Gaden Lachi Monastery Buddhist Cultural Society

The Introduction of Gaden Monastery






The founding of Gaden Namgyeling Monastery (tushita in sanskrit) was prophesied by Buddha Shakyamuni (1375 to 1419). In The Manjushri Root Tantra "After I have passed away from this world, when the earth becomes desolate, you will take the form of the child and enact the deeds of the Buddha. At that time there will be a great monastery called ‘Ge’ in the land of snow. “Ge is the first syllable of Gaden”. On the occasion of Lama Tsongkhapa, as a Small boy in a previous life, offering the Buddha a crystal rosary, the Buddha prophesied in the sutra taught to king Dam- ngag-bogpa. "O Ananda, this small boy who has given me a crystal rosary will restore my teachings. At the degenerate time in the future, he will found a monastery called 'Ge' and his name will be Lozang. 'Ge' is a Variant of the first syllable of "Ganden”. The boy was given in return a conch shell that had been presented to the Buddha by a Naga king. Buddha entrusted his shell to his disciple, Maudgalyayana, who buried it in Tibet as a treasure auspious for the future spread of the teaching.
As there were many prophesied that Ganden monastery will establish in snow land, all the prophesied about the ganden monastery were thus fullied in the year of 1409, the founder & the father Lobsang Dakpa (je tsongkhapa), with the present of Gyeltsab je, khedup je & one hundred and forty-seven other senior disciple. He decided to build monastery on Drogri Mountain, approximately 50 kilometers east to Lhasa. He personally consecrated the land and named the monastery “Ganden”. [Tushita in Sanskrit], after the name of pure land realm of the future Buddha, Maitreya, which is the first monastery of entire Geluk tradition, So it is also renowned has a Geluk Magon (first monastery of Geluk tradition).
When the year of 1417, the new department was founded in Ganden monastery which named was Yangpachen house, which is for the practice of four major classes of tantric prayers and activities. All the expenses of offering practice will be sponsor by Takze Zong (name of place) and government of Tibet, until the last .which was fixed by Mewang Phakla Here in India also we are maintaining this too.In Both colleges of Gaden Sonam Tobgyal (name of Tibetan governor). We have kept this linage of monastery, Jangtse and Shartse.
At the Gaden Jangtse monastery,responsible for the annual performance of the full ritual of specific tantric deities from the four classes of tantra , of the anuttrayoga class of tantra. Phara,kongpo,Danye khangtsen ( name of houses) and monastic chanting members does maintaining Guhyasamaj (tantric deity). The spiritual master must be monastery Abbot and chanting master must be monastery chanting master that's why it could be name as monastery offering puja and Hardhong khangtsen (name of house) do maintaining of the Mahachakra from of vajrapani (Embodies the Might or Power of Buddha) within yoga tantra and Serkong, Samlho, Dhora Khangtsen (name of houses) does maintaining of the Vairocana- Abhisambodhi tantra ( tantric deity)within Kriya [action] tantra and Gyalrong, Tehor,Gowo khangtsen( name of houses) does maintaining of Akshodbhya( tantric deity), and Lubum, Tsawa this two khangtsen ( name of houses) does maintaining the rituals of Vajradhatu ( tantric deity) within charya [behavior] tantra.
At the shartse monastery , within the Anuttrayoga class of tantra .Maintain Lama tsongkhapa puja offering at winter occasion , The disciplinerien of the monastery take all the responsibility of this puja and Nyari, Dhokhang, Tawon , Gungroo khangtsen ( name of houses) does maintaining of The thirteen- couple Vajrabhairava dieties( tantric deities) .The senior monks who has the Empowerment,Initiation and the memories of the Vajrabhairava Chanting text can also be participate in this offering puja .The spiritual master must be monastery Abbot , If any case when Abbot is not present , Monastery Geshe Chenmo [ Head geshe] has to do the spiritual master and the chanting master must be monastery chanting master that's why it could be name as monastery offering puja too and Lhopa, Thepo, Ngari these three khangtsen (name of houses) does maintaining of Luhipath [tradition] Chakrasamvara ( tantric deity) and Chonye, Sockpa these two khangtsen (name of houses) does maintaining of Sarvavidha ( tantric deity) within kyiya tantra and Sungchu khangtsen (name of house) does maintaining of the Nine-deity from of amitayus ( tantric deities) . Phukhang Khamtsen does offering puja of the Sixteen Arhat (tantric deities) and the kalachakra within the yoga tantra , is not maintaining any khangtsen of both colleges of the Ganden monastery . It is specially maintaining by the Ganden shartse thoesom norling monastery.
There are four different colleges of Ganden monastery are, Jangtse college, Shartse college, Gyumay tantric college and Gyuto tantric college
The member of Gaden Namgyelling Lachi Monastery are, two colleges (Jangtse & shartse) Abbot and the Disciplinarian. Lachi Administrator two people .Trithokhang (Ganden-crown-holder-house), administrator one person.Lachi Chanting master one person,Tea-Serve one person. Including all, ten members.These people are known as the holder of the Gaden Lachi monastery.
At the time of Ganden monastery was founded , it had only 500 monks (1409 AD) , Later at the time of Yangpachen house was established , it had 1,100 monks (1417 AD ). In 1959 AD, it had more than 5,400 monks.But officially listed 3,300 monks. At the present moment in India, we have more than 3800 monks in Ganden monastery. The brief introduction of the first monastery of the Geluk tradition, In Tibetan we called Geluk magon .which was founded by Lobsang Dakpa (Je tsongkhapa) named Dhok Rewo Chen Gaden Nampa gyewailling Monastery.