Serthar Buddhist Institute

One of the more interesting forays into the lesser visited parts of China is the Serthar Buddhist Institute (色达喇荣五明佛学院), situated in the sensitive Tibetan region of Garze prefecture in Sichuan China. You may have visited monastic towns and villages before, but nothing quite like this.

Main monastery hall in the Buddhist Institute

Also known as Larung Gar Buddhist Academy, it is founded by an esteemed Khenpo (a title akin to a degree for Tibetan Buddhism studies), Jingme Phuntsok, in the 1980s. The academy attracted students from all over China, and grew to over 10,000 students by year 2000. Today, it is reputed to have more than 40,000 monks, nuns and lay followers coming from all over, including countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Hongkong and Taiwan.

With that many students, the Larung valley where the academy is, has grown into somewhat of a major town. The whole "town" though is separated into 2 areas, one for the monks, and the other for the nuns. They live in small simple houses that were built packed together, and sprawled all across the valley, and today, the valley and town is really quite an astounding sight. As with any other towns, small shops and stalls cater for the simple needs of the inhabitants, which is essentially food and monastic supplies. There is also two simple guesthouses (招代所) for visiting guests, and when I was there in 2011, a major hotel of sorts is being constructed. From lay followers whom I've spoken to, most of them lived with the monks/nuns as a particular term/course with the institute can last from weeks to months even. Perhaps that major hotel would be catered for the lay followers and visiting tourists.

The monastery surrounded by the living quarters of the monks/nuns studying there

Packed houses and loads of prayer flags on top of the hill

On each side of monk/nun segment is the main monastery building, where a visit is certainly a must. Within the halls of the monastery are where all the monks/nuns study. And everyday, at certain hours (usually in the evening), there will be a "debate" session which is quite an eye-opener for most. At the top of one of the hills is a huge stupa and every evening, most monks/nuns would make their way up to circumambulate the structure, and make their prayers. For visitors, the view of the whole Serthar Buddhist Institute from the top is just fabulous, especially for sunrise/sunset. Serthar is also a place where one can witness a Tibetan 'Sky Burial', and is certainly not for the faint hearted!

Does this look like a verbal debate?

Sharing and discussion

There are many nuns studying in Serthar

A lay follower

Getting into Serthar, however, is alot more troublesome, especially for foreigners. The area is often closed and/or is subject to frequent checks. However, I did not encounter any problems. There are only minivan shuttles between the institute and the nearby Serthar town (which runs really infrequently unless you book the whole minivan). From the town, there is also limited transport options, with something like one or two buses a day in/out to Ma Er Kang (马尔康). From Ma Er Kang, you can then find buses to/fro Chengdu, or further north into Gansu province.

However, the experience is certainly quite different, and I think, worth the trouble.

Panoramic view of Serthar

Koya-san

Koya-san, or Mount Koya, lies at the south of Osaka, and is Japan's centre or headquarters for Shingon Buddhism. Many temples fill the mountains (easily over 100), and Koyan-san is also designated a UNESCO World Hertiage Site.



One of the interesting things at Koya-san is that you can stay in a shukubo, or temple lodging! The monks open up their temples for visiting tourists to experience a little of their lifestyle. Usually, a stay comes complete with dinner and breakfast in the temple itself. You will be served shojin ryori, a vegetarian cuisine that the monks take. And I have to say that it's one of the best vegetarian meals I have in my life! Typically, you will be asked to gather at a communal room at a specified time, and the meals would be served (together with the rest of the temple's guests).

Staying at a shukubo, you will also be asked to join their morning prayers, which typically starts at 6am. 10 or 15 minutes prior to that, a gong would sound (a morning call?), and you would have to make your way to the prayer room. Your involvement would usually be a silent contemplation of whats going on and trying to stay awake, and the prayer session usually last 30-45 minutes. Then everyone will adjoin to the communcal room for breakfast....



In Koya-san also lies Japan's biggest graveyard, where Okunoin is. Okunoin is the temple where Kobo Daishi (Kukai), the founder of Shingon Buddhism, is buried. As he is extremely revered in Japan, many prominent and famous people would want to be buried in Koya-san together with him! The whole place feels very serene, which makes it excellent for quiet walks. There is also a Koya town, which seems to be more catered to tourists than anything, so you are able to get access to convenience stalls and such.



To get to Koya-san, take the Nankai Koya line in Osaka to Gokurakubashi station. From Gokurakubashi, there is a cablecar which will take you up to Koya-san, where you will then need to take their 10-minute shuttle bus to Koya town. A little tiring in terms of transport logistics, but that's where the quiet and serene ambience of Koya-san is so welcoming!