Panoramas of Sera Monastery in Tibet
Lhopa Regional House Headquarters
(lho pa khang tshan)
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Images of Lhopa Regional House Headquarters
THL Reference Number: s019
College Affiliation: Jé (byes)
Regional House Affiliation: Lhopa (lho pa)
This is the main compound of one of the most important regional houses of the byes college. Lho pa khang tshan was renowned for the large number of bla ma-s that it produced. There is an oral tradition to explain why this is so. The great scholar and saint klong rdol bla ma ngag dbang blo bzang (1719-1794), one of the greatest teachers of this khang tshan, supposedly defecated in the smad debate grounds, located just west of this khang tshan. The smad monks who found his "gift" threw it back at lho pa khang tshan, and it stuck to the wall. This is said to have blessed lho pa khang tshan so that it produced many sprul sku-s. A tree grew out of the wall at the site where klong rdol bla ma's shit stuck to the wall, and the stump of the tree (which can still be seen) is covered by a small piece of cloth to mark it (located on the eastern wall close to the corner of the khang tshan). kLong rdol bla ma is said to have lived in the first room on the right as one first enters the khang tshan compound, and his stone throne is preserved in the interior courtyard to the left of the khang tshan temple as one is facing it. The main khang tshan compound is 3 stories, and quite well preserved.
The 'phags pa lha incarnation lineage, that dates back to the 15th century, belongs to this regional house. The 'phag pa lha bla ma, the highest bla ma of this khang tshan, and one of the highest of the byes colege, had his bla brang on the top story of the se ra main assembly hall (tshogs chen). Among the other important incarnation lineages of this khang tshan are that of zhi ba lha (also dating to the 15th century), mkhar rdo bzod pa rgya mtsho (1672-1749) (a teacher of phur bu lcog), and phur lcog ngag dbang byams pa (1682-1762) himself. The mkhar mdo and phur lcog residences were located in a separate compound on the se ra main sand street.
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