Panorama of Mangyu Monastery. At center are Chenrezig and Vairocana temples, flanked by Chamba Lhakhangs. Local workers take a break from repairing the stonework, Ladakh, India.
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,
Approximately 3-foot-tall doorway entrance to Chamba Lhakang, Mangyu Monastery, Ladakh, India
one does not expect to see this grandeur within!
Four-armed Maitreya Buddha, Mangyu Monastery Chamba Lhakang, Ladakh, India
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.
Detail of four-armed Maitreya Buddha, Mangyu Monastery Chamba Lhakang, Ladakh, India
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.
Wall paintings of small buddhas, Chamba Lhakhang, Mangyu Monastery, Ladakh, IndiaLooking back towards entrance, visible on right is doorway of Nambarnangze or Vairocana Temple, Mangyu Monastery
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.
Chamba Lhakhang, Mangyu Monastery, Ladakh, India
When you enter, you encounter a monumental two-armed Maitreya inside.
Chamba Lhakhang, Mangyu Monastery, Ladakh, India
This temple is a bit more spacious, with larger walls for paintings. Behind Maitreya are some delightful extant examples of Indo-Tibetan period work.
Chenrezig, or Avalokiteshvara, god of compassion, wall painting in Chamba Lhakhang of Mangyu Monastery, Ladakh, IndiaDetail of Chenrezig, or Avalokiteshvara, god of compassion, wall painting in Chamba Lhakhang of Mangyu Monastery, Ladakh, IndiaDetail of wall paintings behind Maitreya statue of Chamba Lhakhang, Mangyu Monastery
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.
View of faded and delaminated Vajadhatu mandala wall painting, Chamba Lhakhang, Mangyu MonasteryDetail of faded and delaminated Vajadhatu mandala wall painting, with Vairocana pictured in center, Chamba Lhakhang, Mangyu Monastery
The mandala on the opposite wall fares a bit better but is also in need of proper care.
Detail of mandala wall painting, Chamba Lhakhang, Mangyu Monastery
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!
View of Himalayan valley from stairs to main temple just before entering courtyard, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh
To continue where I left off in my last post, I found Lamayuru Monastery really charming. Not only did the architectural spaces seem personal and intimate, but the experience of them was diverse and unexpected. One temple to the next seemed different in character and time.
The Dukhang, or main temple, is hidden behind a stairway façade, the doors of which open to reveal a fully enclosed courtyard, open only to the sky above. From here there is access to temples located on higher levels.
Courtyard of Dukhang, main temple, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh. Intimacy within the grandeur of the Himalayas just right outside the entry doors.Entrance to Dukhang, main temple, Lamayuru Monasetery, Ladakh
The Dukhang’s interior has an enclosed two-story atrium surrounded by colonnade. It was dramatically lit from skylights above, the main source of lighting in this semi-dark hall.
Interior of Dukhang, main temple, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh
Lining the walls are a library of scriptures and a rich collection of statuary honoring the Kagyu lineage, including such luminaries as the masters Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa, and Milarepa.
Interior of Dukhang, main temple, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh
Along this same wall, K and I did a collective gasp when our monk guide opened a small door to reveal a cave where the amazing Naropa had meditated in the 11th century. Visiting caves that have been graced by enlightened masters is not merely a curiosity. It is considered a blessing. Lay persons and adepts alike seek these places to meditate in the presence of greatness achieved.
Now incorporated into the temple, Naropa’s cave must have been at one time a separate and secret retreat. He is the mahasiddha who developed the yogi practice known as the Six Yogas of Naropa, which has been in continual use by practitioners since he introduced it. This is predominantly the method yogis at Kardang Monastery, for example, utilize in attaining their feats of mind over matter. To learn more, see this earlier post.
Cave where Indian master Naropa meditated in 11th century, Lamayuru Monastery, LadakhStatues placed in small cave where Indian master Naropa (in back) meditated in 11th century, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh. In front on left is most likely Taktsang Repa and on right Milarepa
This next small temple off the same courtyard as the main temple is dedicated to reliquaries.
