Book Review Sera Monastery Sera Monastery by Cabezón, J. and P. Dorjee. (2019). Sera Monastery. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 978-1-61429-611-9. JOSEPH MCCLELLAN Since the founding of Samyé in the eighth century, nearly every substantive topic in the field of Tibetan Buddhism or history is either linked directly to, or removed one or two short degrees from, Tibe magi e ial mona e ie . In hi ol me, Jo Cabe n and Penpa Do jee lea e e fe one unturned in their quest to tell the story of Sera Monastery, which lies at the heart of the Geluk school of Tibetan Buddhism, and therefore also of? Half a millennium of Tibetan intellectual history and politics. Diving into minute detail on some topics and throwing brief light onto dozens of others, the book rewards readers with diverse backgrounds and interests (anthropological, sociological, historical, economic, etc.). Its greatest value, though, will be realized in generations to come as scholars emulate its ambitious scope on the way to unpacking the complex histories and structures of other Tibetan monasteries and their role in so much cultural production. With chapters weighing in at more than five hundred pages (and carrying more than fifty pages in appendices, a twenty-page bibliography, an index, and other back matter that total another hundred pages), non-specialists may demure at the text’s proportions. Yet, the book, based on more han a decade of e ea ch compiled fo Cabe n online Sera Monastery Project, is encyclopedic without being dry. 1 As former monks of Sera and long-term affiliates, Cabezón and Dorjee sprinkle the book with insider perspectives, anecdotes, and speculations that would scarcely occur to an armchair academic. Despite its heft and unabashed meandering, patient exploration carries the reader through a fascinating scholarly field green with insights and encouragement for further inquiry. The first twenty- h ee in od c o page glo Se a Mona e fo nding (a ell a he fo nding of its various colleges, or densas), historical trajectory, key figures, administrative structure, and social and cultural impact all of which are developed in painstaking detail in later chapters. This circuitous in od c ion i ep e en a i e of he book gene al c e; i effec i eness in the end, however, does not necessarily suffer from this approach. In what may appear as a case of lede-burying after the data-laden buildup, the authors offer a concise declaration of their motives and goals: Considering how important the densas have been to the history of Tibet, there is little European or American scholarship on these institutions. To our knowledge, there are no serious book-length studies of Ganden and Drepung in any European 1 http://www.thlib.org/places/monasteries/sera/ 104 language, but several exist in Tibetan. The same is true of Sera. This book charts Se a hi o f om i fo nding n il he p e en da (Cabe ón & Dorjee, 2019, p. 23). Within this straightforward framework, the authors give themselves considerable freedom to roam, and one of their greatest successes is their demonstration of the value of a piece of encyclopedic scholarship that need not stand on the stilts of a finely wrought critical-synthetic thesis. In the prime of distinguished careers, the authors show no anxiety to dazzle with creativity. Instead, they array copious research for the reader to sort through, mull over, and run with on rhizomatic offshoots. Moreover, unlike in most standard academic monographs, the authors do not commit themselves to any recognizable, canonical research methodology. Modestly, they write, The book is, we hope, a realistic and accurate portrait of Sera. We have not shied away from mentioning the more problematic aspects of life in the monastery or the less-flattering episodes in Se a hi o . So man Tibe an o k on he densas are idealized portraits of these institutions. Our intention was to provide a balanced, critical account. It will be up to the reader to decide whether we have succeeded. This book is not the final word on Sera, but we hope that it begins to address the p e ing need fo mo e e ea ch on Tibe g ea mona ic ni e i ie (Cabe ón & Dorjee, 2019, p. 25). Ho ha e o he app oached Tibe g ea mona e ie ? It is worth comparing two younger chola mona ic hi o ie o Cabe n and Do jee , no to tally a scholarly score between them, but to highlight the legitimacy of various scholarly styles. In her 2012 PhD dissertation, Materials of Buddhist Culture: Aesthetics and Cosmopolitanism at Mindroling Monastery, Dominique Townsend sets out a far mo e pecific, hi o ical agenda ha foc e on he fi h ee gene a ion of Mind oling, looking in pa ic la a he in i ion ole a a cen e fo c l e and ae he ic (To n end, 2012, p. 3).2 Throughout her introduction, she explains the implications of her scholarly decisions, and how the