Study On The Past And Present Of Sarkog Monastry

The Sarkog Monastery is very prestigious in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, the Gelug Sect listed the monastery in "the four famous Monasteries in the north of the Yellow River" and "the four famous Monastery of North Shore of Huangshui River". With the founding of the Sarkog Monastery and its rise and fall history as the main clue, this paper focus on the description of the historical background, geographical features, historical figures, national history and culture of the Sarkog Monastery area from the time of Qing Dynasty to the Republican as well some research on the present situation of the monastery through literature research in order to survey the success and failures, changes and it's causes in policy of central government governing regions of Mongolia and Tibet. Baced on collation of historical data, combined with field survey data, the paper tries to depict the outline of the course of the region's historical development and cultural changes over the years. Based on the research on the life experience of the past generations of the abbot Mundrol of the Sarkog Monastery, who was one of the seven famous Hutuketu from Qinghai who lived in Beijing. The paper explores the interaction relations between religion monastery and society and studies the reasons why the Sarkog Monastery rises and falls several times and the reasons of its ill fate, so that to make rational policy to govern regions of Qing-Tibet, improve social management levels and provide reference to the research on history of Tibetan Buddhism, Qinghai nationalities relations and local history.By studying of history materials and data in Chinese words and Tibetan records, it is found that the rise and fall of the Sarkog Monastery have concerned with the benefit contradiction of the central government and local governments, and the interaction between various local political forces and the interaction between the various nationalities, and especially have a very close relationship with the central government's ethnic and religious policies. Through the several rises and falls of this Tibetan Buddhist monastery, we can get a glimpse of the pros and cons of governance policies and practices in Qing Dynasty and the Republican in Tibetan areas of Qinghai. Thus, it provides profound historical references to us today in administrating the Tibetan community, improving social management capacity and properly handling the ethnic and religious issues in Tibetan area and even the whole minority nationalities area. In addition, it will provide references materials for richening history of ethnic relations in Qinghai and local history. Finally, the material and the methods used in this paper will provides some help to the peers who are interested in the research on Sarkog Monastery in the future, which comes from the comprehensive and systematic study to the Sarkog Monastery's management system and traditional forms of organization, Living Buddha system, scholastic education, temple economy, Buddhist religious art and other aspects from various levels and angles.The paper includes the contents as following:The preface, gives explanation to the background of topic choice, origins and significance. It gives collation to related present research situation and it defines the basic framework, theory, research methods and related concepts of the paper.Chapter One, summarizes the natural environment, geographic profiles of the Sarkog Monastery and the history of Datong county, and it described the historical outline and changes of the Sarkog Monastery during the five periods of Shunzhi and Yiongzheng of Qing Dynasty (1649-1732), Qianlong and Tongzhi period of Qing Dynasty (1736-1874), the last period of Qing Dynasty and the period of the Republican (1875-1949), the early period of found of People's Republic of China to the of China's Open and Reform (1949-1977), and the period from the beginning of Open and Reform to now (1978—now)Chapter Two, does some research on the religious organizations systems, administrative organization systems and the management framework with in the monastery including rank systems, authority systems and individual fascination systems, it gives summary of the content above.Chapter Three, sorts the living Buddha system, explains the system of reincarnation of living Buddha, the unique system of Tibetan Buddhism's solution to the question of monastery monks succession system. Mainly introduces the living Buddha system of Minzhuer, Sanling, Laguo, Ganzhuerwa, Diwa, and also makes a brief introduction to it's important religious and political roles in the strategy of the central government governing regions of Mongolia and Tibet.Chapter Four, describes scholastic education of the Monastery, for examples, the school education system, the debate doctrine and promotion system and the ritual of the doctrine yard. And also make a summary of the unique Tibetan Buddhist scholastic education. Chapter Five, studies the monastery economy of Sarkog monastery (traditional way of management activities and the traditional support and donation situation). And it uses the method of comparative analysis to study the economic situation at the period of the monastery. Finally, it analyses the reasons why the monastery's economy lags at present time.Chapter Six and Chapter Seven, describes the Buddhist issues, the monastery ceremony and religious arts including architecture, painting and sculpture of Sarkog Monastery, comparative analysis to art features, and cultural relics of the monastery.Chapter Eight, studies the changes of interactive relationsh of the Sarkog Monastery and the "nine temples"and "five tribes" under the Sarkog Monastery.Chapter Nine, analyzes the interactive relationship between the Sarkog Monastery and central government as well as the local government of Qinghai during Qing Dynasty, Ming Dynasty and the Republican. It also analyzes the changes of relationship between central|—local government of'state" representative and Sarkog Monastery of "local society" representative.Chapter Ten and Chapter Eleven, studies the relationship between the Sarkog monastery and Wei Tibet in the history and explores the interaction with the Mongols, and also explores the close relationship between Sarkog Monastery and Zhebang Monastery, Youning Monastery, Quezang Monastery, Labuleng Monastery, Taer Monastery as well as the interaction with other monasteries such as Duolunerhuizong Monastery of Mongolia to explore the forming process of monasteries relationship net providing the social capital and symbol capital each other.Chapter Twelve, conclusion and discussing.Based on the research above, we can draw the basic conclusions as following:First, Sarkog Monastery played important roles in the strategy of the central government governing regions of Mongolia and Tibet in Qing Dynasty and the period of the Republican, by reflecting of the important positions in the central government and local government of the living Buddha system of Minzhuer, Sanling, Laguo, Ganzhuerwa, Diwa.Second, Sarkog Monastery experienced several times of rises and falls to the ill changes, with the outsides reasons such as the policy changes of central government governing regions of Mongolia and Tibet, religion discriminating and races oppress by local warlords, the development of history and society; the inner reasons are such as the power struggles of Monastery, poor management and development capacity, etc.Third, at present age, Sarkog Monastery is detained with the reasons as following:1. The strikes of industrialize, common customs, sense;2. The effecting from changes of nationalities population structures,mass life style, national culture customs around area;3.local discentralizing, poor development of economy and culture;4. lack of powerful monks in monastery to attract the local people and poor development capacity itself,etc.Fourth, to prevent stagnation of development at present age, religions must adapt to real society development. As important factor of social structure and running, temples must adapt to the state's policies on nationalities and religions, obey government's administer, make rules and strengthen the temples regulations, improve monks'quality and capacity, etc.