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Higher Education and the Geshe Lharampa Degree

From Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia
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Since the reforms of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, those who go on to the higher Geshe degree, Geshe Lharampa (dGe-bshes Lha-ram-pa), must complete six years of Gelug Examination Level study (dGe-lugs rgyugs-sprod). At the beginning of the eleventh year of main education, the students separate into two vinaya classes according to their performance in their studies and their wishes to study further. For one group, this is their final year of study and they will receive the Geshe Tsogrampa degree at its successful conclusion. For the other group, this year of vinaya study counts as the first of the six years of their higher education.

During the six years, the monks review each of the five main subjects each year, but now in greater depth. During their main education, they studied them through the Jetsunpa textbooks. Now, they focus their study of the five subjects on the major commentaries written by Tsongkhapa, Gyaltsab Je, and Kedrub Je. Each year, they have only debate and written examinations.

At the successful completion of their higher education studies, they must present a formal debate at the annual Great Prayer Festival (sMon-lam chen-mo) before the assembled monks of the three main Gelug monasteries (gdan-sa gsum) in the Lhasa area: Ganden, Sera, and Drepung. In Tibet, this was held at the Jokang (Jo-khang, Jokhang) Temple in Lhasa. It is at this point that they also present a formal debate before the assembled Jangtse monks (gling-bsre dam-bca’). As the Geshe Tsogrampas need to do, they must also present another formal debate before the entire Ganden assembly of Jangtse and Shartse and make a Geshe offering of food and money to all the monks. They too receive the further title of Geshe Dorampa.

Before the reforms of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, only two candidates from each college were awarded the Geshe Lharampa degree each year. The reforms removed these limits.


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