ACADEMIC TRAINING AT THE DREPUNG GOMANG MONASTERY/INSTITUTE.
At the Drepung Gomang Monastery, we have a modernized middle School and a traditional dialectic college. Both are undertaken by Drepung Gomang Buddhist cultural Association and Drepung Gomang Educational society.
• Language used for education is Tibetan —both spoken and written.
• Minimum age of admission is 8 up to no limitation of maximum age.
• The yearly admission acceptance is up to 100, and the Monastery will consider if the number goes beyond that.
• Those below the age of 14 are given admission into primary school and above the age of 15 are admitted to dialectal college.
• After admission, one has to go through annual exams to ascend to the next level. Those who failed annual exams will not get promoted to the next level or have to give double exams.
• The primary subject is Buddhist philosophy along with additional subjects: Tibetan language, History, and Science, English, or Chinese as an optional subject.
• To graduate from the Monastery, it takes at least 16 years with an addition of six years if one wishes to earn the degree of Geshe Lharampa. Thus the total time required is 22 years.
• One must be a monk to get admitted to the Monastery and must wear monk's robe as a uniform. Whoever has given up monk's vows will have to leave the Monastery. As long as students are a monk and part of the monastery, each and everyone gets equal opportunity without any bias of race, color, and creed.
• In this institution, Monday is a weekend holiday, but we don't offer long summer or winter vacations. If needed, individual students may apply for a vacation, leave or to attend to important work for one or two months annually after proper leave from the monastery's authorities.
Main Subjects of Study for Drepung Gomang Monastic Training:
(1)PRELIMINARY COURSE –4 YEAR DURATIONIn the first four years, the main subject taught is Paramana Vidya –Buddhist logic--, which includes elementary dialectics, Syllogism, logic or reasoning, and epistemology. With an additional lesson on Tibetan, basic Tibetan grammar, and Tibetan calligraphy. •Training in the art of debate, learning debating skills, mode of inquiry, and theory of language. (Collected Topics) •Introduction to the basic concepts of Buddhist logic, epistemology, and different types of mind. (Mind and Logic) •Learning the basic Buddhist tenets of the four philosophical schools of Buddhist thought, and the Buddhist and non-Buddhist philosophical systems of thought. (Tenets) •Practical introduction to the basic Buddhist training of the process, methods, and stages of liberation and enlightenment. (Path and Stages) (Over a 16-year period, every year, there is a two- month winter course of an in-depth study of Buddhist logic, epistemology and philosophy of language, based on texts of Dignaga (500 C.E) Pramanasamucchaya and Dharmakirti (600 C.E), the five treatises such as Pramanavarttika, and the various Tibetan masters’ commentaries on these texts) |
(2) BUDDHIST SOTERIOLOGY, BASE, PATH, AND RESULTS: 6 YEAR COURSE DURATIONFor the next six years, the main subject taught and learned is Prajnaparamita --the perfection of wisdom--. Main texts taught are five treatises of Maitreya, with a special emphasis on Abhisamayalankara --ornament of Realization--. Commentaries of Indian Acharyas like Haribhadra and Vimuktisena along with texts of Tibetan Masters like Tsongkhapa and two main disciples of him, with a special focus on commentaries of Kunkhen Jamyang Shepa. Advanced Tibetan Grammar is required to study as a secondary subject. •In-depth course of study of both general Buddhist and in particular Mahayana Buddhist theories of Soteriology, i.e salvation or enlightenment, and detailed training in associated practices: •Four Noble Truths, Two Truths, The Thirty-Seven Practices of Path to Enlightenment, including The Noble Eightfold Path; Buddha Nature; Bodhisattvas’ deeds; Buddha’s qualities and activities; •Learning from very basic to advanced Buddhist meditations, i.e different levels of meditative stabilization (dhyana): quiescence (samatha); insight (vipassana); •Cultivation of love, compassion, Bodhicitta, (the mind of enlightenment) and practice of six perfections; •Learning the differences in motivation, methods and training: in Buddhist individual-liberation seekers, Theravada; and in universal-enlightenment seekers, Mahayana; •In-depth study of Dependent Origination (paticca-samuppada): The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination. The theory of Samsara and Nirvana; •The Buddhist theory of hermeneutic systems, Buddha’s two types of teachings: interpretable and definitive. SASTRAS, INDIAN TEXTS FOR STUDY:Sutras: Prajnaparamitasutras. |
