Karma Temple

Karma Temple

Gama temple is located in the quiet valley at the foot of Baixi mountain, about 120 km upstream of Zhaqu River in karuo District of Changdu City, with 95 km of highway. Gama temple was founded in 1185 by songqinba, an eminent monk of the Gaju sect. It is the ancestral temple of the Gaju sect, and it also gets its name. Gama temple has a far-reaching influence in history. Its unique architecture and numerous cultural relics are one of the famous ancient temples in Kang district.

essential information

The form of karma Temple

The main hall of Gama temple is in the form of a single eaves, with the roof covered with glazed tiles. In the center of the eaves is the lion claw type eaves designed and built by Tibetan craftsmen, on the left is the dragon beard type eaves built by Han craftsmen, and on the right is the elephant trunk type eaves built by Naxi craftsmen. A 17 meter high Maitreya Buddha in the main hall is the largest clay Buddha statue preserved in Changdu area.

Cultural relics of karma Temple

The willow trees brought by the second gamabaxi from the mainland are still well rooted and leafy, and the pagodas of the eminent monks such as dusongqinba are intact. Long live banner ribbons, silk and other embroidery, nearly 100 handed down thangkas, as well as many Buddhist statues, pottery, relics of eminent monks, beiyejing, porcelain and other cultural relics presented by Ming envoys to Gama temple are still in good condition.

A brief introduction to karma Temple

The full name of Gama temple is gamadansa temple. It was first built in 1147. After its completion, it was named "Gama Temple" according to the place name "Gama". It is the early ancestral temple of Gama Gaju school.

Founder of Gama Temple

Gama temple was founded by dusongqinba (founder of Gama Gaju) who was the proud disciple of tabraj sonan Renqin (1079-1153), the founder of tabu Gaju sect. Dusongqinba (1110-1193) was born in Zhexie, Kangqu district (now in Xinlong County, Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province). He was named "Gepei" (meaning "shanzeng") and studied with his father gongbaduojiegongbo (meaning "Vajra Huzhu") as a "vital teacher of self born Buddha mother". At the age of 16, he became a monk and was named "kejizaba" (meaning "Fa Cheng") and later graduated from ADI At the age of 19, he went to yijuelung jiamawa and his disciples rijiba and zhibaqiaba to study the Cishi dharmas and zhongguanlun. He also learned the teaching methods of gadang sect from Xiaerba (1070-1141) and his disciple lunjueba xiraoduoji. Later, Yima duzengba received the bhiku precepts (full precepts). When he was 30 years old, he studied the teaching method with tabraj. Tabraj taught him the "calming fire" and "convenient way" of the Kaju school, and told him to go to SANGRI to practice and reach various realms of the school. At the age of 33, he learned six dharmas and Zuozhong Dharma according to reqiongba, vajranghaimu and six kinds of solemn interpretations according to benpuba Guojia, a disciple of rongbagagwa, Daoguo Professor according to sinbaduojie Sangge, xijingang Professor according to jiangmobangkawa, naruoerzhuan Professor according to zhagamawa, and Shengguo Professor according to dahuoba rejiudun Music and mahamana. Since then, he has traveled around for 30 years, focusing on listening, thinking and practicing. In 1147 (the third year of fire rabbit in Tibetan calendar), he built the gama temple in Qamdo Gama, forming the gama Gaju sect. Later, in 1187, Chubu temple was built in qianzang duilong area. Together with Gama temple, it was called the two ancestral temples in Kang and Tibet.

