| Keutsang Hermitage | |
|---|---|
 Keutsang Hermitage | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Tibetan Buddhism |
| Location | |
| Location | Lhasa Prefecture,Tibet,China |
| Country | China |
  Location within Tibet | |
| Geographic coordinates | 29°42′9″N91°8′57″E / 29.70250°N 91.14917°E /29.70250; 91.14917 |
Keutsang Hermitage (ke’u tshang) is a historical hermitage, belonging to theSera Monastery, about 8 kilometres (26,000 ft) northwest ofLhasa inTibet Autonomous Region. The hermitage was in a precariously perched cave once inhabited by the great Tibetan guruTsongkhapa. However, the original cave collapsed in a landslide. What is present now was rebuilt, adjoining the ruinedKeutsang West Hermitage, at a safer location. As it exists now, Keutsang is to the east of Sera on a hillside above Lhasa’s principal cemetery.Rakhadrak Hermitage is above and close to this hermitage.[1]
The hermitage is one of the pilgrim sites on the Sera Mountain Circumambulation Circuit (se ra’i ri ’khor) of the ‘Sixth-Month Fourth-Day (drug pa tshe bzhi)’ celebrations that devotees visit.[1]
The word ‘Keutsang’ speltke’u tshang denotes “cave,” “cavern,” or “overhang.” Thus, the hermitage is pre-fixed with this word suggesting that it was a cave monastery.[1]
Keutsang monastery is in deep ravines to the east of Sera on a hillside above Lhasa’s principal cemetery.[1]
While the Tsongkhapa (1357–1419) lived in the cave here, history records that it was used as a retreat by many well-known lamas. A particular mention made is that in the twelfth-century, the founder of theTshal pa bka’ brgyud school,Bla ma zhang (1123–1193) did penance in this cave.[2]
The firstKeutsang incarnation Jampa Mönlam (Ke’u tshang sku phreng dang po byams pa smon lam), the seventeenth abbot of the Sera Jé College (Grwa tshang byes) of Sera founded this hermitage as he wanted to do penance. After he first moved from the Sera Jé College, he lived in a cave for a while and then constructed a small hut for his retreat. During this period the students of the Sera Je college visited him, seeking his lectures. As a result, a small institution developed over the years. After his death, the second incarnate of Kuetsong, Lozang Jamyang Mönlam (Ke’u tshang sku phreng gnyis pa blo bzang ’jam dbyangs smon lam), who was from a wealthy family, provided finances to construct many buildings of the hermitage. The details of third Incarnate are not known; the fourth Incarnate was a close associate of thefourteenth Dalai LamaTupten Gyatso (Da lai bla ma sku phreng bcu gsum pa thub bstan rgya mtsho). After the death of thethirteenth Dalai Lama, the fourth Keutsang incarnation (Ke’u tshang sprul sku) was instrumental in identifying thefourteenth Dalai Lama. The name, fame and the large structural status of the hermitage are attributed to the association of these high profile Dalai Lamas. From the early nineteenth century up to 1959 Ke’u tshang owned the well-known Drapchi Temple (Grwa bzhi lha khang), which is in the northern part of Lhasa.[2]
The hermitage had a close relationship with Sera all through its history; Every official monk of the hermitage enjoyed de facto status of a monk of the Hamdong Regional House (Har gdong khang tshan) of the Sera Jé College also. The monastery observed all ritualistic practices.[1]
During the 1959Cultural Revolution, the fifth Keutsang incarnationKeutshang sku phreng lnga pa of the Keutsang Hermitage was incarcerated for a time and later he sought asylum inIndia in the 1980s.[1]
The hermitage was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Rebuilding it was started by a former monk of the hermitage in 1991 and was completed by 1992. The rebuilt hermitage now houses 25 monks.[1]
The hermitage complex is enclosed by compound walls with an east gate and a west gate of entry. It has images installed in temples and chapels; all are new. In a small chapel near the west gateAcala (Mi g.yo ba)‘s self manifest image is seen (it was earlier on a boulder rock that was moved into the shrine, into a more sanitised and sanctified location) in theDharma courtyard (chos rwa). The main temple is in the centre of the enclosed courtyard. It is a double-storied building with an assembly hall (’du khang). The second floor oaccommodates the reception and committee rooms. The monastery also has a community kitchen adjoining the living quarters for the monks. A guest house is part of the complex of buildings.[3]
On the back side of the main temple there is a three-story secondary temple building, which houses a Scripture Temple (Bka’ ’gyur lha khang) on the second floor; the first floor provides the staircase and some storage space. Thealtar, at the centre of the second floor, has three protector deities enshrined in it. These are the images of main idol ofDpal ldan lha mo at the middle with images ofRdo rje g.yu sgron ma the “site deity” (gnas bdag) of the monastery and ofNyang bran rgyal chen, on the flanks. On the same floor, there is the Tengyur chapel (Bstan ’gyur lha khang) that has a collection of the translatedIndianBuddhist treatises. The third floor has theMaitreya Chapel (Byams khang) where a two-storied tall statue of Maitreya (Byams pa) is deified. This idol overlooks the cemetery in the hermitage precincts. This floor also provides for residential accommodation for theDa lai bla ma and the rooms for theKe’u tshang bla ma. In the northeast corner of the hermitage, there is a large “Dharma enclosure” orchos rwa that was built in 2004. This enclosure is regularly used by younger monks to recite and memorize the scriptures related to rituals, which are the hallmark of the hermitage.[3]
Keutsang, as a religious ritual hermitage, celebrates the new andfull Moon days, as well as the tenth and twenty-fifth of thelunar month. Local villagers invite the monks of the hermitage to their houses to perform rituals, which adds to the coffers of the hermitage. Apart from the monthly rituals, the monks of the hermitage perform annual ritual cycles such as theTibetan New Year, eight sets of two-dayAvalokiteśvara fasting rituals (smyung gnas), and chant the rainy season precepts in summer. A memorization exam to test the skills of the junior monks on the ritual texts is held in the eighth Tibetan month. This examination is held by a senior scholar of Sera Monastery.[2]
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