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the
floating Lotus Palace
Although
the number of monks has dwindled, the Kathok Monastery
still retains many priceless holy objects:
the
hand-manuscripts of the past Lineage-holders
of Kathok
the
wood-block compositions
and termas
the
entire hand-copied version of the Tripitaka,
written in gold ink
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the huge
Buddhist images
numerous indescribably
excellent Buddhist images and
holy
objects of divine origin..
such as the Supreme Spiritual-Teacher of the Yuan Dynasty,
Ba Si Ba's (Sakya Drogon Chogyal Phagpa) gift –
..
a
3-storey high bronze Buddhist Stupa, totally covered with
gold.
This stupa is Ba Si Ba's expression of gratitude to his
Guru, the 5th Throne Holder of Kathok, Yixi Beng(pa) for
the great Initiation of the 100-Dieties of the Bardo – the
Guhyagarbha Tantra;
..
the Buddhist stupa made of glass is a gift from the
King of Da Li, within which is a Buddha image made of pure
gold and a 3-dimensional ivory mandala;
..
the 7 great offerings – receptacles measuring 3 metres
in diameter; a Shakyamuni Buddha Image that is the most
precious holy object of India's "Wu Dan Da Bo Li"
temple.
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The most spectacular of these holy objects is
the greatly famous Mandala of Padmasambhava – the
Auspicious Copper-coloured Palace.
Outside view is that of a 5-storey-high
magnificently spiendorous palace.
Inside view is that of the great hall
of the mandala and the Buddha Statues of the 3 Holy Bodies of
the Emanation-Body, the Enjoyment-Body and the Truth-Body.
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All the wall-paintings and sculptures
are very life-like. To be in the mandala would make one
feel as if one is dwelling in the Pure Land of Great Bliss.
The great hall's stone walls, stone pillars
and roof tiles are all plastered with gold as thick as
the skin of a horse.
There are also exquisitely crafted golden
umbrellas, canopy, auspicious Dharma Wheel flanked by
a buck and doe as well as the paragonic pinnacle, treasure
vase and countless other sumptuous awe-inspiring holy
objects as well as many beautiful artistic treasures.
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However, the Law of Impermanence applies
even with the presence of Dharma. The 4 processes of Impermanence:
Creation, Preservation, Destruction, Return to its
primordial nature of Voidness
...which fell inconspicuously upon such
a wondrous and superior holy place of the majestic Kathok
Monastery.
In the ancient times , there are 300 over
Kathok Monasteries flung across Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim, Mongolia,
the ancient kingdom of Da Li and China proper. With the
lapse of time, there are only about 130 Kathok Monasteries
left even with ardent re-construction efforts.
Until the
time of the 80th Throne-Holder Xi Du Que Jie Jiang Can Rinpoche
in recent years.. there have been a total of 123
totally accomplished masters. The successors of Situ Chokyi
Gyaltso include Mocha Rinpoche, Kyong Jung Rinpoche and
the late great Khenpo Gyaltsen Ozer who also happened to
be the 83rd Throne-Holder. After
10 years of wild turmoil, the Holders of Kathok's Golden
Dharma Throne: ..
H.H. Mocha Rinpoche, Kyong Jung Rinpoche,
great Khenpo Gyaltsen Ozer and supreme
head of Kathok Monastery, H.H Lhoga Rinpoche.
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They lead all students in a hard drive
to revive the Kathok Tradition. They unceasingly re-constructed
the many Kathok temples, monasteries, monks' quarters, a Buddhist
University, 2 meditation centres as well as continuing with the
re-building of the magnificently inspiring Copper-Coloured Palace
so that it will once more serve as the ordained and laymen's holy
place of refuge. Thus, the holy monastery was resurrected from
the ruins.
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