Sera
means "Hailstone" in
Tibetan, and legend
tells that it hailed
during the foundation of
this famous monastery.
Sera was the last of the
three principal Yellow
Sect monasteries to be
built in Lhasa. Unlike
Drepung and Gandan, it
was not built in a
mountainside, but at the
foot of the "Wudu Hill"
to the North of Lhasa
city. It was completed
in 1419. Under the
supervision of Shaka
Yeshe was an important
teacher who travelled to
Beijing and as far as
Mongolia to preach
Buddhism. He was given
the title "The Tutor of
the Empire" by the Ming
Emperor, Xuan De.
Many precious gifts were
set to sera by the
Chinese Emperors of the
time, many of which are
well preserved and can
be seen at Sera to this
day.
Sera comprises a great
sutra chanting hall, a
college and 32 sections.
It once housed nearly
10,000 monks and is
proud of its glorious
history during the Ming
Dynasty.
Sera has been listed as
one of the P.R.C.’s
national cultural relic
since 1982. |