LABRANG MONASTERY: CENTER OF BUDDHIST SCHOLARSHIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 001505 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/CM, DRL AND G/STC BANGKOK FOR USAID/MSTIEVATER E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/15 TAGS: PHUM EAID SOCI SCUL CH SUBJECT: LABRANG MONASTERY: CENTER OF BUDDHIST SCHOLARSHIP REF: 06 CHENGDU 710 Classified By: Politcal Internal Unit Chief Susan Thornton. Reasons 1. 4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Labrang Monastery in Gansu Province is one of the six major Glug monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism. Historiclly, it maintained relationships with over 130 branch monasteries, and today still draws monks from around China. The monastery is home to 2,000 registered and 1,500 "unregistered" monks, including many who are under 18 years old. Labrang is regarded as the top scholarly Buddhist monastic institution in China and possibly the world. The current abbot, the 6th Jamyang Shepa, serves as Deputy Director of the Gansu Provincial People's Congress in addition to his religious duties. While Labrang was extensively damaged during the Cultural Revolution, it still houses large collections of Buddhist statues, scriptures and artwork and has been named a national-level cultural protection site. Tacit government tolerance of the presence of large numbers of young and "unregistered" monks at Labrang is indicative of the more relaxed attitude toward monastic populations outside the TAR. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Labrang Monastery was founded in 1710 in the Amdo region of the northeastern Tibet Plateau. It lies 280 kilometers southwest of Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province, just beyond a region inhabited overwhelmingly by Hui Muslims. Founded by the first Jamyang Shepa, who studied in Drepung Monastery in Lhasa, it is one of the six major Gelug School monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism. (Note: The Gelug, or "Yellow Hat" school is the one affiliated with the Dalai Lama. End Note.) "Labrang" means the residence of the great lamas. ¶3. (U) In 1959 and during the chaos of the Cultural Revolution, Labrang was severely damaged and diminished. Many monks disappeared, temples were destroyed, and the monastery was shut down, according to a contact familiar with Labrang history. Despite heavy losses, however, the monastery maintains a stunning and priceless collection of statues, costumes, paintings and antique scriptures. In 1961, Labrang was listed as a Gansu provincial-level cultural protection site, which helped prevent it from being totally demolished in the subsequent fury. In 1980, it was reopened as a functioning monastery by the 10th Panchen Lama, and in 1982, became a national-level cultural protection site. According to official Chinese media reports, the Central Government has earmarked 12 million RMB (USD 150,000) for renovation and restoration of the monastery. Branch Monastic Relationships -------------- ¶4. (C) Labrang traditionally had a large number (between 108-138) of branch monastery relationships. After 1959, most Tibetan monasteries, including Labrang, were forced to discontinue these relationships, although historical bonds remain and many of the unregistered monks at Labrang come for temporary stays from its branch monasteries. Labrang maintains close ties with Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in Tibetan areas of Gansu, Qinghai and Sichuan provinces, as well as in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR). It also has close ties with monasteries in Inner Mongolia and the Wu Taishan Monastery in Shanxi Province. Many Buddhist teaching lineages from Labrang, such as that of Kalachakra, eventually spread to the Buryat, Kalmyk, and Tuvinian regions of Russia. Monastic Population -------------- ¶5. (C) At its height in 1957, Labrang had nearly 5,000-6,000 monks, three-quarters of whom were Tibetan and others who came from Outer and Inner Mongolia, and inland China. At present, there are approximately 3,500 monks from Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan, and Inner Mongolia. Of these, only 2,000 are officially "registered." The remaining 1,500 monks live in the monastery and are permitted to pray and study with the registered monks. They are not permitted to attend formal religious gatherings, however, and do not receive the 3,600 RMB (USD 450) per year that registered monks are given by the monastery. Many of the unregistered monks are young men, below the legal registration age of 18, sent by their families to receive a Buddhist education from an early age. (Note: The