Guardians at the top of a door in the Jokhang Temple
Saturday, August 13, 2005
History of the Jokhang Temple
History of the Jokhang Temple
After moving his capital to the Kyishod Wotso and unifying the whole of Tibet, Songtsan Gampo took further steps to realise his general plan. First he dealt with internal trouble, consolidated his royal power, reorganised the troops, developed the economy and improved agricultural techniques, and then sent Thonmi Sambhota abroad to study and create a script for Tibetan, and enriched the national culture. From then on, the might of the Tubo kingdom increased day by day. Under such circumstances, Songtsan Gampo sent an envoy to the Tang court in 634 AD to ask for the hand in marriage of an imperial princess. After a number of delays and setbacks, Princess Wencheng of the Tang court eventually made her journey to Tibet in 641 AD as the bride of the twenty-five year old Songtsan Gampo. The arrival of the noble Princess Wencheng in Tibet marked the speedy development of the Kyishod Wotso and its transformation from a deserted swamp into a prosperous, thriving city.
Before his marriage to Princess Wencheng, Songtsan Gampo had already taken Princess Bhrikuti Devi of neighbouring Nepal as his queen. Princess Bhrikuti Devi had moved into the cave dwelling on the Red Hill, so when Princess Wencheng arrived she had to take up residence on the sandy soil near the Wotso Pool, east of the Potala, where the image of Sakyamuni she had brought with her had to be left amidst a dense grove of willows. A traditional tale says that Princess Wencheng observed the aspects of the heavens and the earth of the place, and concluded that the sandy land where she was living was situated over the mouth of a dragon, and hence a temple should be constructed there. The Tsanpo wholeheartedly agreed with her suggestion to build a temple to house the image of Sakyamuni.
No sooner had this news reached Princess Bhrikuti Devi than she too conceived the idea of building a temple for the worship of Buddha. The Nepali princess chose the southeast part of the sandy area for the site of her temple, but no matter how closely she supervised the construction during the daytime, the whole thing collapsed as soon as night fell. She had no alternative but to beg Princess Wencheng's assistance. Princess Wencheng generously agreed to help, and calculated through divination and astrology the right site for the temple.
Skilled in Tang astrology and well-versed in the theory of the Five Elements, Princess Wencheng examined astronomical phenomena by night and topographical aspects by day, and found that the land of the Tubos appeared like an ogress lying flat on her back, which was highly unfavourable for the establishment of the kingdom. In order to prevent any violent changes of ill omen, the princess deemed it necessary to build temples to pin down the four limbs of the ogress. Princess Wencheng next examined the Wotso Pool and found it was the heart of the ogress, and the water in the pool the blood. Therefore it was necessary to fill in the pool to block the circulation of the blood, and build a temple over it to suppress it. Examining the harmonious or contradictory nature of the Five Elements, Princess Wencheng then advised Songtsan Gampo to use white goats to carry earth when filling in the pool. Finally, the enormous construction project got under way. The flocks of goats loaded with earth swarming round the Wotso Pool gave the spot its new name. As the word "goat" is "ra" and "earth" is "sa" in Tibetan, the temple got the name of "Rasa" (goat-earth). Subsequently, this unprecedented majestic feat of construction became the prominent symbol of the capital and the town itself took the name "Rasa."
A number of fascinatng tales still exist about the construction of the Jokhang. Tradition has it that Songtsan Gampo regarded Princess Wencheng as the incarnation of the goddess Tara. While the Jokhang was being built, Songtsan Gampo himself took his axe and climbed up to work on the building, which so alarmed the gods of the Heaven that they came down one after another to offer assistance. On one occasion a maidservant happened to take some food to the construction site, but when she arrived all the men working above and below looked identical to Songtsan Gampo, and she had no way of distinguishing the real one from the false. Turning pale with apprehension, she ran back to inform Princess Bhrikuti Devi, who, half-believing and half-doubting, went in person to take the food. When she discovered it was exactly as the maidservant had described, she let out a word of exclamation, "Strange!" At this, all the Songtsan Gampos seated on the beams looked down, and carelessly dropped their axes which, as they fell, struck off the noses of the sphinxes they were making. Today, visitors to the Jokhang will notice that everyone of the one hundred and eight sphinxes has a flat nose.
Many of the murals of the Jokhang are clearly in the Han style. In figure and attire, the warriors in the murals in the shrines of the Four Guardian Kings and the God of Serpents look very much akin to warriors of the Tang period, while the flag of the "Rising Lion" and the image of Sakyamuni to the west of the God of the Serpents Shrine are also painted in the Han style.
