Chamdo, Tibet

The famous monastery of Chamdo Jampa Ling stands on a hill overlooking Chamdo, above the confluence of two rivers Dza Chu (Mekong) and Ngom Chu.  It was one of the earliest Gelugpa institutions outside of central Tibet. A local legend has it that when Je Tsongkhapa traveled from Amdo to central Tibet and passed through Chamdo, he was seized by inspiration and predicted that the Buddhist doctrine would thrive there one day. This prophecy did eventually come true seven decades later when in 1437, one of Je Tsongkhapa’s disciples, Jangsem Sherab Sangpo, laid the foundations for this big monastery.

Jangsem Sherab Sangpo was a native of Kham who first studied at Sera Monastery in Lhasa. As he was very much impressed with the high standards of spiritual and intellectual attainments of many scholars there, he thought to himself, “On my return home, I would like to start a similar institution for the welfare of the people there.”

Jangchub Bum, an important personage at Sera, read his mind and invited him to his own room. Sherab Sangpo was given many gifts and was told, “I understand you will soon return to Kham to propagate the doctrine, which is why I am presenting you with these small gifts.”

Sherab Sangpo was surprised and said, “But I did not speak of returning to Kham.” He excused himself and thought to himself,  “Do I understand that I am not welcomed here? I shall ask Gyaltsab Je about this. Maybe he will let me stay.”

He went to Gaden Monastery to have an audience with the great disciple of Lama Tsongkhapa, Gyaltsab Je. Strangely enough, this senior Lama did not persuade him to remain in central Tibet either but instead encouraged him to go to Chamdo and gave him many gifts. Consequently, in 1437 he built the Jampa Ling Monastery at Chamdo, the first in Kham.

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View the video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ear2uin8yyg

The monastery was completed in 1444. It has 12 dratsangs and there used to be 5000 monks during its prime. It is surrounded by many small chapels, and is especially famous for its annual "Lama Dance".