Buddhist Gompas

Likir Gompa
Likir gompa was established in the 15th century and early in its history became responsible for the oversight of Alchi gompa, to which it has posted lamas up to the present day. The gompa is set on an isolated ridge a few kilometers north of Saspol. The road approaching the gompa makes a wide semi-circle around its base, affording beautiful views of the gompa from different vantage points. Likir belongs to the yellow-hat sect of Buddhism and currently houses about 120 lamas. The head lama, the younger bother of the Dalai Lama, has married (against the rule of the sect) and is permanently absent from the gompa. The gompa school has some thirty pupils who learn three languages besides Ladakhi, Hindi and English, as these are the national languages of India, and Tibetan for religious purposes. The pupils, some of who will be selected as lamas, live part of the time in the gompa and part of the time with their parents. Climb up to Likir's central courtyard and immediately on the right is the main Dukhang or main assembly hall.

The entrance verandah is painted with the Guardians of the Four Directions on either side of the entry door. On the right verandah wall is a wheel of life mandala held by Yama, the divinity that decides a person's future fate after death. In the main Dukhang, there are six rows of seats for the lamas. This is where the day's prayers take place and also where the lamas take their meals. Numerous thankas hang from the columns and walls in the Dukhang. At the front on the left are two large chortens. Inside the chorten on the left is a statue of Avalokitesvara, a Bodhisattva whose name means "Lord of All He Surveys" and who is believed to be incarnated in the Dalai Lama. The chorten on the right contains a statue of Aitabha the Buddha of the West.

In the center at the front of the hall are three large statues: in the left and central position are statues of Sakyamuni (the Historical Buddha) and to the right is Maitreya (the Future Buddha or Buddha of Compassion). To the right of this are statues of Tsong-kha-pa, founder of the yellow-hat sect with his two disciples. The throne seat in the centre of the hall is reserved for Likir's head lama and visiting head lamas from other gompas. The walls on both sides of the Dukhang are lined with glass-fronted bookcases containing the Kandshur and the Thandshur. The entrance walls are painted with various guardian divinities. Near the entrance, by looking up, one can see two large, rolled-up thankas hanging from the beams. These thankas are displayed only during the winter festival. One depicts Sakyamuni and the other Likir's guardian divinity. Exiting the Dukhang, diagonally across from the courtyard's entrance is the "New" Dukhang, about 200 years old. Interestingly, the entrance verandah is not painted with the Guardians of the Four Directions, as is the usual practice. Instead, the wall on the left depicts the different ways a lama may wear his robes while the right wall shows the correct way lamas should behave. The Guardians of the Four Directions appear on the right entrance wall inside the New Dukhang. The main image in this Dukhang is Avalokitesvara with 1000 arms and 11 heads. On either side of this image are bookcases, filled mostly with volumes of the Sumbum, a narrative of the life of Tsong-kha-pa. The left side wall is painted with the 35 Confessional Buddhas. The right side wall depicts the 16 Arhats (worthy ones who have achieved Nirvana) on either side of a central image of Sakyamuni flanked by his two chief disciples.

After leaving the New Dukhang, turn left and go up a ladder one flight of steps. Step through the doorway to the left into a courtyard. On the far left side is an entry door into the Zinchun, the head lama's room, where the Dalai Lama stays when he visits Likir. The room is hung with numerous thankas and contains images of various lamas. Of particular interest are the images of the 21 Manifestations of the White Tara (the Saviouress and consort of Avalokitesvara). Each image is decorated with brocaded fabric and the entire effect of these images arranged around the room is very striking. Leave the courtyard outside the head lama's room, turn left and go down a few steps. On the left is the new Gonkhang, devoted to guardian divinities. Work on this temple began in 1983 and was completed a year later. The artistry of this temple vividly demonstrates the continuing vitality of Buddhism in this region. The left side wall depicts guardian divinities while the right side wall shows Sakyamuni, his disciples and various lamas. The right front wall depicts Tsong-kha-pa. The glass-fronted room at the front of the Gonkhang contains images of the gompa's guardian divinities. These images are covered by cloth all year and are displayed only during the gompa's festival.