When the Jokhang was completed, Songtsan Gampo further asked Princess Wencheng to survey the astronomical phenomena and geographical aspects of Lhasa. After observing the aspects, Princess Wencheng said, "The sky is like the Eight Wheels of the Law, a sign of good omen; the earth is like the eight-Petalled Lotus, a sign of fortune; the mountains are like the Eight Auspicious Emblems, a sign of prosperity." So saying, Princess Wencheng pointed out the Eight Auspicious Emblems of the mountains surrounding Lhasa: the Lotus, the Parasol, the Conch Shell with a rightward spiral, the Whell of the Law, the Knot That Has No End, the Vase of Great Treasure, the Pair of goldfish, and the Banner of Supreme Excellence. Princess Wencheng then described the features of the four directions as seen from Lhasa in a poetic verse:
The eastern mountain peaks rise in waves;
Like angry tigers about to leap;
The two mountains to the west press into the gorge;
Like the outstretched wings of an eagle;
In the south the Kyichu river winds by;
Like a wriggling turquoise dragon;
Then northern peaks rise in gentle folds;
Like a tortoise crawling on all fours.
Princess Wencheng also named the four great mountains situated in the four directions. The southeast mountains she named Mindrug Zari, those to the northeast Jomo Sishi, the northwestern mountains she called Ganpoi Uze, and the southwestern ones Jomo Ulha. Today, over 1,300 years later, these names are still used.
In 648 AD the majestic Jokhang was finally completed. Together, Princess Wencheng and Songtsan Gampo planted a willow tree at the front gate of the Jokhang, which become known as the famous Jowo U-tra (The Buddha's Hair). The images of Sakyamuni brought by the two princesses were separately enshrined in the temples each had built, and ever since devout Buddhists from every region have flocked there on pilgrimage. At the end of the seventh century, over a dozen inns had appeared around the temple to cater for pilgrims. Gradually more residential houses were built and so the Bharkor with the Jokhang at the centre began to take shape, and the ancient city of the plateau started its rise to fame.
After moving his capital to the Kyishod Wotso and unifying the whole of Tibet, Songtsan Gampo took further steps to realise his general plan. First he dealt with internal trouble, consolidated his royal power, reorganised the troops, developed the economy and improved agricultural techniques, and then sent Thonmi Sambhota abroad to study and create a script for Tibetan, and enriched the national culture. From then on, the might of the Tubo kingdom increased day by day. Under such circumstances, Songtsan Gampo sent an envoy to the Tang court in 634 AD to ask for the hand in marriage of an imperial princess. After a number of delays and setbacks, Princess Wencheng of the Tang court eventually made her journey to Tibet in 641 AD as the bride of the twenty-five year old Songtsan Gampo. The arrival of the noble Princess Wencheng in Tibet marked the speedy development of the Kyishod Wotso and its transformation from a deserted swamp into a prosperous, thriving city.
Before his marriage to Princess Wencheng, Songtsan Gampo had already taken Princess Bhrikuti Devi of neighbouring Nepal as his queen. Princess Bhrikuti Devi had moved into the cave dwelling on the Red Hill, so when Princess Wencheng arrived she had to take up residence on the sandy soil near the Wotso Pool, east of the Potala, where the image of Sakyamuni she had brought with her had to be left amidst a dense grove of willows. A traditional tale says that Princess Wencheng observed the aspects of the heavens and the earth of the place, and concluded that the sandy land where she was living was situated over the mouth of a dragon, and hence a temple should be constructed there. The Tsanpo wholeheartedly agreed with her suggestion to build a temple to house the image of Sakyamuni.
No sooner had this news reached Princess Bhrikuti Devi than she too conceived the idea of building a temple for the worship of Buddha. The Nepali princess chose the southeast part of the sandy area for the site of her temple, but no matter how closely she supervised the construction during the daytime, the whole thing collapsed as soon as night fell. She had no alternative but to beg Princess Wencheng's assistance. Princess Wencheng generously agreed to help, and calculated through divination and astrology the right site for the temple.
