GOMPAS
Ladakh's gompas are really its treasure, containing the finest examples of
the religion's artistry in metalwork, painting, sculpture and the decorative
arts. A visit to at least several gompas is necessary to appreciate the full
flowering of the region's religious beliefs and the artistry that has gone
into Ladakh's celebration of Buddhism.
Generally, the gompas have
a central courtyard with one or more prayer flags on tall poles. It is here
that the masked dances take place during a gompa's festival. The entrance
verandah will almost always have a mural of the Guardians of the Four
Directions: yellow is for north, blue for south, white for east, and red for
west.
Off the central courtyard is the Dukhang, or main assembly
hall, where the lamas gather for prayers and meals. The Dukhang usually has
a high seat reserved for the gompa's Rimpoche (an incarnate Lama, who is the
gompa's head), two or more rows of seats for the lamas, numerous thankas
(religious paintings on cloth that are hung like a banner) decorating the
walls and pillars and statues of various figures including at least one of
the Buddha. The Dukhang may have one or more chortens decorated with
semi-precious stones and containing the ashes of a high lama or perhaps,
simply offerings of grains, jewels, or the holy books of Buddhism. The
Dukhang may house these holy books in bookcases on the side walls.
These holy books consist of the translated word of Buddha, called the
Kandshur and the translated commentary compiled by the Lamaist religious
teacher Bu-Ston (1290-1364 AD), called the Thandshur - a 225 volume
commentary on the Kandshur. Each gompa keeps a complete set of these holy
books either in the Dukhang or in a separate library room. The wealthier
gompas will have more than one complete set.
Religious books are
printed with wooden blocks on separate sheets of paper. Wooden boards are
placed on the top and bottom, and the whole is then wrapped in brocade
cloth. Many of these books are handwritten or painted. Recent editions are
done by block printing, as was previously done in Tibet. This procedure is
still used for printing the holy books. Wooden painting plates are made for
each page and pressed by hand. Older and more important editions are not
printed with black ink on white paper, as is usual, but with gold ink on
black lacquered paper, decorated with Buddha figures.
ALCHI
Alchi gompa is located near the small village of Saspol. It is
one of the earliest monasteries built in Ladakh, dating from the 11th
century. Because it was constructed before the invading wars begun in the
15th century. Alchi was built on lowlands, rather than on a hilltop as
others were, in order to protect them from marauding armies. The monastery
erected by King Rin-chen-lzghimpo, one of the first Ladakhi kings who
engaged in foreign relations. The Ladakhi king signed a treaty with the
Gyalpo (king) of Tibet, who agreed to provide the artisans.
The
rambling monastery has six main buildings: the Dukhang or main assembly
hall, the Sum-tsek or three-tiered temple: the adjoining Manjusri Lha-khang
and Lotsawa Lah-Khang temples: the Lha-khang Soma and Kanjur-Lha-khang
temples.
Walking towards the gompa from the small group of houses
nearby, the first temple of importance is on the left. This is the Sum-stek
temple, the oldest of the Alchi gompa. The temple is surrounded by wooden
pillars and carved woodwork of mythological animals. The middle arch
portrays a seated Buddha with the green Tara (the Saviouress) to the right
and Vajrasattava, a Bodhisattva, to the left. The woodwork in this temple is
original and reflects Kashmiri influence. Inside and over the doorway is a
mural of Mahakala, a fierce guardian divinity. The walls are covered by over
2,000 small pictures of seated Buddhas while directly ahead is a central
chorten of no particular significance. On the three sides are alcoves with
large Bodhisattva images of Avalokitesvara (analogous to the Hindu god
Shiva) on the left, Maitreya (the Future Buddha) opposite the entrance and
whose face is not visible on this level; and Manjusri (the Lord of Wisdom)
on the right.
Ascending to the next storey by a notched ladder in
the porch, reach an upper balcony and enter the temple through a double
door. From here, the face of the Maitreya statue is visible. The walls have
images of Vairocana (the teaching Buddha), located over the head of
Maitreya, Eleven-headed Avalokitesvara and Prajnaparamita (the goddess of
Perfection of Wisdom). There are also ten mandalas and paintings of the Five
Buddhas.
