[2025 Lhasa Attraction] Travel Guide for Scriptural Debate Of Sera Monastery (Updated Jan)

🍁"One day, you'll find your way here." 🍁Sera Monastery is one of the six main monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Together with Drepung Monastery and Ganden Monastery, it is one of the three great monasteries of Lhasa. Sera Monastery is famous for its debates, which take place every day at 3:00 pm. 🍁Walk uphill from the main entrance of Sera Monastery to find the debate courtyard. The doors open at 3:00 pm sharp, and the monks enter one by one, pick up their mats, and find a spot. The debates begin. Even if you don't understand what they're saying, the atmosphere is captivating. The monks' exaggerated expressions and serious confrontations are infectious. Sitting and standing, attacking and defending, it's like a dance. They are immersed in a sea of knowledge, exchanging and learning for two hours. 🍁If you come to Lhasa, you must visit Sera Monastery and watch a debate in the dappled sunlight. At that moment, the sound of faith is deafening, and the debates are truly awe-inspiring!

Sera Monastery is not very big, and the only thing I wanted to hear this time was the debates. Sure enough, I couldn't understand a single word. I went there around three in the afternoon. There are special seats for spectators. What's more, there are even onlookers who debate with the monks. Everyone is eloquent and debates with great passion.