Skilled in Tang astrology and well-versed in the theory of the Five Elements, Princess Wencheng examined astronomical phenomena by night and topographical aspects by day, and found that the land of the Tubos appeared like an ogress lying flat on her back, which was highly unfavourable for the establishment of the kingdom. In order to prevent any violent changes of ill omen, the princess deemed it necessary to build temples to pin down the four limbs of the ogress. Princess Wencheng next examined the Wotso Pool and found it was the heart of the ogress, and the water in the pool the blood. Therefore it was necessary to fill in the pool to block the circulation of the blood, and build a temple over it to suppress it. Examining the harmonious or contradictory nature of the Five Elements, Princess Wencheng then advised Songtsan Gampo to use white goats to carry earth when filling in the pool. Finally, the enormous construction project got under way. The flocks of goats loaded with earth swarming round the Wotso Pool gave the spot its new name. As the word "goat" is "ra" and "earth" is "sa" in Tibetan, the temple got the name of "Rasa" (goat-earth). Subsequently, this unprecedented majestic feat of construction became the prominent symbol of the capital and the town itself took the name "Rasa."
A number of fascinatng tales still exist about the construction of the Jokhang. Tradition has it that Songtsan Gampo regarded Princess Wencheng as the incarnation of the goddess Tara. While the Jokhang was being built, Songtsan Gampo himself took his axe and climbed up to work on the building, which so alarmed the gods of the Heaven that they came down one after another to offer assistance. On one occasion a maidservant happened to take some food to the construction site, but when she arrived all the men working above and below looked identical to Songtsan Gampo, and she had no way of distinguishing the real one from the false. Turning pale with apprehension, she ran back to inform Princess Bhrikuti Devi, who, half-believing and half-doubting, went in person to take the food. When she discovered it was exactly as the maidservant had described, she let out a word of exclamation, "Strange!" At this, all the Songtsan Gampos seated on the beams looked down, and carelessly dropped their axes which, as they fell, struck off the noses of the sphinxes they were making. Today, visitors to the Jokhang will notice that everyone of the one hundred and eight sphinxes has a flat nose.
Many of the murals of the Jokhang are clearly in the Han style. In figure and attire, the warriors in the murals in the shrines of the Four Guardian Kings and the God of Serpents look very much akin to warriors of the Tang period, while the flag of the "Rising Lion" and the image of Sakyamuni to the west of the God of the Serpents Shrine are also painted in the Han style.
When the Jokhang was completed, Songtsan Gampo further asked Princess Wencheng to survey the astronomical phenomena and geographical aspects of Lhasa. After observing the aspects, Princess Wencheng said, "The sky is like the Eight Wheels of the Law, a sign of good omen; the earth is like the eight-Petalled Lotus, a sign of fortune; the mountains are like the Eight Auspicious Emblems, a sign of prosperity." So saying, Princess Wencheng pointed out the Eight Auspicious Emblems of the mountains surrounding Lhasa: the Lotus, the Parasol, the Conch Shell with a rightward spiral, the Whell of the Law, the Knot That Has No End, the Vase of Great Treasure, the Pair of goldfish, and the Banner of Supreme Excellence. Princess Wencheng then described the features of the four directions as seen from Lhasa in a poetic verse:
The eastern mountain peaks rise in waves;
Like angry tigers about to leap;
The two mountains to the west press into the gorge;
Like the outstretched wings of an eagle;
In the south the Kyichu river winds by;
Like a wriggling turquoise dragon;
Then northern peaks rise in gentle folds;
Like a tortoise crawling on all fours.
Princess Wencheng also named the four great mountains situated in the four directions. The southeast mountains she named Mindrug Zari, those to the northeast Jomo Sishi, the northwestern mountains she called Ganpoi Uze, and the southwestern ones Jomo Ulha. Today, over 1,300 years later, these names are still used.
In 648 AD the majestic Jokhang was finally completed. Together, Princess Wencheng and Songtsan Gampo planted a willow tree at the front gate of the Jokhang, which become known as the famous Jowo U-tra (The Buddha's Hair). The images of Sakyamuni brought by the two princesses were separately enshrined in the temples each had built, and ever since devout Buddhists from every region have flocked there on pilgrimage. At the end of the seventh century, over a dozen inns had appeared around the temple to cater for pilgrims. Gradually more residential houses were built and so the Bharkor with the Jokhang at the centre began to take shape, and the ancient city of the plateau started its rise to fame.
The Potala Palace
The Potala Palace
Standing loftily above the Lhasa basin, the Potala Palace is not the symbol of Lhasa alone but of all Tibet.
No journey to the "Roof of the World" is complete without a visit to the-world-famous Potala.
