“Great horns thunder out from atop the temple echoing through the darkness, vrooom, vrooom, vrooom, then fading gently into the stillness of the night.  A moment’s silence, followed by the sound of feet padding through the narrow streets, the rustling of robes and the low murmur of whispered voices. The rush to the early morning puja in the main temple fades to silence.  Then slowly, in unison, the voices of 2500 monks in prayer rises through the stillness.  Lead by the Omse the chanting goes on and on rising and falling like waves upon the sea. As I lay there in the early morning darkness, wave upon wave washes over me, carrying me to a place far beyond this distant land.”

William Judge
Sera-Jey
1993

Sera  Monastery  is a colorful place full of life, laughter and of course the Buddha Dharma. The enormous main temple, which can hold several thousand monks, is filled with the beautiful iconic imagery of Tibetan Buddhism.  It seems there is not a square inch that is not elaborately painted.  When lead by the omse, the voices of several thousand monks in prayer in this vast temple is a sound that defies description.  Rising and falling in tempo and intensity it touches you in the deepest part of your soul.

The rebuilding of Sera in South India began in 1970 by a handful of monks who were forced to flee Tibet after the Chinese occupation of 1959.  Now, with well over 5,000 monks, Sera Monastery is a testimonial to the depth of Tibetan spirituality and dedication to keeping the teachings of the Buddha and their cultural alive.

For the western mind, the younger school age monks who seem to be everywhere around the monastery when school is not in session, are difficult to comprehend.  How can such a young boy be a monk? How did he come to be here and why would his parents approve?   “Path to Geshe” answers these and many more questions about their life at Sera.  The dedication of the senior students and teachers to these young boys is inspirational.

Path to Geshe is now free on Vimeo

Path to Geshe