Exploring relationships between theory of practice and practice by looking at the Abhisamayālaṃkāra in Gelukpa scholasticism

Tibetan Graduate Studies Seminar

Chandra Ehm's investigation into the foundations of the Geluk monastic curriculum The commentarial corpus of the Abhisamayālaṃkāra, as we find it in the scholarship of the gelukpa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, clearly outlines soteriological paths on how to achieve the religious goal of enlightenment. These scriptures are studied, debated, and contemplated for eight years in the context of the geshe studies by the monastic scholar. Based on two texts, authored by Gyaltsab Dharma Rinchen and Longdol Lama, as well as the preliminary findings of my anthropological research, this talk will explore how these scriptural paradigms translate to institutional realities in the monastic seats, which role they take in the personal lives of the monastic virtuoso, and how they connect to their spiritual practice.