Rangjung Yeshe Gomde - Shedra Program

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Rangjung Yeshe Shedra Program

A Tibetan shedra -- literally, "center for teaching" -- is traditionally a school in which monks and nuns study classical Buddhist texts under the guidance of a learned teacher or khenpo.

With the intention of adapting this program to a Western format,

Gomde Shedra is an educational program centered around the various subjects included within a traditional Mahayana Buddhist education. Courses on different classical texts will be offered over a period of years. These topics are intended to guide the student through the various views of the four philosophical schools and the Nine Vehicles of Buddhism. Since many students in the West are unable to devote a great amount of time to study, we will offer a variety of ways to access teachings given at the Shedra, including providing materials in DVD and MP3 formats.

Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche inaugurated this extended program series in June 2005 with ten days of teachings on the classic text Entering the Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicaryavatara). This masterpiece of Buddhist thought, composed by the great eighth-century Indian master Shantideva, is one of the foremost texts in which compassion and knowledge are taught in combination. It is a philosophical treatise as well as a training manual for students wishing to develop the mind of enlightenment in order to help others.

Rinpoche continued Shedra teachings on the text in June 2006. In June 2007 he will teach on the Introduction to the Middle Way by Chandrakirti, with commentary by Jamgon Mipham. Recordings of the 2005 and 2006 teachings are available in MP3 format through the Ratna Shop link on this site.

Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche reflects on the importance of formal studies in the Buddhist tradition:

"Rarely does someone achieve the exact and unmistaken knowledge resulting from meditation training without first having some basis of learning and reflection. Therefore, it is my deep-felt wish and aspiration to create a shedra or learning center at Gomde, where study, reflection, and meditation training are all practiced together,' hand in hand'. This learning center will support the teachings of Lord Buddha and the happiness and welfare of sentient beings. This kind of center provides a conducive environment for people who wish to study both the sutric and tantric systems, and is essential for in-depth learning."