Tsurphu Monastery (Tsurphu) is the most symbolic sacred place of Kagyu and the fundamental dojo of the "Karma Kagyu" branch. From the first the Gyalwa KarmapaDüsung Khyenpa stationed here in the 12th century to the 17th the Karmapa who left for a foreign land, Tsurphu Monastery has carried the legal memory of Kagyu for more than 800 years. This article will take you closer to this "Black Hat City" hidden in the Lhasa Valley.

The first the Gyalwa KarmapaDüsung Khyenpa (Düsum Khyenpa, 1110–1193) was a disciple of Gampopa and was regarded as the "incarnation of the cause of all Buddhas (Karma)". In the mid-12th century AD, he built a monastery in Chubugou, northwest of Lhasa, and the protector Dakini woven her own hair into a "Vajra Crown" and presented it to him. Tsurphu Monastery has since become the political and spiritual center of the the Karmapa lineage, which lasted for more than 800 years. It can be said that every stone in Tsurphu Monastery is imbued with the aspiration of the the Karmapa lineage.

The second the KarmapaKarma Pakshi (Karma Pakshi, 1204–1283) is recognized as the "first certified reincarnated living Buddha" in Tibetan history. He was once the mentor of the Mongolian Khan Kublai Khan. Tsurphu Monastery is therefore closely connected with the far-reaching Tibetan system of "Reincarnation of Living Buddhas" - from Tsurbu, there is a continuous lineage of the Karmapa that spans life and death, until today's seventeenth life. Standing in this temple, you are actually standing at one of the sources of the unique civilization phenomenon of "reincarnation system".

Tsurphu Monastery is built on the mountain, and its main body includes the main hall, Buddhist academy and retreat center. Historically, this place was not only a dojo for sermons, but also a quiet room for tantric retreats; during every Dharma meeting, the Black Hat Vajra Dance and the Puritan Dharma were held solemnly. For Kagyu practitioners, a pilgrimage to Tsurbu is equivalent to returning to the physical origin of the oral transmission gold chain. Even though the temple has gone through many vicissitudes today, its status as the spiritual coordinate of Kagyu has never wavered.

Tsurphu Monastery also has a special position in the history of Tibetan Buddhism: it is the starting point of the Reincarnation System of Living Buddhas. Before the death of the second life the KarmapaKarma Pakshi (1204–1283), he left a prophecy indicating where he would be reincarnated. Accordingly, his disciples searched for the reincarnated soul boy. This was the first time in Tibet that the successor was determined by the method of "prophecy in previous lives and search in later lives". Since then, this approach has been adopted by various factions and has become one of the most distinctive systems of Tibetan Buddhism.

The significance of the reincarnation system is that it solves a difficult problem: how to ensure the continuity of the religious order and the legitimacy of its authority without relying on blood. The answer given by Tsurphu Monastery is - let the enlightened person appoint the next one. This also explains why the influence of the Karmapa in the past generations can last for eight hundred years.

Q: In which city is Tsurphu Monastery located?

Answer: It is located in Chubugou, northwest of Lhasa, Tibet, about 70 kilometers away from Lhasa city.

Q: Why is Tsurphu Monastery related to "black hat"?

Answer: Legend has it that Dakini woven a diamond crown (black hat) from her own hair and presented it to Düsung Khyenpa. The black hat Vajra dance has thus become an important ritual symbol of Karma Kagyu.

Q: Which branch does Tsurphu Monastery belong to?

Answer: It belongs to Karma Kagyu (Karma Kagyu) and is the ancestral court of the Karmapa.

▶WatchLiving Buddha — Kagyu Tekchen ChölingKagyu Tekchen Chöling Argentina · Watch on YouTube

Image source: YouTube (Tsurphu Monastery documentary), can be embedded after oEmbed verification.

This article is compiled based on public Buddhist historical data, aiming at cultural and faith exchanges, and is not a final conclusion of religious authority. If there is any discrepancy with the inheritance received by readers, please refer to their respective masters and classics.

Return to higher level to see 噶举的圣地. Samye Monastery and Mustang belong to the Sakya holy land system and will be launched in the Sakya group.

Images (all from Wikimedia Commons, see notes for licensing):

• Tsurphu Monastery (c. 1950) — Hugh Richardson, Public domain
• Tsurphu Monastery before 1959 — Sandyroyrocky, Public domain
• 1949 Tsurphu Monastery regent holding temple seal — Hugh Richardson, Public domain
• Image: YouTube documentary (can be embedded after oEmbed verification)