| Although numerous books have been written on the | | | | keep away from sin. It is by this means you will find |
| teachings and philosophy of the Buddha, little is known | | | | your way out of the wheel of rebirth.' Understandably |
| about the manner in which that philosophy is put into | | | | not all of those willing to learn are able to immerse |
| practice, that is to say, how Buddhist monks live and | | | | themselves in these studies with equal depth. The |
| work and how the monastic system functions. The | | | | entire period of study takes more than twenty years. |
| Tibetan monastic life, in particular, deserves special | | | | However the Tibetan monastic life rests on spiritual |
| attention within a study of the religious life of human | | | | communities containing very large number of monks. |
| history. The entire social, political and cultural history of | | | | But every member of these communities is not able to |
| Tibet and other central Asian countries was greatly | | | | see the prescribed course of studies through to the |
| influenced by the monasteries. They represent one of | | | | end. Simples tasks are required of bearer of low |
| human history's most ambitious and radical social and | | | | monastic grades. These include maintenance of the |
| psychological experiments precisely because they | | | | monastery buildings, lighting lamps in the temple, |
| were attempting to achieve, on a massive scale, the | | | | working in the monastic kitchens - in short all the jobs |
| creation and perpetuation of a subculture which | | | | that require no particular training. And those who have |
| institutionalized the basic Buddhist principles of | | | | completed their courses successfully were awarded |
| non-attachment, material renunciation, celibacy and | | | | the degrees of 'Geshe', a Doctorate of Buddhology, by |
| transcendental wisdom. They secure a spiritual | | | | the monasteries themselves of by the State. They are |
| heaven, a means of withdrawing from the temporal | | | | now qualified to carry out the most important and |
| world with its sensual values and simultaneously act as | | | | most difficult rituals in the general chapels or in their |
| an instrument, for bringing Buddhist philosophy and | | | | colleges and are also qualified to teach in the various |
| beliefs to that very same temporal world of the lay | | | | monasteries and universities. They can also proceed |
| people. It is the monasteries that preserve the doctrine | | | | further on the higher tantric studies and practices. |
| in the traditionally most acceptable form. | | | | Study in the monasteries is by no means restricted |
| It is well known fact that the survival of Buddhism has | | | | only to liturgical, doctrinal and esoteric teachings. The |
| always depended upon the health and strength of its | | | | student is also offered the possibility of penetrating into |
| monasteries. With the destruction of the monasteries | | | | the auxiliary sciences, even if these are not directly |
| after the thirteenth century, Buddhism ceased to be a | | | | connected to the primarily religious and liturgical |
| distinct form of religious life in north India. Similarly with | | | | trainings. They are also taught medicine, astrology and |
| the destruction of the monasteries of Tibet during the | | | | astronomy, rhetoric, literature, painting and the art of |
| present century, Buddhism has ceased to be a living | | | | drawing such religious arts as mandala and thankas. At |
| force in the land. | | | | present in Indian and Nepal, elementary modern |
| Monasticism in Buddhism started during lifetime of Lord | | | | sciences and foreign languages like English are also |
| Buddha in the 5th century B.C. in India, the Buddhist | | | | taught in the monastic schools. |
| monastery was usually called a vihara, which can also | | | | The liturgical life in large monasteries unfolds in a |
| mean school in the monastery. The first large Buddhist | | | | multiplicity of religious ceremonies in which monks or |
| monastery within a city seems to have been the | | | | nuns have to participate. The most important ritual |
| Jetavana in a park at Sravasti which is now in the | | | | performances take place in the central chapel (sog |
| northern part of India. And it is often mentioned as a | | | | Chen) and the minor ones are in the chapel of colleges |
| place where, Buddha stated when he preached. There | | | | or house itself. The rites and rituals in the tantra are |
| was, a great emphasis on learning in these | | | | meant mainly for the meditation in which one's guardian |
| monasteries and some of them grew into university | | | | deity (Yidam) is visualized. All the instructions are given |
| stature, with courses on many topics besides the | | | | by a spiritual director for such practices at the time of |
| expected expositions on Buddhism. Probably the most | | | | ritual performance or before that. It is believed that no |
| famous were the Nalanda and Vikramasila monastic | | | | genuine insight can have merely intellectual value; it |
| universities which developed and lasted through most | | | | must always tend to become a living spiritual |
| of the first millennium and upto the end of the 10th | | | | experience. These rituals also serve as means of |
| century. Tibetan monasteries originated from them and | | | | purification and promote accumulation of spiritual merit. |
| followed the same pattern of offering all Buddhist | | | | Now I wish to draw some attention on its organization |
| education and philosophy in the monastery and vihara. | | | | and administration. These are two principle things to be |
| The history of Tibetan monasteries goes back to the | | | | considered: the spiritual education and liturgy on the |
| 8th century. The first important monastery, Samye, | | | | one hand and the world functions like administration on |
| was built under the sponsorship of King Trisong | | | | the other. Taking the three largest monasteries of |
| Detsen (AD 742-97) on thr advice of Guru | | | | Tibet (Sera, Drepung and Gaden) as an example |
