Tantric kindergarten

Since my last post, back in April, I've been attending class and going to debate-- just like every other year. Now that we are studying tantra, though, it is like being in first year again. There is a lot of new terminology to learn, not to mention an extremely profound view of the universe. Unlike first year, however, at least we can all understand the text. In our first year many of us had to struggle to cope with the classical Tibetan. Despite being Himalayan, many of my classmates were not raised speaking or reading Tibetan. Rather they were educated in Bhutanese, Nepali, Hindi, English, and in one case, Urdu. Tibetan was not the language spoken in their homes, although some of their ancestors may have been of Tibetan origin. So we all had to struggle to figure out what was going on in class. I had an advantage actually, in that I could read the English translations of the texts we studied.

The quality of my studying hasn't been great these last few months. I've been worrying about my Indian visa. I can't go into details here, since this is a public blog, but what it comes down to is: I may have trouble attending enough classes to be able to write final exams. In order to write the exams for a given year of shedra we have to have attended at least eighty percent of the classes. I still have some things to try, I want to be able to write the exams… But if I can't, well, I will still study all the same texts. I just won't be able to graduate with my class. It is hard to accept this potentiality-- graduating from shedra is my dream. But really, it is just a piece of paper and a title. This situation forces me to focus on studying the Dharma for its own sake, which is how it should be.

Seventh year begins

School has been in session for just more than a week now.  My first subject this year is Luminous Presence (spyi don 'od gsal snyingpo) - Mipham's overview of the Guhyagarbha Tantra based on Longchenpa's Dispelling Darkness in the Ten Directions (phyogs bcu mun sel).

Before I started shedra - I looked at the curriculum and wished that I didn't have to wait six years to study tantra.  Many people I've met have expressed similar views.   I think this sort of view  reflects how very little we know about the causal vehicle of the sutras.  Now that I've spent the last six years with the Mahayana commentaries I feel like they are dear friends and when it comes to practice - indispensable.  Of course I don't have to stop studying them, ever, but now I've been thrust into a new community - the three inner tantras.  I've only been studying inner tantra for a short time and I cannot imagine trying to study it without a background in Madhyamaka and Uttaratantra (which in fact we see as belonging to the sutra side of things despite having tantra in the name).

This year marks a new phase in my schooling degree wise - the graduate degree.  You see, the first four years of study are towards an Associates Degree, the next two towards a Bachelors, and the last three towards a Masters.  The graduate of all nine years receives the title of "Lopon".

What about the title "Khenpo" you ask?  Often compared to a Ph.D (perhaps erroneously) Khenpos are selected from within the ranks of Lopons.   To become a Khenpo one must fulfill certain criteria: 1. have scored in the first divison on the final exams for fourth, sixth, and ninth years   2. have taught as a kyorpon   3. have taught for at least three years after graduating   4. be a fully ordained monk in good standing.

So there you have it.  If anyone is wondering why Namdroling doesn't have any Khenmos or Ani Khenpos - see point number four.   So thus, the reinstatement of the full ordination lineage for nuns in the Tibetan tradition impacts us.  In the meantime, we have Ani Lopons, and that is just fine.

Personally, I'm totally satisfied just to receive the teachings, write the exams, and (in just three short years) graduate.  Titles are... well... problematic.  I am far more concerned with learning the Dharma and practicing it.

This year I have some fun new resources for studying Guhyagarbha.  A few bold individuals have written their PhD theses on the Tibetan commentaries to this tantra.  These are great to read as they have wonderful back ground information and include full or partial translations of the commentaries.  I also have searchable Tibetan versions of both Mipham and Longchenpa's commentaries which are proving to be useful indeed.  I wish I had searchable versions of gsang bdag zhal lung and gsang snying mdzod lde, two other key commentaries to the tantra.  So if you have such things, and are reading this- please get in touch.  Not that anyone actually reads my blog... but hey, it is worth a try right?