Milarepa Temple Pagoda

　　Introduction       As early as the 42nd year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1777), Geshe Losang Dargye, believed to be an incarnation of Milarepa, built the Amdo Cooperative Milarepa Temple Pagoda on the site of an existing stupa. The new structure was modeled after the nine-story pavilion that Milarepa himself had built in Lhozhag. However, this ancient pagoda was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. In 1986, with the implementation of ethnic and religious policies, reconstruction of the Milarepa Temple Pagoda began in 1988. By 1992, the nine-story pagoda, covering a total area of 411 square meters and standing over 40 meters high, was completed and consecrated, restoring its former glory.

　　      The central shrine on the first floor houses the Maitreya Buddha, flanked by Manjushri and Vajrapani Mahasthamaprapta. On either side are also the Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteshvara, Milarepa, Shakyamuni, Bhaisajyaguru, White Tara, Ushnishavijaya, Amitayus, Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed White Umbrella, Green Tara, Prajnaparamita, and the Lion’s Roar Buddha. The east and west walls of the main hall feature many vivid and exquisitely crafted statues, including Buddhas, great accomplished masters, and famous Tibetan kings.

　　      The central figures on the second floor are Je Tsongkhapa and his disciples Kedrup Je and Gyaltsab Je; the third floor features the “Three Supreme Ones” revered by Tibetans—Padmasambhava, Shantarakshita, and Trisong Detsen; the fourth floor centers on the Three Protectors of the Secret Mantra—Manjushri of the Buddha Family, Avalokiteshvara of the Lotus Family, and Vajrapani of the Vajra Family.

　　      Among all the Buddha statues are the founding patriarchs of various Tibetan Buddhist sects, primarily Milarepa and his disciples, as well as numerous yidam deities from the Four Classes of Tantra, with Vajrayogini at the center. From the first to the ninth floor, there are a total of 1,270 Buddha statues. The outer perimeter of the temple courtyard is adorned with 130 bronze prayer wheels, and the top of the courtyard wall is lined with 1,500 small stupas, each about two cubits high. In front of the nine-story pagoda, another stupa has been constructed, echoing the pagoda from afar.

　　 Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu