Keutsang Hermitage

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Coordinates: 29°42′9″N 91°8′57″E / 29.70250°N 91.14917°E / 29.70250; 91.14917
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Keutsang Hermitage
Lhasa Prefecture, Tibet, China
CountryChina
Keutsang Hermitage is located in Tibet
Keutsang Hermitage
Location within Tibet
Geographic coordinates29°42′9″N 91°8′57″E / 29.70250°N 91.14917°E / 29.70250; 91.14917

Keutsang Hermitage (ke’u tshang) is a historical hermitage, belonging to the

Keutsang West Hermitage, at a safer location. As it exists now, Keutsang is to the east of Sera on a hillside above Lhasa’s principal cemetery. Rakhadrak Hermitage is above and close to this hermitage.[1]

The hermitage is one of the pilgrim sites on the Sera Mountain Circumambulation Circuit (se ra’i ri ’khor) of the ‘Sixth-Month Fourth-Day (drug pa tshe bzhi)’ celebrations that devotees visit.[1]

Topology

The word ‘Keutsang’ spelt ke’u tshang denotes “cave,” “cavern,” or “overhang.” Thus, the hermitage is pre-fixed with this word suggesting that it was a cave monastery.[1]

Geography

Keutsang monastery is in deep ravines to the east of Sera on a hillside above Lhasa’s principal cemetery.[1]

History

Je Tsongkhapa

While the Tsongkhapa (1357–1419) lived in the cave here, history records that it was used as a retreat by many well-known lamas. A particular mention made is that in the twelfth-century, the founder of the Tshal pa bka’ brgyud school, Bla ma zhang (1123–1193) did penance in this cave.[2]

The first

fourteenth Dalai Lama. The name, fame and the large structural status of the hermitage are attributed to the association of these high profile Dalai Lamas. From the early nineteenth century up to 1959 Ke’u tshang owned the well-known Drapchi Temple (Grwa bzhi lha khang), which is in the northern part of Lhasa.[2]

The hermitage had a close relationship with Sera all through its history; Every official monk of the hermitage enjoyed de facto status of a monk of the Hamdong Regional House (Har gdong khang tshan) of the Sera Jé College also. The monastery observed all ritualistic practices.[1]

1959 Cultural Revolution

During the 1959 Cultural Revolution, the fifth Keutsang incarnation Keutshang sku phreng lnga pa of the Keutsang Hermitage was incarcerated for a time and later he sought asylum in India in the 1980s.[1]

The hermitage was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Rebuilding it was started by a former monk of the hermitage in 1991 and was completed by 1992. The rebuilt hermitage now houses 25 monks.[1]

Structure

Keutsang West Hermitage
on the west ledge of the hill

The hermitage complex is enclosed by compound walls with an east gate and a west gate of entry. It has images installed in temples and chapels; all are new. In a small chapel near the west gate Acala (Mi g.yo ba)‘s self manifest image is seen (it was earlier on a boulder rock that was moved into the shrine, into a more sanitised and sanctified location) in the Dharma courtyard (chos rwa). The main temple is in the centre of the enclosed courtyard. It is a double-storied building with an assembly hall (’du khang). The second floor oaccommodates the reception and committee rooms. The monastery also has a community kitchen adjoining the living quarters for the monks. A guest house is part of the complex of buildings.[3]

On the back side of the main temple there is a three-story secondary temple building, which houses a Scripture Temple (Bka’ ’gyur lha khang) on the second floor; the first floor provides the staircase and some storage space. The

Buddhist treatises. The third floor has the Maitreya Chapel (Byams khang) where a two-storied tall statue of Maitreya (Byams pa) is deified. This idol overlooks the cemetery in the hermitage precincts. This floor also provides for residential accommodation for the Da lai bla ma and the rooms for the Ke’u tshang bla ma. In the northeast corner of the hermitage, there is a large “Dharma enclosure” or chos rwa that was built in 2004. This enclosure is regularly used by younger monks to recite and memorize the scriptures related to rituals, which are the hallmark of the hermitage.[3]

Religious observances

Keutsang, as a religious ritual hermitage, celebrates the new and

Tibetan New Year, eight sets of two-day Avalokiteśvara fasting rituals (smyung gnas), and chant the rainy season precepts in summer. A memorization exam to test the skills of the junior monks on the ritual texts is held in the eighth Tibetan month. This examination is held by a senior scholar of Sera Monastery.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Keutsang Hermitage (ke'u tshang ri khrod))" (PDF). The Tibetan & Himalayan Library. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
  2. ^ a b c "Keutsang Hermitage (Ke'u tshang ri khrod)". History. The Tibetan & Himalayan Library. Retrieved 2010-03-08.
  3. ^ a b "Keutsang Hermitage (Ke'u tshang ri khrod)". Location and Layout. The Tibetan & Himalayan Library. Retrieved 2010-03-08.
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