The summer and autumn of 2001 saw the dismantling of the leading centre for Buddhist scholarship and practice on the Tibetan plateau. In the 21 years of its existence, Serthar Institute (known as Larung Gar) had expanded from a solitary mountain hermitage to a spiritual oasis for over 8,000 monks, nuns, and lay students. Khenpo Jigme Phunstok founded Sertahr Institute…