The thirteen-storeyed ancient building built only of mortar, timber and stone dates back 1,300 years. As well as being of great historical value, the architecture itself of the Potala, and in addition its murals, stupas, carvings, sculptures and the like are witness of its being a treasury of art. The palace contains such invaluable treasures as pearls, cultural relics, "tangkas," scrolled texts and ancient chinaware, making the Potala a repository of inestimable worth, and it is a mecca to which the visitor can return again and again, each time experiencing fresh understandings and gains.
Toiling up the stairs leading to the Potala, step by weary step, you indeed feel yourself a small and insignificant creature in the face of this gigantic palace. Arriving at the huge front entrance, the Puntsok Donam Gate, you may marvel at the great bar across the gate which is made out of an entire tree trunk. As you pass through the gate you enter a narrow passage, and then a high-walled tunnel-like corridor which allows a rare glimpse of the massive palace walls, built solely of stone and mortar and several metres thick, which date back over a thousand years.
The passage gives out onto a huge courtyard, sixty to seventy metres above ground level, which was specially built for ritual dance performances. The even, 1,600 square metre floor is paved with "arka," a special type of Tibetan flooring like concrete. Low yellow-walled galleries line the northern and southen sides of the courtyard, while directly opposite, a short but steep triple flight of steps leads up to the antechamber in the western front of the Deyangshar Mansion. The flight of steps in the centre was reserved for the Dalai Lama's sole use, while those to either side were for ordinary people and officers. This is the only way to the other halls, and it is said "a troop ten thousand strong cannot pass through the entrance though it be guarded by a single man." In the antechamber, the visitor's attention is caught by a pair of hand prints under a glass cover to the left on the southern wall. These prints were left by the Fifth Dalai Lama at the height of the construction of the Potala in the mid-seventeenth century. By then the Fifth Dalai Lama was advanced in age and did not take much interest in political affairs, so all arrangements were put in the hands of Sang-gye Gyatso, (the Desi or the Regent). But the Desi at that time did not have much prestige, and consequently the Fifth Dalai Lama, realising that people were unlikely to recongnise the Desi's authority, left the Desi prints of his own hands as a symbol of his authority over monk and lay officials in government affairs. Ever since then, these historic hand prints have been preserved.
Turning to the eastern walls, familiar murals of Songtsan Gampo asking for the hand in marriage of Princess Wencheng and scenes from her journey to Tibet can be seen. After unifying Tibet for the first time and founding the powerful Tubo Dynasty, Songtsan Gampo sent his trusted minister Gar Tongtsan to Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, to ask the Tang Emperor Taizong for the hand of the princess in marriage. From these murals we can see a contemporary sketch map of the Tang Dynasty capital Changan, and also how emperor Taizong posed five tricky questions to test the intelligence of the envoys from neighbouring minority nationalities who had all come to the Tang Court to seek the princess in marriage. Gar Tongtsan, the Tubo envoy, being the most intelligent of the lot, succeeded in cracking all five riddles, gained first place and consequently won the hand of Princess Wencheng for the Tubo Tsanpo. Murals depicting this part of history can also be found in many other monasteries and temples.
Leading on next to the murals on the northern wall, we can see a portrayal of Princess Wencheng's journey to Tibet and the scene of great rejoicing on her arrival in Lhasa. In 710 AD, following in the footsteps of her royal sister of a previous age, another Tang princess, Princess Jincheng, made her journey to Tibet. Princess Jincheng's deeds too are portrayed in the murals of the Potala, and a painting of Princess Jincheng's journey to Tibet appears on the east wall of the Tsomchen Shar (the East Audience Hall).
The Tsomchen Shar is the largest hall in the White Palace section of the Potala. Major political and religious events such as ordinations and coronations of the Dalai Lamas were held in this audience hall. Here are preserved the gold slab and gold seal inscribed with the title offered to the Fifth Dalai Lama by emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty. The inscription reads:"Preceptor of Lord Buddha's Doctrine, Keeper of peace in the West, Uniter of the Buddhist Faith Beneath the Sky, Superior of the Ocean, Holder of the Thunderbolt."
From Tsomchen Shar if you climb up to the topmost part of the White Palace section, you will find yourself in another world. Full-length glass windows face south so that the rooms are bathed in brilliant sunshine from morning till evening. Respectively named East Sunny Room and West Sunny Room, these were the Dalai Lama's living quarters and are crammed with precious jewels, luxurious furnishings, gold basins, jade bowls, brocades and satins. Stepping out onto the balcony, Lhasa seems to be just beneath one's nose; fold upon fold, mountain ranges rear up, the Kyichu River gurgles along below, footpaths crisscross the fields and villages studded with green trees, creating a scene of genuine majesty.