existence of such large numbers of unregistered and underage monks is unique to monasteries in Tibetan areas outside of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) where government supervision of monk populations is much less BEIJING 00001505 002 OF 003 stringent. End Note). Monastic Education -------------- ¶6. (C) Labrang is known among Tibetan Buddhists as one of the top scholarly Buddhist monastic institutions. Forty of monks have Geshe degrees, the highest degree in Tibetan Buddhism and 50 are reincarnate lamas. A senior monk (who recently visited India and met the Dalai Lama) told Poloff and Chengdu Congenoff that the quality of Buddhist education at Labrang is superior to that of even Buddhist monasteries in India, which benefit from the experience of many monks who left Tibet for exile in India in 1959. ¶7. (U) Labrang has six colleges, including the College of Buddhist Philosophy, Kalachakra College, Medical College, Lower Tantric College, Upper Tantric College, and Jidor Tantric College. In 1957, 3,000 of Labrang's 5,000-6,000 monks studied in the College of Buddhist Philosophy. Today, approximately 2,000 monks study in that college, according to our guide. - The College of Buddhist Philosophy: The largest of the colleges, it offers three kinds of Geshe degrees. The Doram-ba is the highest Buddhist degree at the monastery. In order to obtain this degree, monks must engage in a 15-18-year period of study. - The Kalachakra College: The college was founded by the Second Jamyang Shepa, on the advice of the 3rd Panchen Lama. In addition to the daily practice of Kalachakara which includes praying to the deity and studying five chapters of the Kalachakara Tantra, monks from this college also study Tibetan astronomy, astrology, and mathematics. The college produces Tibetan calendars which play an important role in farming and livestock breeding. - The Medical College: The Medical College is responsible for the rituals of the Medicine Buddha and for training monks in traditional Tibetan medicine. The College has its own clinic and pharmacy. According to monks from the college, some of the medicines produced there have been entered into the National Medical Code, and 18 of its prescriptions are accepted nationwide. - The Upper and Lower Tantric Colleges: Monks from this college study various classifications of Buddha's teachings concerning the fastest method of attaining Buddhahood. In the past, this college also awarded the Geshe Karamapa and Geshe Ngagrampa degrees that were also awarded at Lhasa's two Tantric Colleges (Reftel). -The Jidor Tantric College: Monks from this college are involved in preliminary study of Tantric classics and the construction of painted altars. They are also taught Buddhist music. Monks involved in secondary study learn to compile traditional Chinese calendars, Tibetan grammar and calligraphy, and religious dances. Modern Political Influence -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The current Abbot of Labrang Monastery is the 6th Jamyang Shepa. In addition to his religious duties, he is currently the Deputy Director of the Gansu Provincial People's Congress and the General Director of the Gansu Province Buddhist Association. A close mission contact explained that the abbot is highly respected in religious circles despite his Communist Party position because he uses his political connections for the protection and preservation of the monastery. Abbot Jamyang Shepa was born in 1948 in today's Qinghai Province and was identified by the 10th Panchen Lama as the reincarnation of the 5th Jamyang Shepa in ¶1951. In 1952 he was ordained by Langtsang, one of the tutors of the 14th (current) Dalai Lama. In 1955, the 14th Dalai Lama visited Labrang Monastery and empowered Jamyang Shepa to carry out the higher practice of classification of Buddhist theories. Comment -------------- ¶9. (C) Tacit government tolerance of the presence of large numbers of young and "unregistered" monks at Labrang is indicative of the more relaxed attitude toward monastic populations outside the TAR. It also provides a unique opportunity for boys to begin a traditional Buddhist monastic BEIJING 00001505 003 OF 003 education at a young age. The ability of Abbot Jamyang Shepa to leverage his political connections for the good of the monastery signals government recognition of the leadership role he plays in the region. The fact that he holds these political positions while still commanding the highest respect from religious believers is a testament to the historical importance of his lineage and his careful management and preservation of one of the Gelug school's most important monasteries. RANDT