The third tier of Sum-stek cannot be reached. From the
second tier and looking up, one can see that the three walls have three
large mandalas. The interior wall on the entrance side is painted with three
fierce guardian divinities and rows of religious masters beneath.
While this temple was repaired in the 16th century, it is probable that the
paintings were restored simply by recopying over them. Thus, the paintings
still reflect 11th century Buddhist art, rather than that of a later period.
Leaving the Sum-stek, turn left until the walkway ends before a
wooden door. Another left will bring you to the entrance door to the
Dukhang's courtyard. The courtyard has very fine carvings in wood of
Kashmiri style, while the walls depict stories of the Buddha's previous
incarnations. The doorway is carved with the Five Buddhas and accompanying
divinities. To the side of the doorway are shrines with depictions of
various Buddhist divinities. On the left is Avalokitesvara with a clear
depiction of its nine Bodhisattva heads, the tenth head angry at the
suffering in the world and a top head of the Buddha.
The Dukhang
is the place where the lamas gather for religious ceremonies. Inscriptions
on the Dukhang's back wall attribute it's building to the religious devotion
and financial generosity of Kai-idan Shes-rab. The Dukhang is a fairly
square room with an alcove sanctuary at the far end. In the sanctuary is a
statue of Four-headed Vairocana (the Teaching Buddha) together with stucco
statues of his entourage. The four main Buddha manifestations are seated
against the left and right walls of the sanctuary.
The walls
along both sides of the Dukhang have mural paintings, which are probably
original to the time of the monastery's founding. These murals depict
various mandalas of Vairocana and his manifestations and entourage, a mural
of Mahakala, the "Great and Black One" the most powerful Buddhist
guardian divinity, miniature paintings of clay and religious scenes and
depictions of the Thousand Buddhas. In addition, there are roundels of
Manjusri and Prajnaparamita set between large mandalas on the side walls.
Of particular interest are the miniature scenes of royal life.
The best preserved is the royal drinking scene (just above an inscription).
This is one of the most remarkable to have survived anywhere in the
Tibetan-speaking world. The costumes in this scene clearly depict central
Asian dress and the king and queen each have a halo, a convention that
appears elsewhere in Alchi and possibly shows Nestorian Christian influence
from Persia. This is the only painting in Ladhak that shows central Asian
influence so clearly.
Leaving the Dukhang, go through the wooden
door (where previously a left turn was made) and on the left will be the
adjoining temples of Lotsawa Lha-khang and Manjusri Lah-khang.
Entering the Lotsawa temple on the left, one sees a table with a gilded
stucco image of Sakyamuni (the Historic Buddha) in the "earth witness"
position. On his right is a small image of Rin-chen bZangpo, a great
translator and builder of temples (958-1055 AD), with unduly large ears - a
sign of wisdom. On his left is a small image of Avalokitesvara. The wall
behind is decorated with murals of these same figures. The left wall has a
central image of Amitabha (the Boundless Light Buddha) and two mandalas of
Avalokitesvara on the left and Amitabha on the right.
The
Manjusri temple next door is distinguished only by its fourfold image of
Manjusri, each aspect facing one of the four quarters. The wall by the
entrance door suffered sever water damage, has recently been partially
repaired.
Returning to the three-tiered temple and facing it, to
the immediate left is Kanjur Lha-khang (closed to the public) and behind it
is the Lha-khand Soma. In this new temple are paintings from the 12th and
13th centuries. The main image on the wall opposite the door is a seated
Buddha making the preaching gesture, with a Bodhisattva on either side. The
left wall is occupied mainly by three mandalas: a central one of Amitabha
(Buddha of Boundless Light) surrounded by an inner and outer circle of
Bodhisattvas: on the left of Vairocana in his tranquil state and on the
right of Vairocana are all the accompanying divinities. The right wall has a
large mural of Amchi (the Buddha Master of Medicine). Who is surrounded by
miniature paintings of Ashobhya (the Imperturbable Buddha).
The
chortens around Alchi gompa also contain numerous wall murals, often of
Rin-chen bzang-po, meant to honor his activities as a translator in
collaboration with Indian teachers of Buddhism.
Nandadevi 
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