Samye Monastery, located
on the north bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Zhanang county, is the
first formal Buddhist Monastery with the Buddha Dharma and Sangha in Tibet.
Meanwhile, it is also the birthplace of Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism,
and the key cultural relics under state-level protection.
Samye Monastery
was built during the 770's under the patronage of King Trisong Detsen,
with the work being directed by Padmasambhava and Shantarakshita, the
two Indian masters that the king had invited to Tibet. The monastery combines
the styles of China, Tibet and India, and the layout was designed to represent
the ideal universe described in Buddhist scriptures. "Utse",
the Great Hall symbolizing "Sumeru" in perfect Buddhist universe,
is the largest structure in the monastery. It has three floors. The first
floor is Tibetan, with a turning wheel cloister full of splendid murals.
The second floor is a Chinese Sutra Hall which houses about 472 Chinese
stone Buddhas.
After the
Samye Monastery was completed, both Indian and Chinese monks were invited
there to work on the translation of Buddhist scriptures from their respective
languages into Tibetan. As described in a historical book, this monastery
is considered "an unimaginable construction and incomparable monastery".
Over the centuries it has come under the influence of the Nyingma, Sakya
and Geluk schools and is thus considered a symbol of Tibets national
identity.
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