| Padhamasambhava, a tantric master from Indian. | | | | which are re-established in South India, the spiritual |
| Santirakshita was appointed as abbot, thereby | | | | authority is concentrated in the hands of the abbot |
| becoming the head of the first monastic order of Tibet. | | | | who is elected and then approved by the Dalai Lama. |
| A monastic curriculum was established and at first as | | | | The office of abbot is as a rule entrusted to a famous |
| an experiment, six or seven Tibetan youths were | | | | Geshe on account of his spiritual merits and learning. |
| admitted as novices. These monasteries attracted a | | | | Under him, there is an office of Gekoe, the Dean of |
| number of Indian saints and scholars, and eventually, | | | | discipline, who is responsible for maintenance of |
| many learned scholars and translators of both | | | | monastic discipline. Provost (the leader of chanting) |
| countries jointly translated thousands of Buddhist texts | | | | who directs all liturgical acts and also leads the |
| from Sanskrit into Tibetan. These are today one of the | | | | collective recitation of prayers during morning and |
| main sources for doing researches on Buddhism and | | | | evening assemblies and ceremonies. Most of the large |
| Indian studies. | | | | monasteries have two or three stewards who duty is |
| As Buddhism spread in Tibet many other monasteries | | | | to manage the monastic propert such as offering food |
| were built and a succession of other monastic orders | | | | and tea to the congregation at important ceremonies |
| grew around the personality of inspired teachers and | | | | and is incharge of financial interest of the monastery in |
| saints. A good example of these are the monasteries | | | | general. Thus the above offices are important for the |
| of Ganden, Drepung and Sera which were founded | | | | monastic life from the point of view of discipline and |
| during the lifetime of Tsong Khapa (A1357-1419), a | | | | administration. The larger monasteries are divided into |
| great reformer and eminent scholar of Tibetan | | | | two or three colleges which are sub-divided into many |
| Buddhism. They have preserved their traditions and | | | | houses for keeping the monastery in order. |
| serve as an important institution for Buddhist studies. | | | | Each monastery forms a self-sufficient economic |
| Tibetan Buddhism is often described as a combination | | | | entity. All the property which it has come to possess |
| of Mahayana and tantrism. However, life in almost all | | | | by inheritance or any other means belongs fully and |
| monasteries were regulated over centuries by the | | | | entirely to the monastic community as donations made |
| ancient monastic rule of the Mula-Saravastivada | | | | by the entire community. Now at present in India, most |
| school favored in central and northwest India. Tibetans | | | | of the large monasteries are allotted some lands to |
| of Tibet, the monasteries were re-established in India | | | | cultivate. So life in the monastery is a mixture of work, |
| and Nepal. It has been estimated that between six to | | | | stuffy, prayers and meditation. It is very similar to the |
| eight present of the population of Tibet - were life-long | | | | Catholic Monastic life of the West which is the largest |
| monks and nuns; and large monasteries often | | | | monastic system of Christianity. The assets of the |
| resembled towns. For example, Drepung, the largest | | | | monastery includes corn fields, rice paddies, a small |
| monastery of Tibet, held roughly 10,000 monks before | | | | herd of buffalo and cows and a small restaurant which |
| the cultural revolution of China. | | | | is run by themselves. The monks are sent out to |
| Monastic life in its entirety is ruled by philosophical | | | | perform prayers and rituals in the lay community. This |
| studies and performance of ceremonies. The four | | | | also provides some income. Besides the daily routine |
| major orders of Tibetan Buddhism also have slightly | | | | of rituals, study and meditation, monastic life is |
| varying monastic systems. But basically, study and | | | | periodically enlivened by religious festivals and |
| spiritual trainings are deeply rooted in the curriculum of | | | | ceremonies. The monks in the monastery are |
| most monasteries. Within a large monastery there are | | | | responsible for the performance of these ceremonies |
| two divisions of monastic teachings. One division is | | | | and the lay members are beneficiaries of their |
| mainly devoted to the tantric studies and practices and | | | | performances. It is believed that the merits will go to |
| performance of rituals and ceremonies. These involve | | | | both monks and lay people. |
| mastering of the five Great treatises in which the | | | | Thus the obligation of monks or nuns to participate in |
| enormous corpus of Buddhist scriptures is divided: | | | | the divine services regularly, the strict regulations of all |
| 1. Pramana, the Buddhist logic and epistemology which | | | | external aspects of life, the memorization of the basic |
| includes the studies of many non-Buddhist thoughts | | | | rules and mastery in the philosophical studies all keep |
| 2. Prajnaparmitas which include voluminous texts of | | | | the monastic community life into a fixed structure. The |
| Bodhisattva practices such as the study of six | | | | monasteries in future should also serve as a haven of |
| perfections. | | | | refuge for the lay community by providing religious |
| 3. Madhyamika, the study of Buddhist middle views, | | | | teachings, spiritual guidance, counseling and retreat |
| Sunyatavada. | | | | facilities. |
| 4. Abhidharmakosa, the Buddhist metaphysics and | | | | Do you like this article? offers a free resource of |
| 5. Vinaya, monastic rules and disciplines. | | | | articles regarding Feng Shui, applied Feng Shui, |
| They form a very demanding curriculum. The idea | | | | Philosophy, Religion & Chinese culture. To read |
| behind such studies is that 'if you study, you will know | | | | more articles such as this one, click here. |
| the Law of Buddha and from then, you will be able to | | | | |