Ever since Sera Jey Monastery grew and became known to be a great place of Learning, from the time of its great founder & masters in its early history, to subsequent periods spanning decades & centuries to this present age; its prominence & distinction spread far & wide across to India, China and other surrounding Buddhist influenced nations; scores of renowned and saintly scholars were graduated from this Monastery. A historical records indicates that the Monastery's total population strength of monks in 1959 before the communist Chinese troops destruction & persecution of Monastery & monks, at around 5629 monks.
The event of 1959, that witnessed the invasion of Tibet by the communist China, was the darkest period in the History of Tibet and its religious faith - Buddhism. It brought the near end of centuries old Monastic Culture and Practice, by the indiscriminate destruction of monasteries and persecution of monks. And Sera Jey Monastery was one of the most severely affected from this spiritual & cultural genocide.
Sensing the immense threat to the existence, survival and freedom of right to worship the traditional & cultural faith of Buddhism, an integral part & a way of life of Tibetans for centuries, His Holiness The Dalai Lama devotedly acting on the responsibility of His leadership as the temporal and spiritual head of Tibet, took the most tough & noble decision when He took flight to India. Followed by many thousands of Tibetans in His footsteps, who are fortunate to escape the communist Chinese troop's ruthless dragnet to check any Tibetans from leaving Tibet. Few hundred of Sera Jey members comprising of lamas, geshes and monks were fortunately able to escape to India.