The whole of the Potala is divided into two sections, the White Palace and the central Red Palace, From the very beginning , the two sections of the Potala were strictly distinguished by their different colours, being white-washed and red-washed. The Red Palace mainly consists of funerary stupas of the Dalai Lamas and various shrines and temples. There are altogether eight funerary stupas in the Potala containing the embalmed remains of the Fifth to the Thirteenth Dalai Lamas, excluding the Sixth. The funerary stupas are more or less akin to each other in structure, but they differ greatly in size, and those of the Fifth and Thirtenth Dalai Lamas are the most splendid of the lot. Built in 1690, the funerary stupa of the Fifth Dalai Lama is the largest at 14.85 metres high. It is entriely covered in sheets of gold, and studded with coutless pearls, jade and agate. 110,000 ounces of gold were used for this stupa alone, excluding the jewels.
Although the large majority of Tibetans dispose of their dead through celestial and water burials, the bodies of religious leaders who are apt to preach to others about "sacrificing one's body" are preserved for posterity. Whenever the Dalai Lama passed away, the body was smeared with salt to absorb moisture, and then anointed with perfumes. When dessicated, it was placed in a stupa. This is one kind of stupa burial. In Tibet, stupa burials are only given to the Dalai Lamas and "Hutogtu" lamas. No other monk or lay officials are permitted to be treated in this way after death. In keeping with his rank, a golden stupa is accorded only to the god-king, while others are given silver, brass and clay stupas respectively.
The shrines containing the funerary stupas lead off from the huge central Sishi Puntsok Hall, with a floor space of nearly seven hundred square metres. Displayed here is the panel presented by Qing Emperor Qianlong with its Chinese characters written in gold which read: "Holy Spot of the Emerging Lotus." The murals in this hall mainly include works of the Fifth Dalai Lama during his lifetime and events of his reign, and his famous visit to Beijing and interview with Emperor Shunzhi in the mid-seventeenth century appears conspicuously on one of the walls. The frescoed corridor on the floor above the Sishi Puntsok can be rated as an art gallery. Here, nearly seven hundred nurals are displayed covering every aspect of life of the Tibetan people and showing different scenes from the construction of the Potala.
Two storeys up from the Sishi Puntsok Hall is the Chogyal Drupug (the Cave of the Religious-king). This cave-like shrine is said to have been built to commemorate Songtsan Gampo's meditation on the Red Hill in his youth. Constructed in the seventh century, it is the most ancient part of the Potala. According to written records, when it was built 1,300 years ago, the Potala had 999 rooms, with the addition of this cave shrine making the figure up to 1,000. Formerly, the Potala was built on a vast scale, but due to fire damage caused by lightning strikes and sudden attacks, the original construction was almost levelled to the ground leaving only the Chogyal Drupug Cave and the Pagpa Lhakhang Temple. Looking around at the Chogyal Drupug's shiny walls blackened by incense smoke, you can faintly see that all four walls have been dug out to form a cave. Under the gloomy electric light, the lifelike sculptures of Songtsan Gampo, Princess wenchen, Princess Bhrikuti Devi, and Gar Tongtsan and Thonmi Sambhota could be real! This tiny cave shrine scarcely thirty square metres in area will take you back 1,300 years in history.
The Pagpa Lhakhang, on the next level directly above the Chogyal Drupug, is also one of the earliest parts of the palace. The central image enshrined inside is said to be a manifestation of Songtsan Gampo. A panel with the inscription "Blissful Soil Nourishing Miraculous Fruits' written in Chinese by the Qing Emperor Tongzhi hangs above the entrance to the shrine. From the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama, the Qing Dynasty strengthened its control over Tibet, and the Dalai Lama in return developed his relationship with the central government. Other proofs of this close relationship can be found elsewhere in the Potala, and include a portrait of Emperor Qianlong and a imperial longevity tablet written in four languages Han, Tibetan, Mongolian and Manchurian both of which are kept in the Sasum Namgyal Hall. Later reincarnations of the Dalai Lama paid their respects annually to the portrait and tablet to express courtesy from a minister to a monarch.
It would be impossible to mention one by one all the jewels and antiques that are preserved in the Potala, but one item that deserves to be remarked on is a pearl mandala composed of 200,000 pearls. It is not only priceless but a precious work of art.
