Journey to the Secret Land (3) Tibet Revisited: The Holy Land of Larong

Larung Tibetan means a place where you don’t want to leave once you’ve arrived.

The full name of Larung Gar: Larung Gar Buddhist University in Sedar, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. It is one of the important destinations on our pilgrimage to Tibet. This is a holy city for practice and the largest Buddhist academy in the world. Buddhists from all over the world come to worship and take root in practice.

In 1985 AD, the Nyingmapa spiritual leader Jigme Phuntsok, the spiritual leader of modern Tibetan Buddhism, who turned the tide of modern Tibetan Buddhism, with his fearless wisdom and compassion, vowed to destroy the ancient world that had been completely destroyed in history. The founder of excellent Tibetan Buddhism established this Buddhist university with only 30 students at that time 15 miles east of Serta County. After more than 30 years of ups and downs, Larung Gar is now world-renowned as a Buddhist monk. A large number of comprehensive Buddhist universities have emerged.

On the morning of June 7th, Manjusri Zenghui Buddhist College in the small town of Hosi was still bathed in the morning mist, and the sky was dark. A group of us said goodbye and set off for the holy land of Larong. It is about 15 kilometers from Hosi to Larong and takes half an hour by car. Since Larung is about 4,000 meters above sea level, it is a challenge for those who are new to Tibet. In order to let everyone have a good sleep, we decided to let everyone rest for one night in Hosi Town. After a night of deep sleep and adaptation, my companions all felt more energetic, got up early, and headed straight to Larong.

The quiet mountains, the roaring river, and the sound of car engines seem to be preparing for the morning when I am about to wake up. All the way up from 3500 meters to 4000 meters. Finally at six o'clock in the morning, we arrived at the gate of Larung Gar Buddhist University. An episode was about to take place, because the Buddhist college was during the Dharma conference, and outside vehicles were not allowed to enter the mountain. However, we carried a large amount of supplies that needed to be delivered to the Buddhist college. The Tibetan police on duty were very principled and refused to allow entry. We had no choice but to turn off the fire and wait. We all chanted Guru Rinpoche's mantra and prayed to Guru Rinpoche to bless us. About twenty minutes later, I went to beg again. The young police officer seemed to be a little enlightened and secretly told me to ask the sergeant who was taking turns in the duty room for instructions. I bravely met the police chief and explained the reason. The police chief said, "Okay, go back as soon as possible. Don't park indiscriminately. Roads are being built up there. Pay attention to safety." We were overjoyed and hurriedly drove up the mountain. Because on a mountain with an altitude of 4,000 meters, if you carry a large amount of materials to take the college bus, going up and down, you will collapse. After receiving the approval, I was naturally very happy.

Larong Buddhist University is composed of five hills. When viewed from the air, it looks like a lotus flower, just like the five principles in the name of the school (craftsmanship, linguistics, medical science, and astronomy). and Nei Ming Buddhism). This is a holy land prophesied by Guru Rinpoche. Starting from the first generation of Dharma King Dudjom, this place has been a paradise for practitioners. There are as many as thirteen rainbow body achievers, and eminent monks and great virtues have emerged in endlessly. From the late 1980s to the present, under the leadership of the first dean, His Holiness Rinpoche Rinpoche, Larung has been revived to the extreme.

Larong Buddhist University is built on the mountain. From the bottom of the mountain to the top of the mountain are the Lay Buddhist College, the Jomu Women's Buddhist College, the Lama Men's Buddhist College, and the mandala at the highest point. The winding mountain road slowly brought us to the top of the mountain. The Larung Gar was filled with mist in the early morning, and even the air was filled with the smell of faith. Pieces of red dormitories are densely built on the hillside. The practitioners who get up in the morning are doing morning classes while making breakfast. The smoke is curling up from the houses, and the loudspeakers are playing auspicious chants. Everything is like a paradise. There are also diligent monks who have come to the top of the mountain 4000 meters above sea level to circle the mandala.

The mandala is a very important building in Tibetan Buddhism. It is a depiction of the paradise world when practitioners reach a certain state. The mandala of Larung Gar is world-famous. It was designed and built by the Dharma King Ruyi Bao himself. It is divided into three floors: upper, middle and lower. It contains countless treasures, exquisite Buddha statues and countless Guanyin mantra prayer wheels. Believers from all over the world, regardless of sects or races, come to circumambulate the mandala to pray for all living beings and themselves. The lower level person has to go around at least 7 times, the middle level person has to go around 108 times, and the upper level person has to go around 1080 times. Every lap has immeasurable merit. A group of us also joined the team that turned around the mandala. We didn’t speak, we just chanted mantras and visualized our relationship with all living beings.

Larong Buddhist University is the largest Tibetan Buddhist university in Tibet and even in the world. Practitioners from the four major sects here, including Nyingmapa, Gelugpa, Kagyu Sect, and Sakya Sect, all study Buddhism here. After completing their studies, some become Geshe Khenpo and return to their monasteries to serve the society. It is worth mentioning that the Lama Sutra Hall is the core building of Larung. It towers into the clouds and is majestic. It adopts the Tibetan patio architectural style. It is square and wide, with first-class lighting. The Buddhist hall is magnificent and majestic. The sutra hall can accommodate it at one time. Thousands of people met and took classes.

Buddhism attaches great importance to precepts, especially in Larung Gar. Tens of thousands of monks and nuns, both men and women, follow strict precepts and cultivate their minds and bodies in strict accordance with the precepts formulated by the Buddha. Seeing their busy figures, I am really happy and amazed. In order to improve the dietary conditions on the plateau, the khenpos of Larung Gar University have also worked hard, mercifully and altruistically. In recent years, they have built the five-star Larung Gar Hotel, which can accommodate Buddhists with different requirements from all over the world. The first floor The vegetarian buffet is colorful and tastes first-class, and it is worth a visit.

The snow-covered plateau has experienced countless dynasty changes over the past thousands of years, but the pure inheritance of Buddhism has not changed. Today, Larong has become a photography paradise for non-believers and a must-visit tourist destination. It is a sacred secret place in the hearts of Buddhists and the first stop for pilgrimage on the snow-covered plateau. I think this is also the incredible prediction of Guru Rinpoche. When the iron bird rises into the sky and the iron horse gallops, the teachings of the monks in red clothes will spread throughout the world. As a Buddhist, I am very lucky to encounter such a sacred Dharma and holy land in the Age of Ending Dharma. I pray that more people will be associated with the good Dharma, and that more people will explore their innermost realms through Buddhism.

Larong, this incredible holy place, you must visit it once in this life.

June 8, 2017

Author: Han Tao

At the Quiet Place of Larung Gar Buddhist University