tripadvisor@chinayak.com+86-13980782321(24hours)   +86-13880226988(24hours)
Home > Tibet Attractions > Shigatse

Phuntsoling Monastery

Phuntsoling Monastery is located in Lhaze county in Shigatse area. The altitude is 4100m. Built in 1614 with the support of Gtsang-pa, Phuntsoling Monastery once served as the central monastery of the Jonanga. It belongs to the Kagyu sect, which was known for the examination of the nature of emptiness. This practice was undertaken by the greatest scholar of this monastery, Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen. He was one of the first proponents of the hard-to-grasp notion of shentong, which is roughly based on the idea that the Buddha-mind if not ultimately empty, even though all forms are empty illusions. Buddhist philosophers have been debating the Shentong for 7 cneturies. Different schools have different views on this matter.  The Gelugpa school didn't share Dolpopa's view. And in the 17th century, the fifth Dalai Lama suppressed the Jonangpa school. And then Phuntsoling was forcibly converted into a Gelugpa institution.

The monastery has a large assembly hall. The cnetral statue here is a statue of Chenresig. This central statue is accompanied by many other statues including those of the 10th Panchen Lama, Tsongkhapa and the fifth Dalai Lama. There is a statue of Mikyoba housed in the inner sanctum of the hall contains. At the same time, the murals on the roof tell the visitors about the story of the life of Sakyamuni.

A walk up to the ruined fortifications behind the monastery will be your lifetime experience. There you can see the most stunning views of the valley. Also, you can find the ruined dzong on a cliff across the Yarlung Tsangpo. Around the middle of the fourth lunar month every year, there will be a festival held at Phuntsoling. During the festival, you can see Lamas and pilgrims from every far corner of the region. They all gather in the courtyard for prayers and celebrations.  However, this ceremony is not open for visitors. 

Relevant link
tripadvisor@chinayak.com
chinayak2
+86-28-85513102