(3) BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY, REALITY OF ALL THINGS AND EVENTS IN SAMSARA OR NIRVANA: COURSE DURATION 2 YEARSFor the next two years studies on Madhyamika –Middle way philosophy--. During that period the main texts studied are Six prominent treatises of Madhyamika by Acharya Nagarjuna, Madhyamakavatara --entering the Middle way-- by Acharya Chandrakirti and other commentaries of Indian pundits and Tibetan Masters, with a special focus on Kunkhen Jamyang Shepa's commentaries on Madhyamika. The additional subject required to study is Tibetan poetry. Madhyamaka (Middle Way) Philosophy. •In-depth detailed study of Madhyamaka Philosophy. This school’s view of the reality of the things and events is considered the finest realization of the truth. Within the four Buddhist philosophical schools, the Madhyamaka school’s philosophy is subject to particularly detailed study: •Study of non-Buddhist Indian schools’ philosophies with special reference to their view of atman (Self); •Study of the general Buddhist philosophical schools’ concepts of reality, in particular, Cittamatra (Mind only) school’s view of it; •Study of Master Nagarjuna’s presentation of Sunyata (emptiness), the nature of reality, from the understandings of two different Madhyamika Masters; •Study in the depth of the unique Mahayana interpretation of dependent origination (paticca-samuppada). SASTRAS, INDIAN TEXTS FOR STUDY:Sutras: Prajnaparamita sutras. |
(4) ABHIDHARMA PHENOMENOLOGY, EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL WORLD VIEW: YEARS – 2 YEAR COURSE DURATIONAfter that, two years of studies on Abhidharma. During that period the main texts studied are Abhidharmakosha --Treasure of higher knowledge-- by Acharya Vasubandhu and various commentaries by Indian pundits and Tibetan Masters such as Chim Jampeyang and Gyalwa Gendun Drup, with a special focus on Kunkhen Jamyang Shepa's commentaries on Abhidharma and Gungthang Tenpai Donme’s summaries of Abhidharma. The additional subject required to study is the religious history of Geluk school. From these two years, additional subjects of Science is required to study. Besides that English or Chinese language is an optional choice among international languages. Abhidharma: •Study in the depth of all the different types of consciousness and their objects: •Learning different levels of positive and negative consciousnesses; •Learning all the roots and secondary negative-mental states, their functions, and consequences; •Learning all the virtuous states of mind, their functions, and consequences; •Learning different types of consciousness experienced in different levels of meditative states: the eight levels of dhyana; •Learning how, due to the mental states of individuals, different world systems are experienced by each individual: the three realms i.e desire, form, and formlessness. SASTRAS, INDIAN TEXTS FOR STUDY:Abhidharmakosa by Vasubandhu; |
(5) VINAYA MONASTIC CODE OF CONDUCT, ETHICS; (COURSE DURATION 2 YEARS)After that, two years of studies on Vinaya. During that period, the main texts books studied are Vinaya Sutra of Indian Acharya Guna Prabha, An extensive commentary on it by Acharya Dharmamitra. Commentaries by Tibetan Masters such as Kunkhen Tsonava and Gyalwa Gendun Drup, with a special focus on Kunkhen Jamyang Shepa's commentaries on Vinaya and Gungthang Tenpe Dronme's summaries of Vinaya. The additional subject required to study is the religious history of Geluk school and essay composition. During these two years, science is required to study along with optional language subjects. Vinaya: •Study in detail of how ethically to live individual and collective monastic lives: •Learning all the vows of novices and fully ordained monks, Bhikshus; •Learning all the rites, recitation and training-period retreats of the monastery; •Learning all the rites for giving ordination and the setting up and leading of retreats. SASTRAS, INDIAN TEXTS FOR STUDY:Vinaya-sutra by Acharya Gunaprabha; |
AFTER COMPLETION OF SIXTEEN YEARS OF STUDY AND TRAINING, ONE HAS TO COMPLETE THE MONASTIC TRAINING, BUT TO GET THE DEGREE CERTIFICATE AND TITLE OF THE LOWER GESHE —EQUIVALENT TO M.PHIL — THE CANDIDATE MUST SERVE THE MONASTERY FOR TWO FURTHER YEARS.
