Tsi Nesar (rTsis gnas.gsar, also called rTsis lha.khang) is a geomantic ('district controlling' or 'border taming') temple attributed to Emperor Songtsen Gampo who lived in the 7th century CE. However, the original buildings, their precious murals and paintings said to date back to the 12th century, and the nearby temple constructed by Emperor Trisong Detsen in the 8th century to house a famous image of Prajnaparamita, consecrated by Padmasambhava, which survived until the Cultural Revolution, have all been destroyed. A "country-style" temple has been built in recent years incorporating some of the revered ancient timbers from the original temples.''The Power-places of Central Tibet: The Pilgrim's Guide'', pp. 271, 292-294. (1988) Keith Dowman. Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd., London & New York. . It is located in a valley 25 km from

Gyantse Gyantse, officially Gyangzê Town (also spelled Gyangtse; ; ), is a town located in Gyantse County, Shigatse Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It was historically considered the third largest and most prominent town in the Tibet region ( ...

and 6 km north of

Drongtse Monastery Drongtse Monastery ('Brong rtse; Pinyin: Zhongze) is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery was formerly one of the most important Gelug monasteries in Tsang, Tibet. There was also a chorten there. Drongtse Monastery, is 19 km northwest of Gyantse and ...

. There were two small ancient temples, the Runo Tsuklakang (Ru-gnon gtsung lag.khang or 'dgon-khang') was built by Songsten Gampo. It consisted of three chapels dedicated to rNam.par snang.mdzad, ( Vairocana) mGon.po ( Mahākāla) and sPyan.ras.gzigs ( Chenresig = Avalokiteshvara). The Yumchen lhakang, apparently founded during the reign of Trisong Detsen, contained a statue of Yumchenmo or Prajnaparamita surrounded by the Buddhas of the Four Directions, as well as an image of mGon.po said to have been made from blood drawn from the nose of Guru Rinpoche ( Padmasambhava). The third temple, traditionally attributed to the reign of Emperor

Ralpacan Tritsuk Detsen (), better known by his nickname Ralpachen () (c. 806 CE–838), according to traditional sources, was the 41st king of the Yarlung Dynasty of Tibet. He reigned after the death of his father, Sadnalegs, in c. 815, and grew the emp ...

(although Vitali dates its foundation to about 1057), was called rGya-phibs, which, from its name, must have been surmounted by a pagoda roof at one time. The "stiff, medallioned robes" dressing the bodhisattvas at Tsi Nesar show Central Asian and Indian (

Pala Pala may refer to: Places Chad *Pala, Chad, the capital of the region of Mayo-Kebbi Ouest Estonia * Pala, Kose Parish, village in Kose Parish, Harju County * Pala, Kuusalu Parish, village in Kuusalu Parish, Harju County *Pala, Järva County, vi ...

) influences and probably date to the 11th century.''Early Temples of Central Tibet'', pp. 51-53, 55-59. (1990) Roberto Vitali. Serindia Publications, London. . The site is one of the twenty-five main ''terne'', or 'power-places with treasure-troves', of Central Tibet mentioned in the biographies of Padmasambhava. Tsi Nesar is said to contain '

exoteric Exoteric refers to knowledge that is outside and independent from a person's experience and can be ascertained by anyone (related to common sense). The word is derived from the comparative form of Greek ἔξω ''eksô'', "from, out of, outside". ...

terma'.

Footnotes

{{Buddhist monasteries in Tibet Buddhist monasteries in Tibet Buddhist temples in Tibet History of Tibet Shigatse Gelug monasteries 7th-century establishments in Asia