Geshe
(Tib. dge bshes, short for dge-ba'i bshes-gnyen, "virtuous friend";
translation of Skt. kalyāņamitra) is a Tibetan Buddhist academic degree
for monks and nuns.
Geshe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Geshe (Tib.
dge bshes, short for
dge-ba'i bshes-gnyen, "virtuous friend"; translation of Skt.
kalyāņamitra) is a
Tibetan Buddhist academic degree for
monks and
nuns. The degree is emphasized primarily by the
Gelug lineage, but is also awarded in the
Sakya and
Bön traditions.
[1][2]
History
The title
Geshe was first applied to esteemed
Kadampa masters such as Geshe
Chekawa Yeshe Dorje (1102-1176), who composed an important
lojong text called
Seven Points of Mind Training and Geshe
Langri Tangpa (
dGe-bshes gLang-ri Thang-pa, 1054-1123).
The
geshe curriculum represents an adaptation of subjects studied at Indian Buddhist monastic universities such as
Nālandā.
These centers were destroyed by Islamic invaders of India, leaving
Tibet to continue the tradition. It first developed within the
Sakya monastic lineage, where it was known as
ka-shi ("four subjects") or
ka-chu ("ten subjects"). The Sakyas also granted degrees at the conclusion of these studies, on the basis of proficiency in
dialectical ritualized debate. In
Tsongkhapa's time the Sakya degree was awarded at Sangphu, Kyormolung and Dewachen (later Ratö) monasteries.
The
geshe degree flowered under the
Gelug monastic lineage. Under Gelug domination, monks from various monastic lineages would receive training as
geshes through the great Gelug monasteries. Gelugpa
geshes often went on to study at one of Lhasa's tantric colleges,
Gyütö or
Gyüme. (The tantric colleges also grant a "geshe" title for scholarship in the tantras.)
Under Sakya and Gelug influence, the Kagyu and Nyingma monastic
lineages developed their own systems of scholarly education. Their
schools grant the degree of
ka-rabjampa ("one with unobstructed knowledge of scriptures") as well as the title
Khenpo, which the Gelug tradition reserves for
abbots.
The course of study which prevails in Kagyu and Nyingma circles
emphasizes commentary over debate, and focuses on a somewhat wider
selection of classics (with accordingly less detail). It ideally lasts
for nine years, concluding with a three-year, three-month meditation
retreat.
In April 2011, the
Institute for Buddhist Dialectical Studies (IBD) in Dharamsala, India, conferred the degree of
geshe to Venerable Kelsang Wangmo, a German nun, thus making her the world's first female geshe.
[3] [3][4]
In 2013 Tibetan women were able to take the Geshe exams for the first time.
[5]
Curriculum
The Geshe curriculum consists of the "Collected Topics" (
Tibetan:
བསྡུས་གྲྭ་,
Wylie:
bsdus-grwa) which were preliminary to the syllabus proper, as well as the
five major topics, which form the syllabus proper.
The exoteric study of Buddhism is generally organized into "five
topics", listed as follows with the primary Indian source texts for
each:
- Abhidharma (Higher Knowledge, Wylie Tib.: mdzod)
- Prajñā Pāramitā (Perfection of Wisdom, Wylie Tib.: phar-phyin)
- Madhyamaka (Middle Way, Wylie Tib.: dbu-ma)
- Logic (pramāṇa Wylie Tib.: tshad-ma)
- Treatise on Valid Cognition (Pramāṇavarttika) by Dharmakīrti
- Compendium on Valid Cognition (Pramāṇasamuccaya) by Dignāga
- Vowed Morality (vinaya, Wylie Tib.: 'dul-ba)
- The Root of the Vinaya (Vinaya-mūla-sūtra, Dülwa Do Tsawa, Wylie Tib.: 'dul-ba mdo rtsa-ba) by the Pandita Gunaprabha
Conferral of the Degree
In the Gelug school, the degree may not be earned by laymen (though
some monk recipients later give up their robes), or by women (including
nuns).
[6][7][8] The Gelug curriculum, which lasts between 12 and 40 years, centers around textual memorization and ritualized
debate, and is invariably taught through the medium of the
Tibetan language.
Each year an examination is held for those who have completed their
studies. In it their performance is evaluated by the abbot of the
particular college. The topics for their dialectical examination are
drawn from the whole course of study and the topic to be debated is
selected by the abbot on the spot, so that students have no chance to do
specific preparation. Thus, it is a real test of a student's abilities
and the depth of his study. At the conclusion the abbot assigns each
candidate to a category of
geshe according to his ability. There are four such categories,
Dorampa,
Lingtse,
Tsorampa and
Lharampa,
Lharampa being the highest. After this, in order to qualify, the
geshe candidates are not allowed to miss even one of the three daily debate sessions during the subsequent eight months.
Sources
References
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