(5) FINAL 6 YEARS OF REVISIONS AND SETTING EXAMS OF LAST 16 YEARS STUDIES.To obtain the Geshe Lharampa degree, one must complete a further six years of examination on the 16 years of training, under the Gelugpa University. Only after successfully completing the six-year course of Gelugpa University, the candidate gets conferred Geshe Lharampa degree —the equivalent of Ph.D. —•The first 2 years' revisions and setting exams for Karam, BA.•The next 2 years' revisions and setting exams for Lopon, MA.•The last 2 years' revisions and setting for Lharam, Ph.D. |
EXPENSES; SCHOLARSHIP, FOOD, AND ACCOMMODATION ETC.:
The teachings in the Drepung Gomang monastic institution is based on religious-philosophical training, and the curriculum is crafted according to that. All the expenses given by the Monastery are either collected as donations from supporters, or interest earned on the corpus fund of the monastery, aids from charity organizations, and some help from Central Tibetan Administration.
All the education-related expenses, food, and medical care are fully provided by the Monastery, and free accommodation is provided by respective Hostels run independently by faculties within the organizational structure of the Monastery.
How a Monk Professes in Buddhist Science
In Tibet Drepung Gomang Monastic University held 22 standards as to qualify and graduate the monastic studies in a sequence of the scopes of studies to be professed. They are as: 4 grades for Dhuda (The Collected Topics); 1 for Takrig (Science of Reasoning); 1 for Lorig (Science of Logic); 1 for Dhondunchu (the preliminary grade as to anticipate the upcoming years-long studies of Perfection of Wisdom by going through its concise version in advance); 4 for Parchen (Perfection of Wisdom); 2 for Uma (Middle View Philosophy); 2 for Zoe (Treasure of Knowledge) 1 for Lagyud (to mainly study Lamrim, the version especially composed for practicing Buddha Dharma in systematic mode rather than broad exploring and analytical studies); 6 for Dhulwa (Monastic Discipline—the first two or three years were for restudying Parchen and Uma as to impart the running students of the particular Buddhist courses with their guidance through debate and strengthen their own intellectual inputs too; the following years were for studying Dhulwa that lasted even more as in accordance with one’s need, intention or zeal).
Tests on Buddhist Philosophy, Tibetan grammar, history, poetry.
Thuk choera (inter class debate congregation)
Young monks practice debate at debate courtyard.
At present, the monastery holds almost the same classes, especially for those who work hard for a higher rank of Geshe Lharampa. The monastery has been producing growing numbers of Geshe Lharampa.
As the exhortation goes on: Equipped with the grounded base of learning and contemplation, do move into practice accordingly.
So, those standards of the monastery as cited above are for upholding the treasure-insights of Five Buddhist Sciences and Buddha Dharma at large. And so the purpose of establishing this monastic university is strictly for upholding, sustaining and honing the vast Buddha’s Teachings passed down from ancient Nalanda Tradition.
As for the 8 annual periods of debate session each class has its share of sectioned parts of the studies of the year to be completed within the timeframe of a single period of debate session.