This piece is compiled from
discussions with Tibetan Buddhist monks in McleodGanj (Upper
Dharamsala, HP, India), capital of the Tibetan government in exile
and residence of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Most of
the monks I questioned belong to the Gelugpa sect. It is not intended
to be a definitive study, but simply to provide insight to those
outside the Tibetan community who are interested in this aspect of
Tibetan culture.
It is not uncommon for a child
as young as 5 or 6 to be sent to a monastery by his family.
Historically this served multiple purposes, both to fill a religious
responsibility and to lessen the household expenses. In large
families, there is reportedly a lot of pressure on children to enter
the monastery. Families with more than one son may feel compelled to
have at least one become a monk, as a sort of offering. A greater
number of youth choose to pursue monastic life and education around
the age of 12-15.
Young children, and all new
monks, attend Basic Buddhism classes, so there can be a wide age
range in one class. Students are housed 1-4 per room with one
teacher. Their daily schedule includes all aspects of life, with
regimented times for sleep, meals, study and play.
A typical day begins at 5:30am
when the monks gather for the Refuge and Bodhicitta prayers. A
breakfast of bread and tea may be distributed at this time, or there
is a breakfast period after prayers. At 8am the monks gather again to
recite mantras and sutras (passages from the teachings of Buddha).
Afterward, generally from 9:30-11am, a period of philosophical debate
is held. Such debate is most common in the Gelug tradition and
involves an elaborate series of choreographed moves that appear to
the onlooker almost as a dance as a challenger and his opponents
discuss major points of Buddhist philosophy. The debate can become
very intense and even heated.
After the debate, a lunch of
rice, vegetables, bread and tea is served. All monastery kitchens now
serve only vegetarian food since a 2001 decree by His Holiness the
Dalai Lama. In some cases, monks are still permitted to cook meat in
their own rooms.
In the afternoon, classes
including Tibetan grammar and hand-writing, foreign language (usually
English or Chinese), science, and additional philosophy are held. On
occasion, these are taught by visiting foreign teachers. There are
also optional classes in ceremonial music, torma (a butter sculpture
art form used as ceremonial offerings) making, and thangka
(regimented Buddhist tapestries) painting. If a monk has no interest
or aptitude, these classes are not required.
Dinner is served at 5pm, after
which more debate is held until 11pm. Bedtime is midnight.
The daily schedule is observed 6
days per week. Mondays or Tuesdays may be “holidays”, when most
monks choose to go to market. In the monastery, it is not permitted
to watch television. One of my contacts told me, “Some bad monks
sneak out to watch films or sports”. Football (soccer) is a huge
favorite spectator sport among monks, so much so that 1999 film
“Phorpa (The Cup)”, directed by Bhutanese lama Dzongsar Jamyang
Khyentse Rinpoche, depicts its influence on a monastery in the exile
community of Bir.
My main information source, a
Geshe from Ganden Monastery in South India, told me that,if a monk
fails a particular subject 3 consecutive times, he will be assigned
to a task such as cooking or driving for the monastery. I was also
told that all monks have the option to discontinue their studies and
offer community service work within the monastery.
Those who excel at studies
continue towards the Geshe degree, which usually takes a total of 17
years to attain. Starting around the age of 15, the usual course of
study is as follows: 5 years of Logic, 5 years in Perfection of
Wisdom, 3 years of Middle Way or Madyamika, 2 years of “Middle
Phases” or Abhidharma, and 2 years of Vinaya, or the Monastic
disciplinary code.
There are 3 levels of Geshe
degree, and there is also a limit to how many of each level are
awarded annually. At Ganden, 4 Geshe Lharampa (the highest level) are
awarded annually, along with 4 lower level degrees.
After attaining a Geshe degree,
there are a variety of paths which may be pursued. Some choose to
teach at their home monasteries in India, some pursue study in
foreign language so they may teach dharma overseas or to visiting
foreign students. Some move on to pursue further studies at Gyuto or
Gyurme Tantric colleges for 1 or more years. Still others are able to
return to teach in Tibet (the legality of this varies from area to
area).
Study is year round with the
exception of major Buddhist holidays. There is a 6 day break for
Losar, the Tibetan Lunar New Year. On the 8th day of the
new year, a prayer Monlam which lasts 11 days begins. Other holidays
include Tibetan Uprising Day in March, His Holiness the Dalai Lama's
birthday on 6 July, India Independence Day, and Tibetan Democracy Day
on 2 September.
Summer retreat starts on the
16th day of the 6th Tibetan month and lasts a
month and a half, during which time they are not permitted to leave
the monastery. After retreat, the are given a 6 day holiday.
While I received no definitive
answers to questions on the subject, it appears monks may choose to
leave monastic life for a variety of reasons. This may be viewed in a
variety of ways depending on the circumstances and on the nature of
the monk's friends and families. It seems that elders or those who
are more traditional and/or more superstitious think it is a very bad
thing, while younger and more modern people feel it is perfectly
acceptable.
