The Monumental Buddhas of Mangyu Monastery

September 23, 2013

Mangyu Monastery’s  side temples, also known as Chamba Lhakhangs, are practically hidden right out in the open. With unassuming, in fact rather miniscule, entrances such as this barely 3-foot-high doorway,

one does not expect to see this grandeur within!

Upon entering, a monumental Maitreya Buddha greets you. You see this four-armed future Buddha once you straighten up to standing position and your eyes adjust to the darkened space. Because it’s so small inside (the temple is perhaps only 6 x 8 feet), you are all the more impacted by the scale of the two-story statue.

Like the clay sculptures of Mangyu Monastery’s Vairocana Temple, it is painted and gilded in Indo-Tibetan fashion, with characteristic Indian-influenced red palms.

The walls are covered with small buddhas. Unfortunately they are mostly faded with time, and missing their details.

The other Chamba Lhakhang, which flanks the left side of the Chenrezig Temple, has a larger doorway, but one must still stoop over to get in.

When you enter, you encounter a monumental two-armed Maitreya inside.

This temple is a bit more spacious, with larger walls for paintings. Behind Maitreya are some delightful extant examples of  Indo-Tibetan period work.

However, sadly, most of the rare paintings in this temple are in sore need of proper conservation and restoration. As you can see below, this Vajradhatu mandala is largely faded. There are cracks and other structural damage.

The mandala on the opposite wall fares a bit better but is also in need of proper care.

I value these art historical examples of our collective past. Paintings are vital visual expressions of the beliefs, ideals, and aesthetics of human culture. One of the findings of my research as a Fulbright artist is that these remaining examples of 10th-12th century Indo-Tibetan murals are truly rare. They hardly exist anywhere else in the world outside of Spiti, Lahaul, and Ladakh areas in the Indian Himalayas, and they are fast disappearing. It is not only time and the ravages of harsh high altitude winters, but also recent climate change has introduced more rain and water damage to these areas. Then there are the man-made challenges, such as ill-conceived restoration efforts which I wrote about in a previous post on Mangyu Monastery here, Tabo Monastery here, and Alchi Monastery here.

In an ideal world, the best efforts and partnership of contemporary monastics and conservators can lead to the preservation of the beautiful and unique legacy of the great Second Transmission of Buddhism from India to Tibet. I hope this can be the case moving forward. And if you, dear reader, are a conservator or someone who can make a difference, I hope you are inspired to do so!

All photos © 2013, Eva Lee.