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Monastery Life
There used to be thousands of monasteries
in Tibet. Every family was expected to
send at least one boy to a monastery.
Usually, boys would be ordained at the
age of seven; girls, a bit older. The
monastery life used to be the only access
to education and improved social status.
People went to monasteries to get educated,
to merit their family and to pursue religious
fulfillment. Although educational and
economic conditions in Tibet have improved,
many Tibetans are still drawn to the monasteries.
The monastery life is rigorous. Monks
are involved in all kinds of religious
services and administrative tasks, on
behalf of individual study and the monastery
community. Daily life starts in the early
morning and ends in the late night. The
whole day is occupied with communal or
individual religious services and the
management of the monastery. Older monks,
learned lamas, hold greater responsibilities
such as maintaining discipline and leading
the group prayers. Younger monks help
by running the kitchen, shopping and serving
food and tea.
Religious study and services are the
main theme of the monastery life. The
newly ordained monks start from basic
Tibetan language, grammar, literature,
sutra chanting and prayers. Then time
will be spent on Buddhist canons such
as Abhidharma (Higher Knowledge), Prajnya
Paramita (The Perfection of Wisdom), Pramana
(Logic), and Madhyamika (The Middle Way).
Generally the study process will last
for 18 years or more. Monks study sutras
and tantras and read Buddhist texts. Crafts,
astrology and medicine are also the subjects
they need to learn. In addition, Monks
retreat for hours to reflect and meditate
on teh meaning and implications of Buddhist
philosophy. Sutra debate is important
to help master and deepen Buddhist theology.
These debates are also a method of examination:
high lamas debate with the applicant monks.
Those who pass the examinations held in
their own monasteries will be qualified
to participate the Monlam (The Great Prayer
Festival) Debate. A Geshe Lharampa Degree,
which represents the highest degree in
Tibetan Buddhism theology, will be conferred
on those who win. A Geshe Lharampa who
wants to advance to a higher religious
and scholarly fulfillment needs to attend
one of the tantra colleges to get the
Geshe Ngarampa Degree (Tantra Master).
Only a few talented monks can enter a
scholarly religious life and advance to
religious fulfillment. Many others fall
into more secular jobs such as craftsmen,
builders, artists and cooks.
Nuns live a life similar to that of monks,
in a more invisible manner. Their religious
practice mainly focuses on meditation
and prayer rather than advanced philosophical
studies in less structured nunneries,
although there have been a few great female
scholars in Tibetan history.
Selected from China Travel Guide
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