When visit to the Potala Palace is over, one might be pondering this question: from its murals, sculptures, "tangkas" and gifts, the Potala seems no different from other monasteries in Tibet, so why is it that the others are called "monasteries" while the Potala alone is called a "palace?" The reason is because that the Potala was originally built in the Tubo era when Buddhism had not yet attained its dominant position in Tibet. Moreover, the unification of the state and church had not yet been effected. The imposing buildings of the Potala were erected merely as a palace for the kings, built against a hilly backdrop so as to give a majestic impression of standing aloft. In those days there were not as many images and stupas as there are today, and so there was no reason for people to come and worship and burn incense. After the Fifth Dalai Lama received his appointment from the Qing Emperor and rose to the leadership of both state and church, the residential palace for the Dalai Lama was moved from the Drepung Monastery to the Potala Palace. As a consequence, the identity of the Potala underwent a change; it became the seat of not only local government but also the greatest Buddhist lama of Tibet. The Potala therefore obviously took on a deeper religious colouring, and as it was the seat of the Dalai Lama, the incarnation of a god, the Potala also became a sacred place for people to prostrate themselves in reverence.
With the strengthening of the unification of state and church, the Potala not only took on the functions of seat of government, ministries and monastery,but also became the leading military headquarters for the pre-liberation local army. A prison was built under the Potala, adding to its complex nature.
Standing loftily above the Lhasa basin, the Potala Palace is not the symbol of Lhasa alone but of all Tibet.
No journey to the "Roof of the World" is complete without a visit to the-world-famous Potala.
The thirteen-storeyed ancient building built only of mortar, timber and stone dates back 1,300 years. As well as being of great historical value, the architecture itself of the Potala, and in addition its murals, stupas, carvings, sculptures and the like are witness of its being a treasury of art. The palace contains such invaluable treasures as pearls, cultural relics, "tangkas," scrolled texts and ancient chinaware, making the Potala a repository of inestimable worth, and it is a mecca to which the visitor can return again and again, each time experiencing fresh understandings and gains.
Toiling up the stairs leading to the Potala, step by weary step, you indeed feel yourself a small and insignificant creature in the face of this gigantic palace. Arriving at the huge front entrance, the Puntsok Donam Gate, you may marvel at the great bar across the gate which is made out of an entire tree trunk. As you pass through the gate you enter a narrow passage, and then a high-walled tunnel-like corridor which allows a rare glimpse of the massive palace walls, built solely of stone and mortar and several metres thick, which date back over a thousand years.
The passage gives out onto a huge courtyard, sixty to seventy metres above ground level, which was specially built for ritual dance performances. The even, 1,600 square metre floor is paved with "arka," a special type of Tibetan flooring like concrete. Low yellow-walled galleries line the northern and southen sides of the courtyard, while directly opposite, a short but steep triple flight of steps leads up to the antechamber in the western front of the Deyangshar Mansion. The flight of steps in the centre was reserved for the Dalai Lama's sole use, while those to either side were for ordinary people and officers. This is the only way to the other halls, and it is said "a troop ten thousand strong cannot pass through the entrance though it be guarded by a single man." In the antechamber, the visitor's attention is caught by a pair of hand prints under a glass cover to the left on the southern wall. These prints were left by the Fifth Dalai Lama at the height of the construction of the Potala in the mid-seventeenth century. By then the Fifth Dalai Lama was advanced in age and did not take much interest in political affairs, so all arrangements were put in the hands of Sang-gye Gyatso, (the Desi or the Regent). But the Desi at that time did not have much prestige, and consequently the Fifth Dalai Lama, realising that people were unlikely to recongnise the Desi's authority, left the Desi prints of his own hands as a symbol of his authority over monk and lay officials in government affairs. Ever since then, these historic hand prints have been preserved.
Turning to the eastern walls, familiar murals of Songtsan Gampo asking for the hand in marriage of Princess Wencheng and scenes from her journey to Tibet can be seen. After unifying Tibet for the first time and founding the powerful Tubo Dynasty, Songtsan Gampo sent his trusted minister Gar Tongtsan to Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, to ask the Tang Emperor Taizong for the hand of the princess in marriage. From these murals we can see a contemporary sketch map of the Tang Dynasty capital Changan, and also how emperor Taizong posed five tricky questions to test the intelligence of the envoys from neighbouring minority nationalities who had all come to the Tang Court to seek the princess in marriage. Gar Tongtsan, the Tubo envoy, being the most intelligent of the lot, succeeded in cracking all five riddles, gained first place and consequently won the hand of Princess Wencheng for the Tubo Tsanpo. Murals depicting this part of history can also be found in many other monasteries and temples.