skillful unpacking of certain themes can lead to wider and fuller historical understandings: Through the education of lay people, monks and nuns in a wide range of subjects, Mind oling infl ence eached fa beyond the scope of doctrinal Buddhist subjects, pervading worldly matters as well as religious ones. Mindroling was the place to go for the cultivation of good taste, high style, and cosmopolitan aesthetics among the Tibetan aristocracy. This joint religious-secular influence is one of the main sites of p od c i e en ion hi p ojec in e iga e . Thi a pec of Mind oling hi o complicates commonly held preconceptions about the relationship between Buddhism and culture, and to some extent between religion and culture more generally (Townsend, 2012, p. 6). 2 Townsend, D. (2012). Materials of Buddhist Culture: Aesthetics and Cosmopolitanism at Mindroling Monastery (Doctoral dissertation, Columbia University, New York, USA). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.7916/D8VH5VX9 105 When Cabezón and Dorjee assert that theirs is not the final word on Sera, they are soliciting applica ion of To n end o nd me hod o Se a, o o an o he Tibe an mona e , and he provide most of the raw material needed to begin such new synthetic projects. This raw material is e plici in he f l ome p e en a ion of hei o n p odigio e ea ch, a ell a la en in he book generous bibliographical footnotes referencing hundreds of Western and Tibetan sources. Should one de i e o follo To n end in complica ing commonl held p econcep ion abo he ela ion hip be een B ddhi m and c l e, Cabe ón and Dorjee offer dozens of footholds. For example, in the introduction they write, Despite their fame as centers of learning, not all the monks of the two philosophical colleges were den o e ali . Fa f om i . In he mid- en ie h cen onl abo 25 pe cen ee actively studying. The rest were involved in various other activities: administration, cooking, o e eeing he cond c of monk , pe i ing chapel , admini e ing he mona e e ae, managing corvée workers, and so on (Cabezón & Dorjee, 2019, pp. 12-13). The authors are surely aware of the sociological richness of this passage and the many like it in the book, but it is not their goal to unpack it. They simply present their observations with enough clarity for future scholars to make use of and supplement. Similarly, should one wish to follow Townsend again in looking fo p od c i e en ion emming f om a mona e join eligio - ec la infl ence, Cabe ón and Dorjee (2019) usher the reader in that direction: Many aspects of Tibetan monastic life may seem strange to Western observers, who often have an idealized image of Tibetan monks as living a serene, contemplative existence, aloof from worldly concerns. That this stereotype is inaccurate can be seen, inter alia, from the fact that, throughout history, Sera monks have been active participants in Tibetan politics and governance (p. 16). Similar comparisons can be made to Jan Ronis 2009 doctoral dissertation on the history of Katok Monastery, an important Nyingma institution in eastern Tibet.3 Having pored over the Tibetan literature, Ronis, like Townsend, takes the approach of a traditional critical scholar-investigator, identifying particular issues, people, and a particular period in order to draw out important historical lessons. His research explores a crisis in the continuity of traditions and administration at Katok as impelled by volatile changes in regional politics and religion during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (Ronis, 2009, p. ii). He writes that his deep dive into this limited time and place contributes to more general scholarly concerns, including 1) the historical process of growth and decline of individual monastic institutions, 2) the development of Buddhist scholasticism, 3) the institutionalization of cults of revealed scriptures, 4) the rise of reincarnate lamas, and 5) the religious 3 Ronis, Jan M. (2009). Celibacy, revelations, and reincarnated lamas contestation and synthesis in the growth of monasticism at Katok Monastery from the 17th through 19th centuries (Doctoral dissertation, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.18130/V3QJ77X7C 106 hi o of ea e n Tibe (Roni , 2009, pp. 2-3). Cabe n and Do jee book clea l foc e on poin one, cha ing Se a g o h and challenge , and o ome deg ee i ela ion hip o i i e monasteries, Ganden and Drepung. Point five is also thoroughly addressed, mutatis mutandis, for the region of central Tibet. Regarding point three, the institutionalization of new scriptures, the authors discuss this not as a sustained theme, but in various parts of the book, particularly in its many biog aphical p ofile of Se a majo pe onage . In one ec ion, he e eal he c io fac ha Se a third throne-holder, Gungru Gyaltsen Sangpo (1383 1450), had, early in his