The Treasury of Lives

Gyume Dratsang (rgyud smad grwa tshang) is a monastic college for tantric studies at Labrang Tashikhyil (bla brang bkra shis 'khyil) Monastery. It was established by the First Jamyang Zhepa, Jamyang Zhepai Dorje ('jam dbyangs bzhad pa 01 'jam dbyangs bzhad pa'i rdo rje, 1648–1721/1722), in 1716. Some scholars, however, date the establishment of the college as 1719. The college follows the tantric tradition and practice and adopts the academic curriculum and administrative system of Gyume Monastery (rgyud smad grwa tshang) of Lhasa, Central Tibet. It thus assumes the eponym from the central tantric monastery in Lhasa. Gyume Dratsang is one of the four Tantric colleges of Labrang Monastery, the others being Gyuto Dratsang (rgyud stod grwa tshang), Kyedor Dratsang (kya'i rdor grwa tshang), and Dukhor Dratsang (dus 'khor grwa tshang). Labrang also has two non-tantric monastic colleges—Tsenyi Dratsang (mtshan nyid grwa tshang) and Menpa Dratsang (sman pa grwa tshang).

Sources

Nietupski, Paul. 2011. Labrang Monastery: A Tibetan Buddhist Community on the Inner Asian Borderlands, 1709-1958. Lanham, MD: The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, pp. 20-21.

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