Kumbum Monastery

Kumbum Monastery is one of the six largest monasteries of the Gelugpasect of Tibetan Buddhism and the birth place of Lama Tsong Khapa (founderof the sect to which His Holiness the Dalai Lama belongs). Kumbum Monastery was once the home of 3,600 monks and well revered by the four well knownBuddhist Colleges for higher learning: the Institute of Sutra, Instituteof Tantra, Institute of Tibetan Medicine, and the Institute of the Kalachakra(Cosmology).

Kumbum Monastery Today

In the 1980s, with the revival of Buddhism in Tibet and China, Arjia Rinpoche reestablished the monastic life and traditional studies.

Planning the Reopening of Kumbum

Re-opening of the Monastery

 

Through his life Rinpoche was tutored by specialized teachers in Buddhist philosophy, sutra and tantra teachings, as well as, Buddhist art and architectural design. He was also in charge of the renovations of Kumbum monastery in 1991 and launched several projects including: (a.) a Red Cross Organizationin Kumbum, (b.) Disaster Relief Project for local villages, (c.) a Clinicfor villagers run by monks of the Tibetan Medical Institute and (d) a schoolfor local village children.

Kumbum is the home of the famous statue of ""The Four Perfect Friends""which is in the monasterys courtyard.

Statue of the Four Perfect Friends

Equally famous are the 8 Chortens that signify the 8 stages of enlightenment

8 Chortens (stupas) at Kumbum Monastery