Sera Monastery

Sera Monastery

The definitive history of Sera Monastery, one of the great monastic universities of Tibet, from its founding to the present. Founded in 1419, Sera Monastery was one of the three densas, the great seats of learning of the Geluk school of Tibetan Buddhism. With over 9,000 monks in residence in 1959, it was the second largest monastery in the world. Throughout its history, Sera has produced some of Tibet’s most important saints, scholars, and political leaders. The scholars José Cabezón and Penpa Dorjee begin Sera Monastery with the history of monasticism from the time of the Buddha through its early development in Tibet and then tell the 600-year story of Sera from its founding to the present. They recount how the monastery grew and evolved during the centuries, how it has fared under Chinese rule, and how it was transplanted in the Tibetan refugee camps of South India. We are introduced to some of Sera’s most important lamas and hermits, as well as its curriculum, yearly calendar, the daily life of scholar monks, and the role Sera monks played in the political history of Tibet. Former Sera monks themselves, Cabezón and Dorjee demonstrate their firsthand knowledge of the monastery, its traditions, and daily life on every page. Scrupulously researched over decades, Sera Monastery is the most comprehensive history of a Tibetan monastery ever written in a Western language.

Tibet

The Heart of Tibet

This book offers a collection of magnificent photographs depicting Tibet -- its breathtaking landscape, the grandeur and sanctity of its monasteries, and the lives of the people engaged in different economic activities -- interwoven with lucidly written short explanatory texts on Buddhist ideals and the Tibetans treading on the path of Buddhism. The book consists of two sections -- the first a collection of the teachings of His Holiness the fourteenth Dalai Lama which reflects on the happiness of the human mind and the spiritual uplift of mankind. The second elaborates on the way of life in Tibet, throwing light on economic and social aspects, particularly the part played by religion.