Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Gushri Khan to do away with his opponents in Tsang, Tsurphu was sacked (in 1642) and
the Karmapa's political clout effectively came to an end. Shorn of its political influence,
Tsurphu nevertheless bounced back as an important spiritual centre and is one of the few
Kagyud institutions still functioning in the Ü region. When Chinese forces invaded in
1950, around 1000 monks were in residence, and now there are about 330 monks.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
At the time of research, foreigners were not allowed to travel on public transport in Tibet.
We've included basic information in case the situation changes.
Viewing the Monastery
If you are short on time, concentrate on the assembly hall and the upstairs former living
quarters of the Karmapa. The latter still has some of the 17th Karmapa's boyhood posses-
sions, including a globe, a toy car and an eyebrow-raising collection of books that includes
Peter Pan, The Fantastic Four
and
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
The large
assembly hall
in the main courtyard houses a chörten (stupa) containing relics
of the 16th Karmapa, as well as statues of Öpagme (Amitabha), Sakyamuni (Sakya
Thukpa), and the eighth and 16th Karmapas.
Scamper up the ladder to the right of the main entrance to visit the private quarters of
the Karmapa. First up is the Karmapa's classroom, complete with a jigsaw puzzle of a
Buddhist thangka. The small Audience Hall contains a footprint of the 14th Karmapa as
well as a picture of the 16th Karmapa wearing his holy headgear.
Across the upper courtyard is the 17th Karmapa's
bedroom
, where an attendant monk
will pat you on the back with a shoe once worn by the man himself. A quick look at the
Karmapa's bookshelves reveals an interest in birdwatching and astronomy.
Walking west (clockwise) around the monastery complex you pass a large
darchen
(prayer pole) covered in yak hide and prayer flags before coming to the main
protector
chapel
(gönkhang)
. There are five rooms here, all stuffed to the brim with wrathful deities.
A row of severed animal heads, including ibex and Marco Polo sheep, lines the entry por-
tico.
