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Sera, Ganden and Drepung Monasteries are known as the three great monasteries of Tibet. All belonging to the lineage of Gelugpa started by Je Tsong Khapa in early 15th century and all are within Lhasa, capital of Tibet. All belonging to the lineage of Gelugpa started by Je Tsong Khapa in early 15th century and all are within Lhasa, capital of Tibet. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama is the Spirtual Head. These monasteries provide religious education to the monks from age 8 to up to 70 in some cases. Sera was established by Jamchen Choje Sakya Yeshe in 1419 on the request of his teacher Je Tsong Khapa. The monastery comprises two independently functioning universities, Sera Je and Sera Mey, and a tantric college, Ngagpa Dratsang. Sera Mey was first established in Tibet in 1421 by Kunkyen Jangchub Boompa, also a disciple of Je Tsong Khapa. Over the centuries the monastery has produced many great scholars. Until 1959 the monastery housed nearly 5,000 monks. In the 1950s, Sera monastery has been totally destroyed and monks sent home, imprisoned or forced to disrobe. However, the Tibetans in exile in India have, since 20 years ago, re-established Sera in Mysore, South India after going through many hardships and under the leadership of the great lamas such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama and ex-abbot of the Mey College of Sera Monastery, Khensur Rinpoche Ngawang Thekchok. Many monks died during the building and re-establishing of the new Sera in India, due to the changes in climate, food and the life in exile. Because none of the monks of the Ngagpa Dratsang (Tantric College) survived the invasion, only the Sera Mey University and Sera Jey University were re-established in India. The re-established Sera now has over 4,500 monks living and studying there and has a great responsibility to preserve the culture and unique tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The present Sera Mey Monastic University now has nearly 1500 monks studying the 5 Great texts and major disciplines of Logic, Tibetan Grammar, Buddhist studies, Medicine and creative arts, leading on to a Geshe degree. It includes its own Sera Mey Primary School with around 200 students and 18 staff and a social environment center including a health dispensary with 6 permanent workers. Through this university the monks of Sera Mey continue to teach and practice the religious customs and traditions of Tibet.
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Sera Mey Monastic University 2012 |