Matho Gompa
Matho gompa lies about 20 km south of Leh on the other side of the Indus River and offers spectacular views of the Ladakh range from its perch on top of a ridge. Matho gompa was first established in the 16th century by Tungpa Dorje after he had traveled extensively in Tibet. Matho is the only representative monastery in Ladakh of the Sakya order of Tibetan Buddhism. This is a particular religious order. Centered on the Sa-skya monastery in Tibet, which was founded in 1075 AD. Today the gompa has about 60 lamas and 30 novices from the larger gompas in Ladakh. Entering the gompa's central courtyard, one sees a tall flag pole in the center and another one at the far end. On the same side of the courtyard as the entrance and up a few steps is the Lhakhang Soma or New Temple, built in 1974. The verandah has new mural paintings of the Guardians of the Four Directions and an elaborately and colorfully decorated doorway. Inside the Lhakhang all the wall murals were painted in 1977 and are very colorfully done.

The left wall next to the entrance portrays Matho's founder, Tungpa Dorje, with representatives of Matho's two oracles below him. Next to him is an idealized portrait of the present head lama of the Sakya sect. The right entrance wall shows a White Mahakala (a particularly fierce protecting deity) and to the left of this is a painting of the Four Headed Sarvavid (the omniscient or guardian aspect of Vairocana (the Teaching Buddha).

The wall murals on the left side of the Lhakhang depict various lamas of the Sakya sect while the right wall shows the various manifestations of Sakyamuni, the Historical Buddha. The central panel of the right wall depicts Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa and Mila Ras-pa, historical personages associated with the early doctrines of the Saka sect. In front of the Lhakhang is dominated by the throne seat reserved for the Sakya sect's head lama who now resides in Dehra Dun. The central statue behind the throne is Sakyamuni, the Historical Buddha, blanked by the red decorated hats worn by Matho's oracles. Surrounding the statue are numerous small Buddha statues flanked by the canonical texts of Buddhism. After leaving the Lhakhang, the entrance to the ukhang or main assembly hall is visible on the right side of the courtyard. The verandah is again painted with the Guardians of the Four Directions but the murals are old and not in very good condition. Inside the Dukhang are two rows of seats for the lamas and a throne seat reserved for the Rimpoche or head lama of Matho. The four statues behind the throne seat are, from the left, the thousand-armed form of Avalokitesvara (a Buddhist deity analogous to the Hindu god Shiva and believed to be reincarnated in the Dalai Lama), Maitreya (the Future Buddha of Compassion), Sakyamuni and a blessing Buddha. The wall on the left side of the Dykhang shows various Sakya lamas and the Four Headed Sarvavid. The right wall depicts the four-armed manifestation of Avalokitesvara, a blue Sakyamuni and two Sakya lamas. The entrance wall has Mahakala the fiercest Buddhist guardian divinity on the left and other protecting deities on the right. Upon leaving the Dukhang, climb the flight of steps on the right, walk through the enclosed passageway towards the left until a wooden ladder is reached. Climb the ladder and at the top go through the door immediately in front and enter a small courtyard. Go through the door at the opposite end of the courtyard and there are two rooms to be seen: the Gonkhang on the left and the gompa museum on the right. Women are not allowed in the Gonkhang and photography is prohibited.

The Gonkhang, in which meditation takes place, is ascribed great spiritual power as it is the room in which Matho's order prays and enters into a trance. The oracle's special clothing is hung in this room and the Gokhang also contains old weapons and thanks, masks and statues. Directly opposite the entrance is the seat of the head lama and in front of that is a table for maize and oil lamps. According to an old custom, a representative of every family from Matho village brings a small bowl of maize grain from the first harvest to this room. This practice is not accompanied by any special ceremony. One lama, changed every three years, is particularly responsible for the Gonkhang. The museum opposite the Gonkhang contains, among other things, numerous thanks, a stuffed yak, a poorly stuffed and preserved snow leopard, masks, stucco statuettes. Phurbos (ceremonial daggers) and miscellaneous ritual objects. Leaving this area of the gompa and returning to the small outer courtyard, on the right is the Lamdre, a shrine in honor of the Lamdre lineage of lamas. Lamdre is a special teaching associated with the Sakya sect. Photography is not permitted in this room, which contains numerous statues of various Sakya lamas, old thanks and small Buddha and Mahakala statues.