Thrangu Kong Jo Sherab Ling Nunnery
Thrangu Kong Jo Sherab Ling Nunnery is an affiliate of Thrangu Monastery in Kham, Eastern Tibet. This thriving Buddhist community houses over 100 nuns in Yushu, Qinghai, near the town of Jiegu. The nunnery is in a very remote area. The nuns are poor and currently have no source of income other than what they are able to obtain by begging and what their families provide.
RAISING AN AUSPICIOUS GOLDEN ROOF
The nuns of Thrangu Nunnery in Yushu, Tibet are seeking funds for a new roof for their temple. The current roof is leaking, damaging the thangkas (traditional sacred paintings) and the imagery on the walls of the shrine rooms. A new roof - copper painted a golden color, including grading, insulation, and weatherizing - would protect the building, bring it into line with other monasteries and nunneries (which are typically golden-roofed), and support them nuns' practice of the dharma.
There is a tradition in Tibet to place a Serkhebs, or golden roof, with Gendzira, or cupola, on top of monastery shrine buildings. The golden top represents the five Buddha families. In its most elaborate form, the roof has a bell shaped cupola which includes: a lotus topped wheel, which represents Buddha Vairocana; a bell atop the wheel, representing Buddha Amoghasidhi; an eight-petalled lotus on top of that, representing the Buddha Amitabha; a vase on top of that, representing Buddha Akshobhya; and a jewel at the very top, representing Buddha Ratnasambhava. The abbreviated or simplified form of cupola, called the vase form, is also common and includes three buddhas, representing enlightened body, speech, and mind: a lotus with a vase on top, representing Buddha Vairocana, topped by an eight petalled lotus representing Buddha Amitabha, and a jewel at the top representing Buddha Akshobhya.
The benefit of raising a golden Gendzira is mentioned by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye in his commentary on offering and consecrating mantras. He wrote that if the Gendzira is properly consecrated by means of the generation and dissolution of the general and particular of the three roots, it will pacify all the harms in that area and gather vast prosperity and support the virtue of humans, nagas (local spirits), and that of the gods.
Also, the abbot of Ga Zuru Monastery, disciple of Jamgon Lodro Thaye, khenpo Konchok Tenzin stated in the commentary of Chakrasamvara, the roof that covers the monastery symbolizes the purification of the suffering of Samsara for all beings. And the Gendzira ornamented on top of the roof representing the qualities of all the Buddhas.
It it thus clear that supporting the Thrangu nuns' golden roof project is a way to bring great benefit for the world in general and especially to the town!
The Current Cost Estimation for Yushu Thrangu Nunnery Project:
The total cost needed for 2,393 square tubes of various sizes (unit price 330 rmb each), labor fee and other mattnals is 789,690 RMB.
Donate in China:
禅古公主女尼寺修建吉祥金顶
屋顶年久失修、漏水，导致佛堂墙壁上悬挂的唐卡(传统佛像)画作遭到损坏,现青海玉树禅古公主智慧法洲寺的尼师们正在筹集维修善款。新的屋顶——将是铜漆金色、包括平整、隔热和防风化等措施，使更能完善保护寺院建筑、达到建筑标准（传统上应该是金顶），对尼众在其中作佛法修持将是一大支持。
寺院设计风格中，寺院的屋顶通常是金色的，并带有顶阁。金色的屋顶代表着五方佛。在精美的设计中，屋顶还带有一个钟形顶阁；其中莲花基座上的法轮，代表毗卢遮那佛；上有一铃， 代表不空成就佛；其上八瓣莲花，代表阿弥陀佛；再上有一宝瓶，代表不动佛；再上一宝珠代表宝生佛。另一种称为宝瓶式样的简化宝阁也很常用，它包括了三时佛觉悟的身、语、意，基座莲花和其上宝瓶，代表毗卢遮那佛，上面八瓣莲花代表阿弥陀佛，再上面的珠宝代表不动佛。 贡康楚洛卓泰耶的著作《供咒论释》中讲：“如能修建三根本及所有三宝所依，以此功德能平息遣除当地诸灾害，给人天龙神带来广大福德”。
此外，蒋贡洛卓泰耶的弟子，噶.祖鲁寺堪布贡秋丹津在他所著的《胜乐金刚释论》中讲：“寺院的金色屋顶象征着清净众生平息轮回的表象，屋顶上装饰的宝顶则代表一切诸佛的功德”。
禅古公主女尼寺维修金顶工程尚需资金：
尚需2393件各种尺寸的金属管材、金色板材及人工费（单价330元/人/天）。费用共计：789690元人民币。
捐款专用账号：
账户名：老松昂文
账户号码：6228 4819 4810 0525 178
开户银行:中国农业银行（青海玉树红卫路支行）
Donate with PayPal or credit card:
May all beings benefit!