calls it the "Great Buddhist College of Budapest" because the color scheme of the construction of Gaden Monastery is so fascinating. The way up the mountain is not easy to walk on, but these days I seem to have gotten used to these "cloud paths". Although dangerous, it makes people feel at ease, and you can always break through the clouds and see different scenery.

📍Detailed address: Gaden Monastery
🚉Transportation strategy: Self-driving 🚗 can drive directly to the temple and Buddhist college
💰Average Consumption: Free🆓
🌟Highlights: It contains countless Buddhist treasures and is the highest institution of learning in Tibet.

Gaden Monastery was founded in 1159, the third Earth Rabbit Year of the Tibetan calendar, by the Nyingma sect’s eminent monk Kadampa Dexie (1122-1192). It has been the main monastery for 85 generations and is 860 years old. It can be regarded as the ancestral monastery of the Nyingma sect. After being destroyed and rebuilt several times, it was rebuilt on a large scale after 1980, and the main hall, scripture hall, Buddhist college, etc. were rebuilt. The new mandala built in 1993 was built strictly according to Buddhist rules. 300 kilograms of gold were used for gold powder alone. It is truly shining with golden light, and it contains countless Buddhist treasures. It is hard to imagine that there is such a special mandala in such a highland and deep mountain area. From the entrance of the main hall, you can take pictures of the Gaden Buddhist College opposite. I was very lucky to be able to capture its true appearance within five minutes when the mist dissipated.

Seda is a Buddhist college of five sciences, while Gaden is a Buddhist college of ten sciences, with five more subjects than Seda. The "intellectuals" of Tibet gather here. Their lives are actually no different from ours. Buddhist colleges, like the private school system in ancient China, were places where Tibetans received education before the modern education system entered Tibetan areas. They were equivalent to higher comprehensive universities among Tibetan Buddhist schools, and the students trained there were high-level Tibetan intellectuals.

At the railing at the entrance of the Buddhist College, I saw a young monk rubbing his chin with his hand and looking into the distance. I don't know what he was thinking about, because the ten subjects of science, from astronomy to geography, as well as logic and Buddhism, all things in this world are too vast. What on earth could have made him so fascinated? But I think, no matter what he is thinking about, the most fascinating thing in the world is always the infinite thoughts in a person's mind.

Post by Garcia Katherine Kath | Dec 10, 2024