Gengqing (Gongqin) Monastery in Dege County, Garze

Gengqing Monastery (更庆寺), also named Gongqin Monastery (贡钦寺), located in Gengqing Town (更庆镇), Dege County (德格县), Sichuan, is the main monastery of the Sakya (萨迦) sect of Tibetan Buddhism in the Kham (康区) region. Originally belonging to the Nyingma (宁玛) sect, the monastery was established in 1448 by the 36th generation of the Dege (德格) family, Bota Zhashi Shenggen (博塔·扎西生根), and the famous Tibetan Lama Tang Dongjiebo (唐东杰波) of the Kham Kagyu (香巴噶举) sect. They created the Tangjia Sutra Hall (汤甲经堂).

History of Gengqing Monastery

During the rule of the 7th Dege Lord (德格土司), Laying Xiangba Pengcuo (拉青·向巴彭措), the monastery converted to the Sakya (萨迦) sect, leading to its expansion and the official renaming to Lunzhuding Monastery (伦珠顶寺), commonly known as Gengqing Monastery (更庆寺), meaning “Great Monastery”. This monastery includes the main hall, the printing institute, and monks' quarters, forming a large architectural complex. In the 12th generation of the Dege family (德格家族), during the reign of Lord Dengbazeren (登巴泽仁), the Dege Sutra Printing Institute (德格印经院) was built on the west side of the main hall of the monastery, with monks managing the printing activities.

Construction and Expansion

The monastery underwent further development in the Qing Dynasty (清朝) during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng (雍正). The monastery expanded significantly, and by the time of the 7th and 8th Dege Lords (德格土司), Gengqing Monastery (更庆寺) had taken its final form. The complex stretches for hundreds of acres, with the main temple on the eastern part, the printing institute and Tangjia Sutra Hall (汤甲经堂) on the west, forming a vast and majestic complex.

In 1986, the 10th Panchen Lama (十世班禅) personally selected a new location to rebuild the main hall of Gengqing Monastery (更庆寺). The new main hall was completed in 1988, covering around 30 acres. The project then entered the stages of internal carving, sculpture, painting, and decoration.

Religious and Political Influence

Gengqing Monastery (更庆寺) has been closely tied to the Dege family (德格家族) for centuries. Since its establishment, it has been managed by the Dege family, with the eldest son becoming the monastery's leader (the monk head) and the second son inheriting the political role of the Dege Lord (德格土司). This system meant that the monastery did not have living Buddhas (活佛), and the leadership was passed down within the family. The monastery played a vital role in assisting the Dege family's governance and helped maintain the family’s religious and political power.

In the 12th generation, under Dengbazeren’s rule (登巴泽仁), the Dege family added five more monasteries, but Gengqing Monastery (更庆寺) remained the family’s main temple, receiving extensive privileges, including control over land, trade, loans, weapons, and political influence.

Layout and Administration

Gengqing Monastery (更庆寺) is divided into two parts: the East Courtyard (东院) and West Courtyard (西院). It oversees seven branch monasteries: Gongya Monastery (龚垭寺), Galun Monastery (嘎伦寺), Yinnan Monastery (银南寺), Wengen Monastery (温根寺), Mencha Monastery (门查寺), Keluo Monastery (柯洛寺), and the Tibetan Randong Monastery (燃灯寺) in Jiangda County (江达县), Tibet. Additionally, there are many semi-affiliated monasteries in counties such as Baiyu (白玉), Shiqu (石渠), and Jiangda (江达).

The highest leadership of the monastery is held by the Dege Lord (德格土司) or his brother. The administrative structure includes various important monk positions such as the Dala Lama (大喇嘛), the Kamdu (堪布), and other monks in charge of rituals, scripture printing, and other duties.

Religious Politics (寺院政教)

During the Republic of China (民国时期), the Kuomintang government (国民党政府) relied heavily on the religious influence of Gengqing Monastery (更庆寺), appointing monks to political and military positions within the local administration. After the liberation (解放后), the government implemented a policy of separating religion from politics, thus abolishing the economic and political privileges once held by the monastery.

In the post-1978 reform period (改革开放后), four religious leaders from Gengqing Monastery (更庆寺) were elected to the county’s political advisory body and Buddhist association, further contributing to social and economic development.

Cultural Significance

From the early Qing period (清初) to the Republic of China (民国时期), Gengqing Monastery (更庆寺) became a hub for scholars from both China and abroad, promoting developments in Tibetan art, music, Tibetan opera (藏戏), sculpture, wood carving, architecture, printing, and Tibetan medicine (藏医药). The monastery's impact on the development of Tibetan culture in the Dege region (德格地区) cannot be understated.

Monks like Loderwengbo (洛德翁波) from the Qing Dynasty (清代) and the late Qing era’s Kamdu Sangdengluo Ren (桑登洛仁) made significant contributions to Tibetan scholarship. The monastery is also famous for its traditional Tibetan opera (藏戏), which was influenced by Tang Dongjiebo (唐东杰波), the father of Tibetan opera. Every year, on the first day of the Tibetan lunar calendar's seventh month (藏历七月初一), Gengqing Monastery (更庆寺) performs traditional Tibetan operas, including classic plays such as Xiareba (夏热巴) and Nu Rong Prince (诺绒王子). These performances are known for their ancient and rugged style, with distinct singing, dancing, and dramatic techniques.

Economy and Personnel

At the time of the early People's Republic of China (解放初), Gengqing Monastery (更庆寺) had 960 monks, including 40 senior monks (大喇嘛), 300 regular monks (一般喇嘛), and 360 lay monks (扎巴). The monastery owned a large number of firearms, with a force of over 400 monks capable of being mobilized for military purposes. It also managed over 1,000 acres of farmland, dairy cattle, and a large number of Koba households (科巴).

By 1988, the monastery had 313 monks, with 170 being functional monks (职事喇嘛) and 143 lay monks (扎巴). The monastery's economic activities included architectural design, land and livestock management, printing, painting, sculpture, and transportation, with annual economic revenue exceeding 30,000 yuan.