Tsurphu Monastery

Tsurphu Monastery – The seat of Karmapa of Kagyu Tradition

Tsurphu monastery is located in 70km west of Lhasa, it is home to more than 300 monks. Tsurphu Monastery is famous for being the head of Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism as well as the seat of Karmapa.

An overview of Tsurphu Monastery

Tsurphu Monastery was  founded by the 1st Karmapa, Dusum Khenpa in 1159. This monastery serves as the traditional seat of Karmapa, the head of Karma Kagyu of Tibet Buddhism of Tibet. And also one of two main strongholds of Karma Kagyu school in Tibet, the other one being at Karma monastery in Lhato. Tsurphu monastery is located about 70km northwestern of Lhasa city and is about 4300m above the sea level.

The temple, palaces and monastic colleges of Tsurphu were severely damaged during the 1060s, but rebuilt since 1983 by the late Drupon Dechen Rinpoche and the Tsurphu foundation outside Tibet. At present there are 300 monks living and studying at Tsurphu monastery.

Monks in Tsurphu Monastery during Morning Puja.

Tsurphu monastery has following main temples and palaces.

Zhipa Tratsang:

Zhipa Tratsang was the first to be restored from the damage from cultural revolution. The upper storey contains a series of five protector shrine rooms, dedicated respectively to Mahakala in the form of Bernakchen, to Shridevi, Vaishravana along with Tseringma, Dorje Drolo and Vajrakila.

Karmapa Labrang:

Karmapa Labrang also known as the lower citadel of Dharma(Chogar Ogma), and its upper storey contains the residence of the present Karmapa, the seventeenth Karmapa Orgyen Trinley Dorje. The lower throne room has fine murals of Marpa, Milarepa, Ganpopa, along with the first, second and sixteenth Karmapa.

Monks play Buddhist Music Instruments in Tsurphu Monastery

Jamyang Lhakhang Chenmo:

This massive fortress once contained Tsurphu’s most highly venerated image: an enormous 20m bronze cast statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, know as the ornament of the world(Dzamling Gyen), but it was blasted to pieces during the cultural revolution. In its place an 18m gilded copper replica installed in 1997.

Serdung Lhakhang:

Serdung Lhakhang contains the mortal remains of late Drupon Dechen Rinpoche, alongside central images of Padmasambhava and the previous sixteenth Karmapa, and a thousand small image of Shakyamuni.

Zuri Tratsang:

The upper chamber of Zuri tratsang contains the room used by the Situ Rinpoche on his recent visit Tsurphu from India and also there documents describing the accounts of his discovery of the new Karmapa in 1992.

Gyeltsab Podrang:

This higher up hillside stands palace is the temple where would Gyaltsab Rinpoche reside, Gyaltsab Rinpoche would preside over Tsurphu during the interregnum following the death of one Karmapa and the investiture of the next Karmapa.

The landscape on the way to Tsurphu Monastery from Lhasa.

Today, the present Karmapa Orgyen Trinley Dorje is the 17th reincarnation of Karmapa and he lives in India.  Here are all the year and names of 17 Karmapas below:

Image of 17th Karmapa displays in the Tsurphu Monastery