Geshe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

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. The degree is emphasized primarily by the Gelug lineage, but is also awarded in the Sakya and Bön traditions.[1][2]


Contents

[edit] 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 disappeared around the time of Islam's arrival in 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.

[edit] 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:

  1. Abhidharma (Higher Knowledge, Wylie Tib.: mdzod)
  2. Prajñā Pāramitā (Perfection of Wisdom, Wylie Tib.: phar-phyin)
  3. Madhyamaka (Middle Way, Wylie Tib.: dbu-ma)
  4. Logic (pramāṇa Wylie Tib.: tshad-ma)
    • Treatise on Valid Cognition (Pramāṇavarttika) by Dharmakīrti
    • Compendium on Valid Cognition (Pramāṇasamuccaya) by Dignāga
  5. Vowed Morality (vinaya, Wylie Tib.: 'dul-ba)
    • The Root of the Vinaya (Dülwa Do Tsawa, Wylie Tib.: 'dul-ba mdo rtsa-ba) by the Pandita Gunaprabha

[edit] 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).[3][4] The Gelug curriculum, which lasts between 12 and 20 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.

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Staff. "The Passing of Ven. Geshe Gyeltsen - 1924 / 2009". Urban Dharma: Buddhism in America. http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma14/gyeltsen.html. Retrieved 2010-02-04. 
  2. ^ Quotation: The geshe degree in the Gelug school is comparable to a western doctorate in Buddhist philosophy. The difference is that it usually takes more than twenty years to complete.
  3. ^ Rinpoche II, Tsenzhab Serkong; Berzin, Alexander (translator). "Overview of the Gelug Monastic Education System". The Berzin Archives. http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/study/history_buddhism/buddhism_tibet/gelug/overview_gelug_monastic_education.html. Retrieved 2010-02-04.  Translated and compiled by Alexander Berzin, September 2003.
  4. ^ Quotation: The monastic education system in the Gelug monasteries covers five major topics, based on five great Indian scriptural texts studied through the medium of logic and debate – "tsennyi" (mtshan-nyid, definitions) in Tibetan.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links


Stub icon This Buddhism-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Stub icon This Tibet-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geshe"
Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages