Sera Jey, one of the major colleges of the famed Sera Monastic University, was founded in Tibet in 1419 by Jamchen Choje, a disciple of Lama Je Tsongkhapa. As one of the Three Seats (gdan sa sum) of the Gelug tradition, Sera has historically been a premier center for Nālandā-style monastic education, emphasizing sūtric study through rigorous memorization, textual analysis, and debate. Within this system, monks are generally expected to postpone tantric studies until they have developed a strong foundation in Buddhist philosophy. Despite this emphasis on scholasticism, Most Secret Hayagrīva (rta mgrin yang sangs) remains ubiquitous at Sera Jey, with his image displayed in temples, debate courtyards, hostels, and even monastery-owned businesses. The explicitly tantric nature of this wrathful deity, particularly in yab-yum union, presents a striking contrast to the more widely recognized sūtric deities of the Gelug tradition.
This paper examines the central role of Most Secret Hayagrīva in the ritual and social life of Sera Jey monks. While Hayagrīva is commonly associated with the Nyingma tradition as one of the bka’ brgyad or Eight Command Mandalas, the Gelug transmission at Sera Jey originates from its fifth abbot, Kunkyen Lodro Rinchen Sengye (Kun mkhyen Blo gros Rin chen Seng ge), whose father, a Nyingma yogi, ensured that Hayagrīva would be his son’s tutelary deity (yi dam). This foundational story remains central to the monastery’s self-narrative and underscores the persistence of ritual traditions within a scholastic institution that formally prioritizes sūtric study.
At the re-established Sera Jey in Bylakuppe, South India, Hayagrīva practice remains a key component of monastic ritual life. The monastery continues to hold a yearly action-permitting retreat (las rung), culminating in a large-scale fire offering (sbyin sreg) that attracts both monastic and lay audiences. Monks regularly perform Hayagrīva torma (gtor ma) and golden libation offerings (gser skyems), integrating these rites into the monastery’s daily and communal rituals. Lay Tibetans and Indian devotees attend these ceremonies, seeking blessings and participating in rituals such as the phur ba blessing, where devotees receive consecrated powder believed to dispel spirit harm.
While many of these liturgies are accessible to all monks, the most specialized Hayagrīva rituals require extensive training. At Sera Jey, a dedicated ritual house known as the rta mgrin khang serves as a venue for intensive training, where select monks are tasked with mastering the monastery’s most complex Hayagrīva rites. This paper draws on interviews with the director of the rta mgrin khang to provide an ethnographic perspective on the pedagogy of ritual transmission within the monastery.
Beyond Sera Jey, the globalization of Hayagrīva practice has extended its reach beyond traditional Vajrayāna communities. Overseas Dharma centers affiliated with Sera Jey regularly host Hayagrīva ceremonies, including the hundred-thousand food offering (‘bum tshogs) and large public initiations. His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself has presided over Hayagrīva empowerments at Sera Jey, reinforcing its significance within the contemporary Gelug tradition.
By examining ritual, institutional history, and ethnographic accounts, this paper explores how Most Secret Hayagrīva remains integral to Sera Jey’s monastic identity, demonstrating how ritual practices continue to shape communal belonging and monastic training even within institutions officially dedicated to philosophical study. In doing so, this study challenges the perceived division between Gelug scholasticism and Vajrayāna ritual expertise, highlighting the enduring interplay between sūtric and tantric elements in contemporary monastic life
Sera Jey, one of the major colleges of Sera Monastic University, was founded in Tibet in 1419 as a premier center for Gelug monastic scholarship, emphasizing sūtra study within the Nālandā tradition. However, despite this strong scholastic orientation, Most Secret Hayagrīva (rta mgrin yang sangs)—an explicitly tantric deity in yab-yum form—remains central to monastic life at the re-established Sera Monastery in India. His image is found not only in temples but also in hostels, restaurants, and offices, reflecting his institutional significance.
This paper examines the monastic rituals associated with Hayagrīva, particularly the annual serviceability retreat (las rung) and fire puja (sbyin sreg), both attended by the entire sangha. These rituals reinforce communal identity, forge ritual bonds, and negotiate the role of Vajrayāna within a monastic curriculum traditionally centered on scholasticism, highlighting the continued importance of esoteric practices in contemporary Gelug monasticism.