Sera Monastery is one of the three principal Gelukpa monasteries built in Lhasa. Its layout is very beautiful with cobbled alleyways, temples and colleges. It was founded in 1419 by Shakya Yeshe, a disciple of Tsong Kapa. Located northern part of Lhasa, it once housed more than 5,000 monks.
The highlight of the monastery will be watching a monks’ debating in the shady courtyard behind its main temple. Every day, hundreds of red-robed monks assemble in small groups and practice their debating skills. It is a highly entertaining spectacle, during which they strike poses not dissimilar to hip hop rappers. They clap, turn, snap fingers, whoop, holler and throw their prayer beads about. In most cases, one monk sits on the floor, while another one stands, arguing about Buddhist rituals – immensely enjoying their debates. The spectacle is just so fun and filled with high energy. It’s a bit like a Sicilian market place, or a football match, increasing in volume all the time, and some of the monks are really good showmen, sometimes mischievously involving you in their debates, as if trying to get you onto their side.
