CTA hosts ‘Development of Monastic Education’ conference

The four-day conference on Development of Monastic Education underway at the Gyutoe Monastery in Dharamshala on May 14, 2013.  DHARAMSHALA, May 14: A four-day conference on ‘Development of Monastic Education’ of the four major Tibetan Buddhist schools and Bon tradition began today at the Gyutoe Monastery in lower Dharamshala. The conference is being organised by the Department of Religion and Culture of the Dharamshala based Central Tibetan Administration. The conference was attended by former Kalon Tripa Samdhong Rinpoche, Kalon Pema Chinnjor, Deputy Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, Tibetan Parliamentarians from the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon tradition and representatives from forty-seven monasteries and nunneries in exile. Speaking at the conference, Kalon Chinnjor of the Department of Religion and Culture, in his introductory remarks elaborated on the importance of Tibetan Buddhism in preserving Tibetan’s unique identity and for gaining international support. He urged the participants to thoroughly discuss ways of developing the monastic education system so that monasteries inside and outside Tibet would benefit from the conference deliberations. An eight-point agenda to improve the standard of education in study and meditation centres, as well as providing scholarships for those who want to specialise in one specific subject of Buddhist tradition was laid down by the Department of Religion and Culture. The four-day conference will also focus on introducing science in monastic education and holding of non-sectarian Monlam (prayer festivals) and non-sectarian Buddhist debates.