Sera Monastery

Sera Monastery is one of the 'great three' Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet. The other two are Ganden Monastery and Drepung Monastery. The origin of the name 'Sera' is not certain, but it may derive from the fact that the original site was surrounded by 'Wild Roses' (sera in Tibetan). The original Sera monastery is in Lhasa, Tibet, about 5 km north of the Jokang in Lhasa. After the Chinese took control of Tibet in 1959, it was reconstituted in Bylakuppe, India, near Mysore. The original in Tibet continues as a working monastery.

The history of Sera Monastery
Sera was founded in 1419, by Jamchen Chojey (Sakya Yeshe), a disciple of Tsong Khapa.Like the Drepung and Ganden monasteries, it had several colleges: Sera Mey Dratsang, built in 1419, gave basic instruction to the monks. Sera Jey Dratsang, built in 1435, was the largest, and was reserved for wandering monks, especially Mongol monks. Ngagpa Dratsang, built in 1559, was a school for the teaching of the Gelukpa tantras.

How many monks are there in the Sera Monastery?
Sera housed more than 5,000 monks in 1959. Although badly damaged following the invasion of Tibet and the Cultural Revolution, it is still standing and has been largely repaired. In 2008, it housed 550 Buddhist monks, but the number dropped to only a handful after the 2008 Tibetan unrest. After the Chinese invasion of Tibet and the destruction of the majority of the monasteries in Tibet, Sera monastery was re-formed in Bylakuppe, India, near Mysore.

Because none of the monks of the Ngagpa Dratsang (Tantric College) survived the invasion, only the Sera Mey College and Sera Jey College were re-formed in India.

The story of Sera Temple's name
Sera means "Hailstone" in Tibet, and legend tells that it hailed during the foundation of this famous temple. However, there was naturally political rivalry between Drepung Temple and the Sera Temple. This can even be seen in the naming of this temple. Sera, meaning "merciful hailstone," is a challenge to Drepung Temple, whose name means "rice heap" in the sense that hail damages rice.

The construction of Sera Temple?
Unlike Drepung and Gandan, it was not built on a mountainside. It was completed in 1419, under the supervision of Shaka Yeshe. Shaka Yeshe was an important teacher who traveled to Beijing and as far as Mongolia to preach Buddhism. He was given the title "The Tutor of the Empire," by the Ming Emperor, Xuan De. Many precious gifts were sent to Sera by the Emperors of the time, many of which are well preserved and can be seen at Sera Temple to this day.

What to visit in Sera Temple?
The temple is magnificent and covers an area of 114,946 square meters (28 acres). Its main buildings are the Coqen Hall, Zhacang (college) and Kamcun (dormitory). Scriptures written in gold powder, fine statues, scent cloth and unparalleled murals can be found in these halls. It is proud of its glorious history during the Ming Dynasty. Colorful debates on Buddhist doctrines are held here and these employ a style distinctive from those at Lhasa's other famous temples.

Debating garden of Sera Temple
Sera Temple was residence to more than 5,000 monks and five monastic colleges. Although much less active now, with only several hundred monks currently in residence, one of the most interesting times to visit the temple is in the afternoon when monks, after finishing their morning scripture classes, can be seen debating in the courtyard. Sera Temple continues as a training center set at the foot of Tatipu Hill where young monks train in the debating garden and prepare for scholastic examinations by holding mock debates. In Lhasa Buddhism, the debating garden is a whetstone where the mind is sharpened.

Surrounding views of Sera Temple
After the garden, climb the wall and take walk up the hill to see the beautiful rock art, depicting life-size blue bodhisattvas. A short climb is rewarded with a landscape view of Lhasa and the expansive mountains that ring the city. Here you will see mountains to the heavens.