Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s3.t26: bya khyung dgon
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s3.t26
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bya khyung dgon
v1.c7.s3.t26.1
Xiaqiong Monastery (bya khyung dgon) is a famous monastery of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism and its full name is “dpal ldan bya khyung theg chen yon tan dar rgyas gling”. Located at Chafu Town, Hualong Hui Nationality Autonomous County, Qinghai Province, it was first constructed in 1349. At first it belonged to Kadam and later was converted into Gelug. Because Master Tsongkhapa became a monk in Xiaqiong Monastery during his early years, acknowledging Chos rje don grub rin chen as his master, Xiaqiong Monastery got a reputation as ‘the ancestor temple’ of the Gelug sect.
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In 1623 (third year of Emperor Tianqi of Ming Dynasty), the ninth abbot of Xiaqiong Monastery Chos rje bstan pa rin chen set up the Tantra Institute (mtshan nyid grwa tshang) beginning the systematical spread of five regions in Exoteric Buddhism. The monastery became a famous one systematically preaching Exoteric Buddhism in Amdo area. Later, the preaching was interrupted due to some reason and did not continue again.
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In 1747 (12th year of Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty), under the encourage of Ganden Tripa, Sngags rams pa ngag dbang bkra shes, Buddha master of Esoteric Buddhism in Lhasa began to prepare for the construction of the Tantra Institute (sngags pa grwa tshang). The Institute was officially built and put into operation. In the second year, it systematically spread Tantric four chapters and *dharma* and rites. In 1775 (20th year of Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty), the Tantra Institute expanded to a larger scale.
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In 1772 (37th year of Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty), the third ChuzangAwang Tu Dan WanCho (1725～1796) acted as the 39th abbot of the monastery. He expanded the Sutra Hall with huge sum of money (adding 128 columns) and built Chuzang Buddha Palace. Later on, all Chuzang Buddha became the head of the monastery. Although there are stories about the Xiaqiong Monastery as the affiliated temple of Guo Long temple, these stories have not been generally accepted. In 1788 (53th year of Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty), Emperor Qianlong in person conferred Xiaqiong Monastery an inscribed board with “Fajing Si” written in Han, Tibetan, Mongolian and Man Language.
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In 1797 (second year of Emperor Jiaqing of Qing Dynasty), the third living Buddha of Ta’er Lamasery Zi na tshul khrims dar rgyas (1734～1802) acted as the 46th abbot of Xiaqiong Monastery. He created Medicine Institute (sman ba grwa tshang) which had subjects like astronomy and medicine. In 1802 (seventh year of Emperor Jiaqing of Qing Dynasty), Rka phug blo bzang don grub acted as the abbot of the Medicine Institute and he adopted the advice of Ngag dbang bspn nams, Guru of Esoteric Buddhism and changed the Medicine Institute to Kalachakra Institute (dus vkhor grwa tshang) in which Kalachakra method was mainly learned as well as *Panca-vidya* (rig gnas lnga) subjects like astronomy, but contents like medicine was retained.
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Xia Qiong Temple, Hualong county, Qinghai
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Until the last phase of Qing Dynasty, Xiaqiong Monastery had become a monastery with over 1,000 monks owning the Tantra Institute, Kalachakra Institute and 25 Buddha palaces and 25 affiliated temples. Abiding by the disciplines of Lhasa Esoteric Buddhism and the lessons of Chogyi Gyamtsen, eminent monk of Sera Monastery, the monks mainly learning Esoteric Buddhism as the principal thing, and Exoteric Buddhism as a supplementary.
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Xiaqiong Monastery is famous for long history, precise discipline and eminent monks such as 54th Ganden Tripa ngag dbang mchog ldan (1677〜1752), 58th Ganden Tripa ngag dbang chos grags (1707〜1778), 66th Ganden Tripa ngag dbang snyan grags (1746〜1824), all of them had high reputation. With the same fame with Guolong Temple (Youning Temple), Saike Temple (Guanghui Temple) and Chuzang Temple (Guangjiao Temple), the monastery is one of the north big four temples in Ando (now Tibetan areas in Qinghai and Gansu).
v1.c7.s3.t26.9
(*Kalsang gyal*)