Contact Us now: sales@kailashtrek.com

 
   
 
 Lhasa and Mount Kailash Tour
 Destination: Gyantse, Shingatse, saga,
 Lhatse, Paryang, Manasorvar, kailash
 Maximum Altitude: 5500M.
 Best time to visit: April, May, June,
 Aug, Sep & Oct
 Everest Base Camp Tour
 Destination: Nyalam, Tingri, Gyantse,
 Mt. Everest Base Camp, Shigatse, Lhasa
 Maximum Altitude: 5220M.
 Best time to visit: Jan, Feb, March,
 April, May, June, Aug, Sep & Oct
Trekking In Tibet  |  Tibet Tours  |  Mountain Biking  |  Sightseeing  |  Places to see  |  Things to do  |  Custom Trips  |  Contact Us
 Home ›› Amdo Tour ›› Tibet Amdo Tour

Labrang has six colleges. The largest is Mayjung Tosamling (sMad-byung Thos-bsam-gling), for the study of sutra and debate, established by the First Jamyang-zhaypa in 1710 when he founded the monastery in general.It awards the Geshey Dorampa (dGe-bshes rDo-ram-pa) degree.

When the First Jamyang-zhaypa received the Say lineage (Srad-brgyud) transmission at Saygyu Tantric College (Sras-rgyud grva-tshang) from Saygyu Konchog-yarpel (Srad-rgyud dKon-mchog yar-phel) (1602-1682), this great master asked him to establish a tantric college as part of the monastery he would found in Amdo in the future. Keeping this request in mind, the First Jamyang-zhaypa established Maygyu Dratsang (sMad-rgyud Grva-tshang), Lower Tantric College, in 1719.
The Dukor Dratsang (Dus-khor Grva-tshang) or Kalachakra College, Ewam-chokor-ling (E-wam chos-khor gling), was founded in 1763 by the Second Jamyang-zhaypa, Konchog-jigmey-wangpo (dKon-mchog jigs-med dbang-po) (1728-1798), on the advice of the Third Panchen Lama, Pelden-yeshey (Pan-chen dPal-ldan ye-shes) (1738-1780). The Panchen Lamas home monastery, Tashilhunpo (bKra-shis lhun-po), built a Kalachakra temple (Dus-khor lha-khang) two years later, in 1765, devoted to the daily practice of the Kalachakra rituals. Since the first half of the eighteenth century, Kalachakra Colleges had already existed in Inner Mongolia. The first was at Ari-in Monastery, founded by the First Kanjurwa Gegen, Lozang-choden (bKa-gyur-ba Blo-bzang chos-ldan), and the second at Badghar Monastery (Pad-dkar dGon-pa) by his disciple, Dunkhor Pandita (Dus-khor Pandi-ta). The Dukor Datsang at Labrang was the first of its kind in Amdo.
The Menpa Dratsang (sMan-pa Grva-tshang) or Medical College, Sorig-zhenpen-ling (gSo-rig gzhan-phen gling), was established in 1784, also by the Second Jamyang-zhaypa. The Kyedor Dratsang (Kyai-rdor Grva-tshang) or Hevajra College, Sangngag-dargyay-ling (gSang-sngags dar-rgyas gling), was started by the Fourth Jamyang-zhaypa, Kelzang-tubten-wangchug (sKal-bzang thub-bstan dbang-phyug), in 1879. The Gyuto Dratsang (rGyud-bstod Grva-tshang) or Upper Tantric College, Sangchen-dorjey-ling (gSang-chen rdo-rje gling), was established in 1943 by the Fifth Jamyang-zhaypa, Lozang-jamyang-yeshey-tenpay-gyeltsen (Blo-bzang jam-dbyangs ye-shes bstan-pai rgyal-mtshan).
The two Tantric Colleges at Labrang, like their models in Lhasa, studied mostly the Guhyasamaja (gSang-dus), Chakrasamvara (bDe-mchog), and Vajrabhairava (rDo-rje Jigs-byed) tantric systems. They awarded Geshe Karamapa (dGe-bshes bKa-ram-pa) and Geshe Ngagrampa (dGe-bshes sNgags-ram-pa) degrees, as at the two Lhasa Tantric Colleges. The Kalachakra College was responsible for not only the Kalachakra rituals, but also those of Samvid (Kun-rig) and Vairochana Abhisambodhi (rNam-snang mngon-byang). The monks of the Kalachakra College also studied astronomy, astrology, and mathematics. In addition to medical studies, the monks of the Medical College were responsible for the rituals of the Medicine Buddha (sMan-lha), Akshobhya (Mi-khrugs-pa), and the Hiddenly Realized (gSang-sgrub) form of Hayagriva (rTa-mgrin). The Hevajra College maintained the rituals for Hevajra and Vajrapani Mahachakra (Phyag-rdor Khor-can), and prepared a calendar/almanac each year according to the Chinese-style black calculation system (nag-rtsis).
As at the Jokang (Jo-khang) in Lhasa, every year from the 3rd to the 17th of the first Tibetan month, Labrang held a Great Prayer Festival (sMon-lam chen-mo) with examinations for the highest grades of Geshe. At this festival, there were ritual masked dances and other rites as in Lhasa.
At its height in 1957, Labrang had nearly 4,000 monks. About 3,000 of them were at the Mayjung Tosamling College, with the rest evenly distributed among the other five colleges. Approximately three-quarters of the monks were Tibetans. The rest were mostly Outer Mongolian Mongols (phyi-sog), Inner Mongolian Mongols (smad-sog, nang-sog), Kokonor Mongols (stod-sog), Mongours (hor-pa) from northern Amdo, Yellow Yugurs (yu-gur) from Gansu (Kansu), Xinjiang Kalmyk Mongols, and ethnic Chinese. Labrang had 138 branch monasteries.
Starting in 1958, the monastery was closed for twelve years by the Chinese. During the 1970s, it was opened for tourism. It was reopened as a functioning monastery by the Seventh Panchen Lama, Chokyi-gyeltsen-trinley-lhundrub (Pan-chen Chos-kyi rgyal-mtshan phrin-las lhun-grub) (1938-1989), in 1980. At present there are about 500 monks, divided among the six colleges in the same proportions as before. The study program is only a fraction of what it previously had been.
Tour Itinerary
Day01: Fly to Lhasa
Day02: Lhasa Sightseeing
Day03: Lhasa Sightseeing
Day04: Drive to Nagqu
Day05: Drive to Golmud
Day06: Drive to Kokonar Lake
Day07: Xining - Tongren - Labrang via Rongwo monastery, Labrang Hotel
Day08: Labrang Monastery
Day09: Labrang - Hezuo
Day10: Hezuo- Langmusi
Day11: Langmusi Monastery
Day12: Langmusi - Taktsha Godron
Day13: Drive to Hongyang Grassland
Day14: Trekking (horse riding)
Day15: Drive to Chengdu
Day16: Fly to Distination
For More Information and Booking Click Here
 

Tibet Trekking | Tibet Tours | Mountain Biking | Sightseeing 
Home | About Us | Terms and Conditions | Inquiry | links | Photo Gallery | Contact Us
4

© Copyright 2007. Kailashtrek.com. All Rights Reserved.

 4