Amongst the teaching of Lord Buddha Shakyamuni the Prajñaparamita scriptures form the core teaching which present the entire of path of Mahayana covering the base, the paths and the results of the spiritual path system. Much of the later Mahayana Buddhist texts and commentaries are based upon these sutras. In this context Abhisamayãlankara (Ornament for Clear Realization) by Lord Maitreya is extensively studies with various commentaries by Indian and Tibetan masters.
This is a course for six years. During this course, in accordance with the tradition of monastic universities of Tibet such as Drepung, at this Institute the first chapter of 'Pramanavrttika'
(An Explication of Valid Cognition) is studies for two months each year.
The students, most of whom are monks, would have committed Abhisamayãlankara, which is a pithy and compact versified text, to their memory by the second year of their admission to this institute. So, having this in memory makes it far easier to study it through it Indian and Tibetan commentaries. The main teaxt books studied are the four commentaries given below:
- Clear Meaning by Haribhadra, an Indian Buddhist scholar-adept.
- Ornament for the Essence of Extensive Explanation by Gyaltsab Darma Rinchen, 14th - 15th century Tibetan scholar-adept.
- The Lamp Clarifying the Meaning of Prajñaparamita (informally known as 'General Meaning') by Panchen Sonam Dhakpa (15th Century. CE).
- A Re-elucidation of the Meaning of Prajñaparamita (informally known as 'Decisive Analysis') by Panchen Sonam Dhakpa.
The supplementary texts for Prajñaparamita Studies are:
- The Golden Rosary of True Eloquence by Je Tsongkapa (13th - 14th Century CE)
- The Essence of True Eloquence by Je Tsongkapa
- The Ocean of Eloquence: A Treatise on the Mind and foundation Consciousness, also by Tsong Khapa
- A Garland of Utpala: An Analytical Commentary on the 'Treatise Distinguishing between the Interpretive and Definitive Meanings of Sutra' by Panchen Sonam Dakpa.
In addition to these, the students can study other closely related commentaries.
- Concerning the study of the Epistemology and Logic (Pramana) Acharya Dharmakirti's 'Commentary to Valid Cognition' and two commentaries to it for the main textbooks:
- Commentary Illuminating the Path to Liberation, by Gyeltsap Je
- Commentary on Clear Meaning of Valid Cognition, by Panchen Sonam Dhakpa
Branch Subjects:
Simultaneous with the main textbooks, it is essential to study the branch subjects. Therefore, the students in the first year of Prajñaparamita are required to study the following Tibetan grammar books.
- Ngulchu's Tibetan Grammar
- The Lamp Illuminating spellings
It is not necessary for them to study the above branch subjects, if they are already good at them. Instead, such students should devote their time to study and improve foreign languages.
Students in the second year of the Prajñaparamita class have to continue their studies in these texts given above.
They have to study the following subjects:
- Ngulchu's Lamp Illuminating the Salient Points'.
- The Remaining portion of 'The Lamp Illuminating Spelling'.
- A class for clarifying the different points in the Tibetan grammars of Nulchu and Situ is held when the teaching of these two Tibetan grammars is finished.
- To make further improvement in foreign languages.
The students in the third year of the Prajñaparamita class are to study grammars such as:
- Situ's Great Commentary on Tibetan Grammar
- Serthok's Tibetan Grammar
- The second chapter of Tibetan poetry is studied by using the commentaries written by the Great 5th Dalai Lama, Panchen Lobsang Yeshi and poet the Indian Dandi.
The fourth year students of Prajñaparamita are to continue the above poetry class.
In the sixth year of Prajñaparamita studies, the students have to revise the entire course of Prajñaparamita and Pramanavrttika (the first chapter). Therefore, there is no additional subject to learn except to complete the remainder of the branch subjects, if they were not finished.
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