Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE WORLD OF A MONK
The Western term 'monk' is slightly misleading when used in the context of Tibetan
Buddhism. The Tibetan equivalent would probably be trapa,which means literally 'schol-
ar' or 'student', and is an inclusive term that covers the three main categories of monastic
inmates. Monks in these categories should also be distinguished from lamas who, as spir-
itual luminaries, have a privileged position in the monastic hierarchy, may have consider-
able wealth and, outside the Gelugpa order, are not necessarily celibate.
The first step for a monk, usually after completing some prior study, is to take one of
two lesser vows, the genyenor getsulordination - a renunciation of secular life that in-
cludes a vow of celibacy. This marks the beginning of a long course of study that is expec-
ted to lead to the full gelongvows of ordination. These vows are also supplemented by
higher courses of study, which are rewarded in the Gelugpa order by the title geshe.
These three categories do not encompass all the monks in a monastery. There are usu-
ally specific monastic posts associated with administrative duties, with ritual and with
teaching. Before land reform in the 1950s, Tibet's monasteries owned as much as half of
Tibet's farmland, and received taxes from local farmers in the form of money or grain. In
premodern Tibet the larger monasteries also had divisions of so-called 'fighting monks',
or monastic militias who acted as an internal police force or, at times, even a private mon-
astic army.
In 1950, on the eve of the Chinese invasion, it was estimated that as much as a quarter
of the entire population of Tibet were monks, the highest in the Buddhist world. Today
there are around 47,000 monks in the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
The
chokyi khorlo
(dharma wheel) symbolises the Buddha's first sermon at Sarnath. The
eight spokes recall the Eightfold Path. The wheel was the earliest symbol of Buddhism,
used for centuries before images of the Buddha became popular.
Schools of Buddhism
Not long after the death of Sakyamuni, disagreements began to arise among his followers
- as they tend to do in all religious movements - over whose interpretations best captured
the true spirit of his teachings. The result was the development of numerous schools of
thought and, eventually, a schism that saw the emergence of two principal schools: Hinay-
ana and Mahayana.
