| Sakya Monastery (or Shakya Monastery) |
 |
The immense, thick-walled southern monastery is Sakya's main attraction.
Before the Cultural Revolution, Sakya Monastery was one of the largest
monasteries in Tibet. It crouches grim and forbidding among the cluster
of houses that make up Sakya Township.
The southern monastery was established in 1268 and is designed
defensively, with watchtowers on each of the corners of its high
walls. There may once have been further walls intervened by a moat,
but no trace of them remains today. It is possible to walk around
the top of these outer walls.
Directly ahead of the east-wall main entrance is the entrance to
the central courtyard of the monastery, an impressive area with
a towering prayer pole that is surrounded by chapels. On either
side of the east-wall entrance are stairs leading up to the smaller
second-floor chapels, including a Tsepame chapel with 250 Buddha
images.
The chapel to the left (south) is the Purkhang Chapel. Central
images are of Sakyamuni (Sakya Thukpa) and Jampelyang (Manjushri),
while wall paintings behind depict Tsepame (Amitayus), Drolma (Tara)
and Namgyelma (Vijaya), as well as a medicine buddha, two Saicyamunis
and Jampa (Maitreya). Murals on the left wall depict Tantric deities
central to the Sakya school.
The main assembly hall to the west of the courtyard is a huge structure
with 3.5m thick walls. It also tends to be very dark, although the
morning sunshine lights the place up with a diffuse ambience. It
is still a good idea to bring a good torch with you. The hall's
ceiling is supported by massive sacred pillars. In the far corner
of the hall is a huge drum.
The walls of the assembly hall are lined with larger-than-life
Buddhas, many of which also serve as reliquaries for former Sakya
abbots. The Buddha in the far left corner contains relics of Sakya
Pandita; the one next to it houses those of the previous abbot of
Sakya. The largest central Buddha contains remains of the founder
of the monastery. To the right of the central Buddha are statues
of Jamelyang and a seated Jampa. Sakya's famous library is accessed
from this hall but it is rarely opened up to tourists.
To the north of the courtyard is a chapel containing 11 silver
chortens, again reliquaries for former Sakya abbots. Look to the
left for the sand mandala. A door leads to another chapel with more
amazing chortens.
There are a couple of chapels open outside of this central complex,
although the most interesting is the very spooky protector chapel
of the Pakspa Lhakhang, where scary monsters, masks and stuffed
wolves await you in the dark recesses.
Finally, climb up onto the walls of the monastery for superb views
of the surrounding valley and the interior buildings of Sakya Monastery. |
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