History of Gama Temple

Karma temple has a long history and unique architectural style. It has the architectural style carefully designed and built by Tibetan, Han, Naxi and other nationalities and craftsmen from Nepal (today's Nepal). The main building is composed of tsoqin (Mahavira Hall), larang (living Buddha Villa), ZHACANG (monastery), pagoda hall, etc. The main hall of tsoqin covers an area of 2240 square meters and is three stories high. It is an earth rock structure. The Sutra hall and the front porch are built with Tibetan flat roof, and the top of the temple is covered with blue glazed tiles. The main hall is of wood structure, with the roof of Xieshan style, and the eaves are supported by Dougong. The hall covers an area of 810 square meters, with 12 special long columns supporting the skylight and sufficient light; the murals are mainly based on the biography of Sakyamuni, which include taking the white elephant to lead the palace to the earth, entering the womb, Madame moye, seven step lotus, becoming a monk, the first wheel, Nirvana under the tree, etc. At the back of the main hall is the gold-plated bronze statue of Sakyamuni Buddha built by the seventh Karmapa chazajiacuo (1454-1506), 17 meters high, which is the largest statue in Changdu area; on the left side is the clay statue of Qiangba Buddha created by the second Karmapa bashicheji (1204-1283); on the right side is Lama Lacan, and on the inside is the living Buddha statue of successive Karmapa: in the middle is the founder of Karmapa Gaju sect ·The alloy statues of dusongqinba are consecrated on both sides to the second living Buddha gamabaxi (1204-1283), the third living Buddha Jean Qiong Dorje (1284-1339), the fourth living Buddha ruobi Dorje (1340-1383), the fifth living Buddha deyinxieba (1384-1415), the sixth living Buddha Tongwa dundan (1416-1453), the seventh living Buddha quezajiacuo (1454-1506), and the eighth living Buddha MI Jue Dorje (1507-1554), Wangqiu Dorje (1556-1603), queyang Dorje (1604-1674), Yixi Dorje (1676-1702), Jiangqu Dorje (1703-1732), duidu Dorje (1733-1797), Taiqiao Dorje (1798-1868), kajue Dorje (15) The gold-plated bronze statue of Dorje (1871-1922), surrounded by murals of the living Buddhas of the black and red hat series of tabugaju and gamagaju. On the right side of the second floor of the tsoqin hall are the quiet room and small Buddha Hall of situ living Buddha (one of the three reincarnation systems of the karmapgyu sect). The top of the third floor of the tsoqin hall is a Tibetan bungalow, with gilt bronze wheels in the center and gilt copper peacocks on the left and right sides. It is said that it was given by the Ming emperor. Behind the third floor is the Guanyin hall, which houses the statue of the great compassion Guanyin Bodhisattva.

Architecture of karma Temple

There are three pagodas in Gama temple. The first three pagodas are mainly for the living Buddha of Karmapa dusongqinba, the living Buddha of stu Renqin and the living Buddha of kebawangjieduojie, with white body and height of about 10 meters; the second one is for the living Buddha of the second Karmapa Bashi; the third one is for the living Buddha of jiesebendeng. During the prosperous period of the temple, there were more than 1000 monks. During the second Karmapa period, the central government of the Yuan Dynasty granted more than ten sikas to the upper and lower reaches of Zhaxi and angqu to provide for the temple incense and monks; the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty added the upper and lower reaches of jinshaojiang to be under the jurisdiction of Karmapa.

There are a large number of cultural relics and treasures in Gama temple, among which the most precious one is "long live the emperor", which is a wooden dragon tablet given by Ming Chengzu. It is used for the temple to celebrate the emperor in the morning and evening: "Dabao Fawang seal": it is the seal of the highest religious status given to the fifth gamaba by Ming Chengzu in 1407. The double dragon plate button is bright and white, which is the top grade of Wang's seal. In addition, there are a large number of porcelain and more than 100 gilded bronze statues given by the central emperor of Ming and Qing Dynasties, as well as Tibetan scriptures of ganzhur and danzhur.

In the upper right corner of the temple, there are three tall mud stone pagodas. In the middle is the relic pagoda of Gama dosongqinba. On the right is the "Chacha" pagoda of Batang stugerichin. On the left is the spiritual pagoda of kebawanggedorje, a favorite disciple of dosongqinba. Next to the pagoda is a Lingta hall, commonly known as the pillar free hall. Inside the hall are the Buddha's teeth of karmapashi. On the top of the wall are the images of karmapashi living Buddha of past dynasties, and on the bottom are the images of situ living Buddha of past dynasties in babang temple. In the pictures of situ, there are historical pictures of Han envoys who have been to karmapashi temple.

The system of karma Temple

Gama temple and Chubu Temple created the reincarnation system of Tibetan Buddhism. Apart from the black hat system and red hat system in Phnom Penh, there are two living Buddha systems in the temple: one is the reincarnation system of babang situ living Buddha, in which situ living Buddha lived in Gama temple from the first to the 17th generations; the other is the reincarnation system of gamalasan living Buddha, The living Buddha system has always taken Gama temple as its ancestral court and lived in Xiqi temple.

Protection of karma Temple

Since the construction of Gama temple, its main living Buddhas have been subordinate to the central government, maintaining close ties with the central government, and its strength is growing with each passing day. Despite the vicissitudes of more than 800 years and the destruction of the "Cultural Revolution", after the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the government allocated funds for maintenance, which made this ancient temple attractive to believers at home and abroad to worship and become one of the important places for religious activities of religious believers inside and outside the area.

Address: in the quiet valley at the foot of Baixi mountain, about 120 km upstream of Zhaqu River, Changdu County, Tibet Autonomous Region

Longitude: 96.88898

Latitude: 31.82764

Tel: 0891-6650839

Ticket information: 35 yuan

Opening hours: 8:00-19:00

Chinese PinYin : Ga Ma Si