112 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [April, 1905. 
election from among the most learned and pious Lamas of ordinary 
birth, occupy the hierarchical throne called Sertht. They are, there- 
fore, called Gahdan Thi-pa,! 2.e., President or Chairman of Gahdan. 
Men of learning generally resort to Gahdan. Its monks, for the 
excellent education they get in the university, always rise to dis- - 
tinction in the public service both secular and religious. All 
sections and classes of men are represented at Gahdan. 
The monastery of Sangkhar which contains 200 monks at 
Dachan,? north of Lhasa, was founded by Tsong-khapa under the 
auspices of a rich noble named Rinchen Shun-pa of Tag-kar. It 
is under the supervision of the Gahdan Thi-pa. 
The Monastery of SERA. 
SN, = a) Bias e 
a 
The monastery of Sera (literally, wild rose) was founded by 
Cham-chen-choije Cakya Yeces® in 1418, the year of Tsong-khapa’s 
death. 
The Governor Nehu-pa who patronised Tsong-khapa and his 
disc:ples, frequently used to invite them to Sera-tse,* a retired 
hermitage on the top of the hill overhanging Sera. On these occa- 
sions Choije devotedly served the reformer, in consequence of which 
Tsong-khapa predicted a great future for a monastery which 
Choije would found in that neighbourhood. A saintly Lama while 
sitting in meditation, cast his eyes on a spot lower down the 
hermitage which was filled with wild rose plants in blossom. 
He predicted that some day there would be a monastery there. 
Emperor Yunglo of the Taming dynasty, had sent an invitation to 
Tsong-khapato visit Peking ; but the great reformer, finding Chovje’s 
time fully occupied with the more important work of religious 
reformation, sent Cakya Yeces as his representative. Ytnglo did 
honour to the Yellow-cap Church by showing every consideration to 
this disciple of the reformer on his arrival at Peking where Choije’s 
first act was to bring about the recovery of the Emperor from a seri- 
ous illness by the efficacy of his religious services. The temple 
of Maitreya, then recently built by the Hmperor, was placed in his 
charge and he was given the name of Chyam-chen Chodje. Un- 
der the Imperial auspices Choije founded the monastery of 
Hwang-sze (Yellow-temple) in one of the imperial gardens of 
Peking situated a few-miles to its north. For diffusing the reform- 
ed creed of Tsong-khapa in China he had taken with him several 
of Tsong-khapa’s works and a_ set of block-print Kahgyur 
eet Pee ase 
