Drak War Monastery, Tibet (AKA Baa Monastery)



At the request of the Venerable Geshe Sonam Gyaltsen, the Tara Foundation is looking for sponsors for a unique monastery in Tibet, close to the original Ganden Monastery, which was totally destroyed by the Chinese invasion. It is called the Drak (or Baa) Monastery, and was the main seat of Sersang Rinpoche, a famous Chöd Lama, who was killed by the Chinese. Sersang Rinpoche was an uncle of Geshe Sonam Gyaltsen. His reincarnation now lives in Gaden Jangtse Monastery (in Southern India) and is, interestingly, in this life Geshela's nephew.

The monastery is unique because of its special Chöd-practice, a little-known practice-lineage practiced within the Gelug order. Probably because of the very remote location of this monastery, this very special old practise is still preserved here, and remains a very vivid practice, to this day, despite the total destruction of the monastery by the Chinese. The monastery is rebuilt now but for the moment, it is in urgent need of extension and restoration. The monastery currently has no income (apart from some incidental donations made to Tara Foundation) and is looking for help for building extensions and for the livelihood of the monks.

For a photo-reportage of this monastery, click here.