career, revealed ea e, a p ac ice all a ocia ed i h he N ingma School (Cabe ón and Dorjee, 2019, p. 4 160). More apropos to the highly scholastic Geluk School, the authors give us glimpses of many fa cina ing c ip al d ama in Se a hi o . The de c ibe he c ip al and philo ophical di e i of the early Geluk school, demonstrating, for example, that the aforementioned Gungruwa ran afoul of Khed p J (one of T ongkhapa clo e di ciple and a majo po e b oke ) ho con ide ed ome of G ng a madh amaka po i ion incon i en i h he ie of T ongkhapa (Cabe ón & Do jee, 2019, p. 163). Fo hi ea on, G ng a i ing e e pha ed o b b e en gene a ion of Se a leade . Again cha ac e i ic of he book fec ndi , he a ho i e, b ied in a long foo no e, ha , All of hi pain a picture of Gungruwa as someone who believed that there were different paths to the ultimate, some of which were not philosophical. Whether or not any of hi i bo ne o b G ng a ecen l di co e ed i ing emain o be in e iga ed (Cabe ón & Dorjee, 2019, p. 164 n. 373). This, like dozens of other pearls scattered through the book, will make a fine dissertation for some future scholar. Similarly, they profile the fascinating figure of Kunkhyen Lodroe Rinchen Senge (15th cent.) who, like Gungruwa, seems to have been a powerful and independent thinker who posed a threat to the Gel k chool b geoning o hodo . Hi i ing e e h like i e pp e ed, and he a ho enco age e ea ch in o hem: On he face, he e e do no e ince he adical departures from standard Geluk view that one would expect of banned books, but scholars are still in the early stages of e amining hi li e a e (Cabe ón & Dorjee, 2019, p. 173). Back o Roni heme Cabe n and Do jee ea he fo h, he i e of einca na e lama , dedicating a several-page section to the tensions between competing ideals found at Sera: the ideal of the institutional scholar versus the ideal of the charismatic meditator and his subsequent reincarnations. They illustrate this en ion h o gh a d of e a e a ached o Se a affilia ed hermitages: But for an institution to thrive as a meditation retreat it requires the leadership of a charismatic contemplative. Almost all of the founders of the hermitages had this type of drive and charisma. Once a founding figure had passed away, however, the leade hip of he he mi age pa ed on o he fo nde einca na ion in ead of o a senior student who might also have had this calling. The trulkus were rarely as committed to the contemplative life as their predecessors. There were several reasons for this. The young trulkus, who had high official status at Sera, were encultured 4 While not specified, we assume that these were not scriptural revelations. 107 from an early age in densa life. Wherever the yearning to be a hermit comes from, it does not generally come f om a chola ic ed ca ion .The hi o ical le on he e i a simple one: it is difficult for hermitages to remain meditation-oriented institutions so long as succession is through the trulku system (Cabezón & Dorjee, 2019, pp. 339-341). While Roni goal is to exhaust this theme in the context of Katok, Cabezón and Dorjee are content to record their pithy speculations and move on with the exposition of their trawling research. The final poin on Roni li i he de elopmen of B ddhi chola ici m (2009, pp. 2-3). On this theme Cabezón and Dorjee make a masterful contribution. They do not limit their scope to Geluk scholasticism, or even Tibetan scholasticism; they take us all the way back to early Buddhist monasticism in India and the scholastic traditions developed in mahāyāna institutions like Nālandā and Vikramaśīla. Anecdotally, in preparation for this review, I happened to read their chapters Early Indian B ddhi Mona ici m and The C l e of Lea ning in B ddhi India a I a im l aneo l teaching these topics to my undergraduate class in Buddhist history. While there is no shortage of scholarly material on early Buddhism, the Vinaya, or mahāyāna intellectual history, I found Cabezón and Do jee dige o clea and con enien ha I a igned he e o chap ers as a review assignment after I had already covered the topics relying on several older, more scattered sources. Chapter one, in particular, answers many questions that arise for students trying to differentiate between the customs of the Theravāda Vinaya and the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya of the Tibetans. For example, it discusses why Tibetans frown upon temporary ordination, a practice common in Theravāda traditions. It also attends to other Tibetan monastic idiosyncrasies, such as their lax observation of vinaya codes regarding begging for food and fasting after midday. In addition to its clear and thorough treatment of vinaya details, the authors contribute to the already substantial literature on the development of the mahāyāna canon. Western theoretical discourses are not sustained in the book, but compelling, passing references are made, for example, to the relevance of psychological theories related to writing and literacy and their anthropological role in the evolution of self-consciousness (Cabezón & Dorjee, 2019, p. 89). More research on these developments in South Asia can only be beneficial for critiques of Eurocentrism. In he book in od c ion, he a ho p omi e no o hide con o e ie and bi of gline , and this is for the most part delivered. The Geluk reputation for sectarianism, while not developed as a theme, is alluded to a number of times, inviting more investigation. 