Vol. I. No. 4.] The Monasteries of Tibet. 109 
[ENE Ss. | 
of land situated on the hill of Dok-poiri! with a view to erect on it a 
great monastery. In the rocks of that hill he observed many religi- 
ous symbols such as the sacred mystic syllables ‘Om mani-padme 
him, om vajra pani hum,” etc., and seeing that there was some scar- 
city of water, he touched with his hand the water of a little foun- 
tain that trickled down. On further examination the fountain 
proved to be the source of a streamlet. In the midst of the rocks 
of Dok-poiri he found several fossil conch-shells one of which 
having its whorls from right* to left was believed to have been 
used by the Buddha himself. Krom a rock-cayern in the neigh- 
bourhood he unearthed a mask believed to have been used by the 
Lamas during King Thisrong-deu tsan’s® time. It had the miracu- 
lous power of dispelling all the evil spirits of the place. On this 
auspicious place Tsong-khapa laid the foundation of the world-re- 
nowned monastery of Gahdan. Within the remaining months of 
the year the Dukhang-Uma* (central congregational hall), seven 
cells for the residence of monks, and a building for the high-priest’s 
residence, were finished. Assoon as the monastery approached com- 
pletion, presents of gold, silver, precious stones, and other articles 
from the pious flowed to it from different quarters. The number of 
monks increased every year. Tsong-khapa furnished the monastery 
with numerous religious books, objects andsymbols. In the64th year 
of his age he erected the T'sang-kkang*® the principal chapel in the 
monastery. This was followed by the Gon-khang,® the chapel of 
the hideous looking gods of mysticism. Then were constructed the 
Khyamra or courtyard, and overhanging it all round, porticos 
resting on 70 pillars. The Tsang-khang or chapel of worship was 
provided with a large image of the Buddha, three superb mansions 
of the gods of the Tushita heaven made of precious stones, with 
Bhairava, Maiju (ri, the deities presiding over the destinies of all 
living beings of the world and with the huge images of the four 
Lokapila. He also enriched the library with many rare books of 
Buddhism. At Gahdan there are now only two colleges for reli- 
gious instruction to 3,300 monks, viz:— 
(1) Car-tse Tva-tshang,’ where metaphysics are taught. 
(2) Chyang-tse,2 where esoteric Buddhism and mysticism 
are taught. 
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