Leading on next to the murals on the northern wall, we can see a portrayal of Princess Wencheng's journey to Tibet and the scene of great rejoicing on her arrival in Lhasa. In 710 AD, following in the footsteps of her royal sister of a previous age, another Tang princess, Princess Jincheng, made her journey to Tibet. Princess Jincheng's deeds too are portrayed in the murals of the Potala, and a painting of Princess Jincheng's journey to Tibet appears on the east wall of the Tsomchen Shar (the East Audience Hall).
The Tsomchen Shar is the largest hall in the White Palace section of the Potala. Major political and religious events such as ordinations and coronations of the Dalai Lamas were held in this audience hall. Here are preserved the gold slab and gold seal inscribed with the title offered to the Fifth Dalai Lama by emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty. The inscription reads:"Preceptor of Lord Buddha's Doctrine, Keeper of peace in the West, Uniter of the Buddhist Faith Beneath the Sky, Superior of the Ocean, Holder of the Thunderbolt."
From Tsomchen Shar if you climb up to the topmost part of the White Palace section, you will find yourself in another world. Full-length glass windows face south so that the rooms are bathed in brilliant sunshine from morning till evening. Respectively named East Sunny Room and West Sunny Room, these were the Dalai Lama's living quarters and are crammed with precious jewels, luxurious furnishings, gold basins, jade bowls, brocades and satins. Stepping out onto the balcony, Lhasa seems to be just beneath one's nose; fold upon fold, mountain ranges rear up, the Kyichu River gurgles along below, footpaths crisscross the fields and villages studded with green trees, creating a scene of genuine majesty.
The whole of the Potala is divided into two sections, the White Palace and the central Red Palace, From the very beginning , the two sections of the Potala were strictly distinguished by their different colours, being white-washed and red-washed. The Red Palace mainly consists of funerary stupas of the Dalai Lamas and various shrines and temples. There are altogether eight funerary stupas in the Potala containing the embalmed remains of the Fifth to the Thirteenth Dalai Lamas, excluding the Sixth. The funerary stupas are more or less akin to each other in structure, but they differ greatly in size, and those of the Fifth and Thirtenth Dalai Lamas are the most splendid of the lot. Built in 1690, the funerary stupa of the Fifth Dalai Lama is the largest at 14.85 metres high. It is entriely covered in sheets of gold, and studded with coutless pearls, jade and agate. 110,000 ounces of gold were used for this stupa alone, excluding the jewels.
Although the large majority of Tibetans dispose of their dead through celestial and water burials, the bodies of religious leaders who are apt to preach to others about "sacrificing one's body" are preserved for posterity. Whenever the Dalai Lama passed away, the body was smeared with salt to absorb moisture, and then anointed with perfumes. When dessicated, it was placed in a stupa. This is one kind of stupa burial. In Tibet, stupa burials are only given to the Dalai Lamas and "Hutogtu" lamas. No other monk or lay officials are permitted to be treated in this way after death. In keeping with his rank, a golden stupa is accorded only to the god-king, while others are given silver, brass and clay stupas respectively.
The shrines containing the funerary stupas lead off from the huge central Sishi Puntsok Hall, with a floor space of nearly seven hundred square metres. Displayed here is the panel presented by Qing Emperor Qianlong with its Chinese characters written in gold which read: "Holy Spot of the Emerging Lotus." The murals in this hall mainly include works of the Fifth Dalai Lama during his lifetime and events of his reign, and his famous visit to Beijing and interview with Emperor Shunzhi in the mid-seventeenth century appears conspicuously on one of the walls. The frescoed corridor on the floor above the Sishi Puntsok can be rated as an art gallery. Here, nearly seven hundred nurals are displayed covering every aspect of life of the Tibetan people and showing different scenes from the construction of the Potala.
