Home › Multilingual Archive Index › List of Tibetan monasteries

List of Tibetan monasteries

The List of Tibetan monasteries is a listing of historical and contemporary monasteries in Tibet sorted according to the five principal orders of the Tibetan spiritual traditions that have been recognized by the present Dalai Lama, including monasteries that were within Tibetan borders when extant, or were culturally included within the Tibetan tradition:

Bön

• Menri
• Yungdrung Ling
• Triten Norbutse

Kadam/Geluk

The three most important centers of the Gelugpa lineage are Sera, Drepung and Ganden Monasteries.

• Alchi
• Drepung — the home monastery of H.H. the Dalai Lama
• Ganden — the seat of the Ganden Tripa
• Jokhang — said to have been King Songtsen Gampo in 647 AD, a major pilgrimage site
• Labrang
• Reting
• Sera — the largest monastery in Tibet, containing numerous colleges
• Spituk
• Tabo
• Tashi Lhungp — the seat of the Panchen Lama
• Yerpa

Jonang

• Jonang

Kagyu

Many Kagyu monasteries are in Kham, eastern Tibet. Tsurphu, one of the most important, is in central Tibet, as is Ralung.

• Drigung
• Palpung Monastery — the seat of the Tai Situpa and Jamgon Kongtrul
• Ralung Monastery -- the seat of the Gyalwang Drukpa
• Riwoche - seat of the Taklung Kagyu lineage
• Surmang Monastery — the seat of the Trungpa tülkus
• Taklung
• Tsurphu Monastery — the seat of H.H. the Gyalwa Karmapa

Nyingma

The Nyingma lineage is said to have "six mother monasteries," although the composition of the six has changed over time:

• Dorje Drak
• Dzogchen Monastery
• Kathok
• Mindroling
• Palyul
• Shechen

Also of note is

• Samye — the first monastery in Tibet, established by Padmasambhava and Shantarakshita

other Nyingma monasteries:

• Tsozong

Sakya

• Ngor
• Sakya — the seat of H.H. the Sakya Trizin
• Shalu