Life for the full-time students at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics (IBD) is calm, regular and focused on study, debate and prayer. Here’s a little glimpse:
Students making Tormas for doing rituals.
Daily Schedule
5:30a Rising bell (06:30am on Sundays)
6:00a Morning prayer and meditation
7:00a Breakfast
7:40a Self study
9:00a Philosophy classes
12:30p Lunch
2:00p Debate session
3:30p Tea break
4:00p Tibetan and English classes
5:30p Dinner
6:30p Evening prayer, meditation, followed by debate (Ends at 9:30p)
View a photo gallery of life at IBD >>
Student Activities
- Attending
- teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
- special lectures from invited spiritual masters, scientists, scholars, educators, community leaders, administrators and politicians
- important governmental religious, social and political public functions
- Participating in
- monthly evening debate sessions lasting from 06:30pm to 02:00am on the third week of the month
- the annual debate competition among the classes for three days at the end of August
- religious and educational seminars and conferences
- the month-long grand debate session held annually at one of the three great Gelugpa monasteries in Southern India (by the fourth-year Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom) class
- special prayers on religious days and for special purposes
- Memorizing root texts and prayers
- Giving spiritual guidance to lay people
- Giving humanitarian assistance to poor and needy people and doing social work
- Touring Buddhist holy places in India and Nepal after completion of the six-year Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom) study program
- Cleaning the IBD campus on Saturdays
- Other work as assigned by the Institute leadership and staff
Monthly Student Meetings
The Institute requires students to hold a meeting at the end of every month, with the main goal of giving the students a more clear understanding of the rights and responsibilities of a democratic system, as well as to get practice in speaking and listening patiently. At the monthly meetings, students:
- discuss various topics relating to their activities and responsibilities
- handle elections for special student positions managing water, electricity and health
- elect a convener of the student meeting from among themselves
- voice their grievances and make appeals through the convener to the IBD Office
- solve minor problems and misunderstandings
- make official announcements
- give student presentations in lecture form on selected topics such as Tibetan language, history, poetry, Tibetan history environment, social, science and religious topics
Holidays
IBD observes a weekly holiday every Sunday, a monthly one-day holiday, a total of four days holiday for the annual picnic, a two-month winter holiday, and some annual Tibetan and Indian holidays. Compared to other institutions, the Institute observes relatively few holidays.
However, any student going to Tibet for important purposes is granted a maximum leave of two months and any student going home on important grounds is granted a maximum of one month’s leave. Any student who has an important need may be granted a maximum of 15 days of emergency leave. Any student failing to return to the Institute in time will either be punished or will not be allowed to rejoin the Institute if the Board of Governors finds his or her reasons are not satisfactory.
Unique Qualities of the Institute
IBD is unique among Tibetan institutions in two important ways. First, the Institute integrates traditional Buddhist philosophical studies with modern educational pursuits. Second, IBD is a non-sectarian monastic institute, respecting all traditions of Tibetan Buddhism in the same spirit and admitting monastic students of all schools.
Facilities
The Institute has 3 hostels, 7 classrooms, a prayer hall, kitchen, dining hall, staff quarters, library with television, guest rooms and recreational facilities, such as table tennis, and a carom board.