Two storeys up from the Sishi Puntsok Hall is the Chogyal Drupug (the Cave of the Religious-king). This cave-like shrine is said to have been built to commemorate Songtsan Gampo's meditation on the Red Hill in his youth. Constructed in the seventh century, it is the most ancient part of the Potala. According to written records, when it was built 1,300 years ago, the Potala had 999 rooms, with the addition of this cave shrine making the figure up to 1,000. Formerly, the Potala was built on a vast scale, but due to fire damage caused by lightning strikes and sudden attacks, the original construction was almost levelled to the ground leaving only the Chogyal Drupug Cave and the Pagpa Lhakhang Temple. Looking around at the Chogyal Drupug's shiny walls blackened by incense smoke, you can faintly see that all four walls have been dug out to form a cave. Under the gloomy electric light, the lifelike sculptures of Songtsan Gampo, Princess wenchen, Princess Bhrikuti Devi, and Gar Tongtsan and Thonmi Sambhota could be real! This tiny cave shrine scarcely thirty square metres in area will take you back 1,300 years in history.
The Pagpa Lhakhang, on the next level directly above the Chogyal Drupug, is also one of the earliest parts of the palace. The central image enshrined inside is said to be a manifestation of Songtsan Gampo. A panel with the inscription "Blissful Soil Nourishing Miraculous Fruits' written in Chinese by the Qing Emperor Tongzhi hangs above the entrance to the shrine. From the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama, the Qing Dynasty strengthened its control over Tibet, and the Dalai Lama in return developed his relationship with the central government. Other proofs of this close relationship can be found elsewhere in the Potala, and include a portrait of Emperor Qianlong and a imperial longevity tablet written in four languages Han, Tibetan, Mongolian and Manchurian both of which are kept in the Sasum Namgyal Hall. Later reincarnations of the Dalai Lama paid their respects annually to the portrait and tablet to express courtesy from a minister to a monarch.
It would be impossible to mention one by one all the jewels and antiques that are preserved in the Potala, but one item that deserves to be remarked on is a pearl mandala composed of 200,000 pearls. It is not only priceless but a precious work of art.
When visit to the Potala Palace is over, one might be pondering this question: from its murals, sculptures, "tangkas" and gifts, the Potala seems no different from other monasteries in Tibet, so why is it that the others are called "monasteries" while the Potala alone is called a "palace?" The reason is because that the Potala was originally built in the Tubo era when Buddhism had not yet attained its dominant position in Tibet. Moreover, the unification of the state and church had not yet been effected. The imposing buildings of the Potala were erected merely as a palace for the kings, built against a hilly backdrop so as to give a majestic impression of standing aloft. In those days there were not as many images and stupas as there are today, and so there was no reason for people to come and worship and burn incense. After the Fifth Dalai Lama received his appointment from the Qing Emperor and rose to the leadership of both state and church, the residential palace for the Dalai Lama was moved from the Drepung Monastery to the Potala Palace. As a consequence, the identity of the Potala underwent a change; it became the seat of not only local government but also the greatest Buddhist lama of Tibet. The Potala therefore obviously took on a deeper religious colouring, and as it was the seat of the Dalai Lama, the incarnation of a god, the Potala also became a sacred place for people to prostrate themselves in reverence.
With the strengthening of the unification of state and church, the Potala not only took on the functions of seat of government, ministries and monastery,but also became the leading military headquarters for the pre-liberation local army. A prison was built under the Potala, adding to its complex nature.
Finally, the grand entrance of the Potala Palace. From here, we have to climb all the way to the top of the palace.
The Potala Palace, located in (The sacred city of Lamaism; known as the Forbidden City for its former inaccessibility and hostility to strangers) Lhasa, Tibet, was the chief residence of the (Chief lama and once ruler of Tibet) Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to Dharamsala, India after a failed uprising in 1959. Today the Potala Palace is a state museum. It is now a popular tourist attraction and an UNESCO World Heritage Site .
Built on the side of Potala Hill, Potala Palace, with its vast inward-sloping walls broken only in the upper parts by straight rows of many windows, and its flat roofs at various levels, is not unlike a fortress in appearance. At the south base of the rock is a large space enclosed by walls and gates, with great (A porch or entrance to a building consisting of a covered and often columned area) porticos on the inner side. A series of tolerably easy staircases, broken by intervals of gentle ascent, leads to the summit of the rock. The whole width of this is occupied by the palace.
The central part of this group of buildings rises in a vast quadrangular mass above its satellites to a great height, terminating in gilt canopies similar to those on the Jokhang. This central member of Potala is called the "red palace" from its crimson colour, which distinguishes it from the rest. It contains the principal halls and chapels and shrines of past Dalai Lamas. There is in these much rich decorative painting, with jewelled work, carving and other ornament.
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