Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s3.t30.4

v1.c7.s3.t30.4

system compatible to both Exoteric and Esoteric Buddhism. The convention of monks going to Lhasa Esoteric Buddhism Temple (lha sa rgyud stod smad grwa tshang) for further study was cancelled. All Panchen Lama acted as the abbot of the monastery after the Fourth Panchen Lama and the monastery became the preaching place of Living Buddha of Panchen Lama. Historically, with the quota of 4,400 monks, the monastery was the largest one in Tsang Region and took the same important place as the three major temples in Lhasa. Today, the monastery is still magnificent and splendid with a number of palaces. With the largest copper statue of Maitreya in the world and coffin towers of past Panchen Lama, the monastery is actually a large-scale monastery of Tibetan Buddhism in Shigatse region, Tibet and even the whole Tibetan area.