About Gyalrong

History of Sera Mey Monastery

Sera Monastic University was found in 1419 near Lhasa, Tibet under direction from the founder of the Gelukpa order, Lama Je Tsongkapa. In time Sera become the home of three separate monastic universities; Sera Mey, Sera Jey, and Sera Ngakpa Dratsang. Today Sera Mey and Jey survive in South, India – the location to which they were moved after the fall of Tibet in 1959.

In the early nineteen sixties the Tibetan community began forming new roots in and around India. The job of reforming the great monasteries of Tibet was a daunting task. Many of the books that were the academic foundation of Buddhism were lost or burned, temples were destroyed, and great teachers were never seen again. Yet the strength of the people was great and slowly the monastic systems were reborn in the spiritual homeland of Buddhism – the land where the religion began over two thousand years earlier.

Currently Sera Monastery claims over 3000 monks. Boys and men come from all over India, Tibet, Bhutan, and elsewhere to learn the precious teachings of Buddhism at one of the finest educational institute in the world.

Read more about Monastic Life...

Sera

Ganden

Drepung

Monastic Centers

Monastic Universities

Colleges (Khangtsen)

Mey

Jey

Jangtse

Shartse

Gomang

Loseling

Gyalrong

Tsawa

Phomra

etc...

Structure of Tibetan Monasteries

Gyalrong Khangtsen

Historically khangstens, or colleges, have been organized by region. When a new monk arrives he is sorted in to a college according to what area of Tibet his family is from. Those is Gyalrong Khangtsen often hail from the Gyalrong region of Tibet, in the northeast. Today many monks still arrive from Tibet, making the life-threatening journey out of China and in to India. Other monks have been born in India where their families have settled after fleeing Tibet.

Gyalrong has a long history of bringing up great Lamas or teachers – remarkable contributers to Buddhism.

Some of Gyalrong’s most eminent Lamas include:

Pabongka Rinpoche Dechen Nyingpo

Sermey Jetsun Khen Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Tharchin

Gyalrong Khensur Rinpoche Ngawang Thekchok

Today the tradition of learning and incubating great teachers continues.

Lama Je Tsongkhapa, founder and pioneer of the Gelukpa order of Tibetan Buddhism (1357 - 1419)

prayers in the main temple