Temple with reliquaries, Lamayuru Monastery, LadakhDetail of reliquaries with colorful tormas, ritual offerings made out of butter and flour, Lamayuru Monastery, LadakhA collection of statues also in this temple, Lamayuru Monastery, LadakhThe mahasiddha Marpa, always depicted with wide staring eyes, Lamayuru Monastery, LadakhVajradhara, the Primordial Buddha, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh
Marpa was a famously tough master with his disciple Milarepa, whom he refused to teach when the latter came repeatedly to seek his guidance. Instead he asked Milarepa thrice to single-handedly construct him a building–then tear it down! That is to say, he made the hapless disciple build something, then destroy it, on three different occasions. In a sense, Milarepa needed such profound purification for his prior spiteful and mass-murderous deeds.
Milarepa, disciple of Marpa, usually depicted with hand to ear engaged in a special yogi practice. He is the famously angry and spiteful practitioner who was able to transcend his evil deeds through dedicated asceticism and meditation in cave retreat. He is said to have had calluses on his rear from his years of unrelenting practice!Mural in same temple depicting protector deities and royal warriors, Lamayuru Monastery, LadakhMural depicitng protector deities at center and lineage masters at right, Lamayuru Monastery, LadakhDetail of female protector Tsering-ma riding a snow lion. Wall painting, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh. I like the graceful movement of this figure, and judging from the more Chinese influence in style, the murals in this temple post-date Indo-Tibetan period.
Next up was seeing the Avalokiteshvara temple, where my breath was taken away again by the exquisite sculpture there.
Entrance to Avalokiteshvara temple, Lamayuru Monastery, LadakhInterior of Avalokiteshvara temple, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh
I really loved this temple for its beautiful Avalokiteshvara statue, bodhisattva of compassion, also known as Chenrezig–thousand-armed and eleven-headed, all the better to see, hear, and lend a helping hand to the suffering. It was located in an inner sanctum behind the altar.
While the wall paintings in the Avalokiteshvara temple probably date from a later period judging from stylistic differences, it is possible that this statue dates to the earlier Indo-Tibetan period. Purely conjecture, but I was comparing the similarities in the face of Avalokiteshvara with this Vairocana from Sumda Chun, a remote and largely untouched monastery from the 11th century. These statues have more formal affinity with each other than do the Avalokiteshvara with the painting of one from the same Lamayuru temple.
On left is Vairocana sculpture from 11th century Sumda Chun Monastery, on right is Avalokiteshvara. The facial features have strong similarities in style and execution, as compared to the below painting of Avalokiteshvara from the same Lamayuru templePainting of thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara in its dedicated temple, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh. Bearing more Chinese influence in style, the face is softer and rounder, less typical of Kashmiri-influenced art of Indo-Tibetan period
It looks to me that this painting shows more Chinese influence, which would indicate it was created later than Indo-Tibetan period, probably post-13th century.
I heard a story that the goddess Tara emanated from Avalokiteshvara when, upon realizing the magnitude of the samsaric condition for all sentient beings, he shed tears. One tear became White Tara, and the other Green Tara.
Green Tara, surrounded by her 21 emanations which are mostly peaceful versions but some are wrathful forms. Contemporary sculpture, Namgyal Monastery, Dharamsala
Today, Tara retreats are one of the more common kriya tantras taught. She has contemporary feminist appeal as a female buddha. She is also an empowering figure in being regarded as Mother of All Buddhas. Additionally, as a bodhisattva who, seeing the gender bias of the male-dominated precinct of enlightenment in Buddhist religious order, vows to be reborn life after life in order to attain enlightenment in female form. I am reminded of what I have read about Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, the British-born Tibetan Buddhist nun who spent twelve years in solitary meditation in a cave in Lahaul above Tayul Monastery, and who experienced such gender-bias in monastic orders.
Offerings, Avalokiteshvara temple, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh. The large center chalice is a butter lamp.Interior of Avalokiteshvara temple with old woman who had just finished her full body prostrations here Lamayuru Monastery, LadakhInterior of Avalokiteshvara temple looking back towards entrance, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh
View of Dukhang courtyard from second level, Lamayuru Monastery, LadakhKagyu monk making tormas, ritual butter cake offerings, in the kitchen on second floor above Dukhang courtyard, Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh
Lamayuru Monastery–what an experience, and it’s grown fonder in my memory…
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