From teaching networks to reincarnation: The transformation of Kadampa monasteries in early Tibet

From the mid-eleventh century Kadampa monasteries, mainly located in the Penyul (’phan yul) area northeast of Lhasa, developed independently until the rise of the Geluk School. Thereby they transformed from networks of teaching institutions rooted in the master–disciple relationship towards an emphasis on teaching lineages and ultimately reincarnation. This lecture will demonstrate this on the example of Lo Monastery (lo dgon pa). 

Lo Monastery, originally established by Chennga Tsultrimbar (spyan snga tshul khrims ’bar, 1038–1103), over time increased the number of its branch monasteries based on the master–disciple relationship, and in this way formed its own teaching network. The relationships of this network with those of other now forgotten networks of the Kadam periods will be presented in detail. With the emergence the Geluk School, this network was replaced by a uniform system centered on a reincarnated lama, the Losempa Trulku (lo sems dpa’ sprul sku).  

About the Speaker

Maho Iuchi is Associate Professor of the Hakubi Center for Advanced Research and Graduate School of Letters of Kyoto University, Japan. She received her Ph.D. from Otani University in 2008. Before and while researching at Kyoto University, she was also stayed as a visiting scholar at Kobe City University of Foreign Studies, Harvard University, Qinghai Minzu University, and Wolfson College, Oxford University. 

Her main areas of expertise are the history of Tibet, in particular, the mediaeval and Phyi dar period in Tibet. She published articles and books, such as An Early Text of Rwa sgreng Monastery: The Rgyal ba’i dben gnas rwa sgreng gi bshad pa nyi ma’i ’od zer from Havard Oriental Series and Tibetan Texts from Khara-khoto in the Stein Collection of the British Library with Tsuguhito Takeuchi from Toyo Bunko.  

Attending the event

This event is free and open to all. 

• Organiser: Centre of Buddhist Studies
• The Buddhist Forum series is kindly sponsored by Khyentse Foundation

Image credit: The Thangka (gos sku) of Lo Monastery, 2009