Institute of Buddhist Dialectics

COURSES - Non-Sectarian Buddhist (Rime) Studies

Nyigma Text:

	Title of Texts	Author
Main Subject	Overview section of The Delightful Oral Transmission of Guru Manjushri: A Commentary Alankara	Jamgon Je Mipham
	The Door of Entry to Mahayana System	Longchen Rabjampa
	A Garland of Ketaka Gems: Commentary on the Wisdom (Chapter 9) of Bodhisattvcharyavatara	Jamgon Je Mipham
Side Reading	Wisdom Sword Ascertaining the Real Meaning	Jamgon Je Mipham
Side Reading	Treasury of Wish-fulfilling Jewels: A Short Presentation of Philosophical Systems (Buddhist Tenets)	Longchen Rabjampa
P.S: Regarding the Non-Sectarian (Rimá) studies in Sakya, Nyingma and Kagyu traditions the sequence may not be the same as given above.

Abhidharma:
Here we study 'Treasury of Knowledge'
(Abhidharmakosha) as the root text with following commentaries

'Chim Jampalyang's Commentary (on the Treasury of Knowledge)' by Chim Jampelyang
'Illuminating the Way to Liberation' by the First Dalai Lama, Gendun Drub

Simultaneous with these texts, we also study Lord Matreya's 'Sublime Continum o fthe Great Vehicle' and 'Ornament for the Mahayana Sutras'. As the students need to study these subjects for a minimum period of two years and the amount of study are overwhelming, they are allowed to study as they wish. So, they have no branch subjects to study. After appearing in the examination of the above subjects, the title 'Master of the Great Text' will be conferred to the graduates. They need to pursue the study of Vinaya, the canon of monk's discipline, before becoming a Geshe-a graduate from a monastic university (equivalent to a doctorate in Metaphysics). After becoming a Geshe, it is really very essential for such a scholar to hold a prime position in the form of an abbot, scholar, and so forth and take the responsibility of preserving and disseminating Buddhism for the benefit of all sentient beings. Vinaya:
The Buddhist scholar Yonden 'OD's 'Root "Vinaya Sutra' is the principal among all the Vinaya texts. All the later treatises on Vinaya trace back to it. Here, we study it as the root text with the following commentaries:

'Great Commentary on Vinaya' by Lama Tsonawa Rinpoche
'Analytical Commentary on Vinaya' by Panchen Sonam Dakpa

Supplementary texts like 'Extensive Commentary' and 'Abridged Vinaya' are also studied. The students are required to study Lord Matreya's 'Discrimination of the Middle and the Extremes' and 'Discrimination of the Phenomena and the Nature of Phenomena'. It takes a minimum period of two years to finish these subjects. The students are required to stay in this class till they finish the final examination of Geshe. In the process, they are to revise all the five major texts and also should take the responsibility of accomplishing the three wheels (of exposition and practice of Buddhism; contemplation; and meditation) by way of transmitting religious teachings and so forth. Sometimes it happens that a student stays for five to six years in the Vinaya class. After completing the Geshe examination, one can study all the four classes of tantra to become a trantric scholar, if one wishes. The College for Higher Tibetan Studies is a branch college under the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics at Dharamsala. Under the guidance and seed money from His Holiness, the late Ven. Rev Lobsang Gyatso la selflessly and voluntarily took the task of establishing this institution in 1991. After completion, His Holiness formally inaugurated the institution on the 13 th of August 1998 . In 1997, the first batch Bachelor in Tibetan studies program (Thorim Rigney Rabjampa) was introduced and in keeping with the needs of the Tibetan community, primary and secondary teachers training coursese were also given to this group. Thus in the year 2001,17 th of August, Education minister Mrs. Rinchen Khando la conferred them degree ‘Bachelor of Tibetan studies' program and also for their Secondary Teachers Training course. During the function, she announced the new name of this institution – ‘The College for Higher Tibetan Studies' and approved it on behalf of the Department of Education, and recognized it as a standard college for imparting Tibetan studies. On 1 st January 2001, Mrs. Rinchen Khando la, (former Education minister) and Ven. Karma Gelek, (former General Secretary of Department of Religious and Culture) presided over a special function held in this college, to witness the formal signing of agreement between prestigious Emory University, Atlanta in US and the IBD over an exchange program. The performance of the Emory students in their studies during the exchange period will be recognized as an equivalent to that of Emory University.