5 Modern controversies are treated, including the assassination of the fifth Radreng Rinpoche (1912 47) (an important teacher to the present Dalai Lama) and his associates, such as the interesting Sero Khardo Rinpoche.6 5 For example in the aforementioned profiles of Gungruwa and Kunkhyenpa. While not mentioned by the authors, Khardo Rinpoche is alleged to have had an illicit affair with the female mystic Delog Dawa Drolma while on a visit to eastern Tibet, which led to the conception of the modern Nyingma master, Chagdud Tulku, who taught extensively in the West (See Chagdud Tulku. [1992]. Lord of the Dance. Padma Publishing, pp. 32, 41). Regarding Reting Rinpoche, it would have been interesting to hear 108 6 The controversy around the cult of the protector-spirit Dorje Shukden is given a clear and concise treatment near the end of the book. The only controversial topic that seems to be given short shrift is the profile of Pabongkha Dechen Nyingpo (1878 1941), arguably the most influential Geluk teacher of the twentieth century. He is mentioned a few times in various sections, but probably because he was not one of Sera s official throne-holders or abbots, he is not treated under his own heading, despite his close affiliation with Sera and his reputation as either the ultimate saint or the embodiment of toxic sectarianism. Regardless, short biographies of Pabongkha are available elsewhere,7 and the authors may be forgiven for leaving him largely to the side. Admittedly, some sections of the book recall Melville s unpopular chapters in Moby Dick that dwell on every conceivable detail of a ship s tackle and whale s anatomy. For example, in a later section on Sera s administration, the authors are sure to let us know that, D ing he igchen deba e e e monk go a la ge coopf l a daso (zla zo), about two lbs. of barley meal every day for the fifteen days that the rigchen lasted. Monks also received one large khapsé, a piece of f ied do gh, e e da .The oil ed o f he khap a e ed f om ea o ea .La people co e ed he khapsés, and individual monks and khamtsens would often purchase additional khapsé o offe pa on .All old, ome 100,000 khapsés were prepared at this time (pp. 413 14). Certainly, many readers will have no interest in such details, but it is commendable that the authors (and editors at Wisdom) left them in the book. They will contribute to some sociological, anthropological, or economic research in the future, for monasteries are material sites embedded in rich concrete networks; they do not run on mere philosophical vapors.8 It is uncertain how soon anyone will be able to ma ch hi d cope and ef lne , b Buddhist studies, Tibetan history, and connected fields of anthropology and sociology will be immen el en iched if Cabe n and Do jee lead i follo ed and hi o ical ea e a e mined f om monasteries like Ganden, Sakya, Palpung, Zurmang, Palyul,9 Dzogchen, Kumbum, Tsurphu, and others. Dozens of important research projects will emanate from studies of these cultural lodestars, just as they will, before long, from the publication at hand. mention of his controversial involvement with Nyingma teachers such as Chatral Rinpoche, but this admittedly, comes from my own Nyingma interests. 7 For example, Joona Repo. (2015). The Second Pabongkha, Dechen Nyingpo. Treasury of Lives. Accessed June 30, 2020, http://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Second-Pabongkha-Dechen-Nyingpo/3989. 8 See Ward, J. A. (1956). The Function of the Cetological Chapters in Moby-Dick. American Literature. 28(2) pp. 164-183: All human means are used to examine the whale: science, legend, art, history, literature, and religion are but the most obvious; the examination of the whale leads to an examination of all humanity and the entire universe. In the center is the whale itself, and behind every reference there is the concrete physical de ail of he hale. Fo Mel ille all hing a e i all ela ed o all o he hing , and diffe ence of ba ic ca ego a e fo him negligible (p. 172). 9 An English translation of a short Tibetan history of Palyul is available: Tsering Lama Jampal Zangpo. (1988). A Garland of Immortal Wish-Fulfilling Trees: The Palyul Tradition of Nyingmapa. Snow Lion. 109