Admission

To get admission to the monastery, one must find out a place to live in Khangtsen in which one should take one resident responsible teacher to witness him to enroll to the monastic university. But if you are not known anything about all this admission procedure, please contact us and we will guide you everything to do the necessary proceedings.

After filling up the member registration application form in person with your responsible teacher, you are allotted the student's admission Identity number from this office. Currently we have strengthened with total number of 1755 members as of the year ended 31st December 2011 including the Highly Eminent Scholars, Tulkus, Senior Monks and graduated Geshes across the abroad countries.

From Native Tibet to exile India, depending upon the fund available, this monastery has been covered the whole ranges of providing facilities like free education, health care, and food and place to accommodate the fresh arrival student with no racial discrimination with our best courtesy.

Sera Mey has 16 houses. According to different regions they originally came from, monks can join houses in which they are entitled for admission. The 16 houses in the past Tibet were:

1.

Shungpa Khangtsen

9.

Tsangpa Khangtsen

2.

Pobhor Khangtsen

10.

Gungru Khangtsen

3.

Tsawa Khangtsen

11.

Rongpo Khangtsen

4.

Yerpa Khangtsen

12.

Minyag Khangtsen

5.

Kongpo Khangtsen

13.

Gyalrong Khangtsen

6. 7.

Mar-Nyung Khangtsen Tsador Khangtsen

14. 15.

Tawon Khangtsen Powo Khangtsen

8.

Thepo Khangtsen

16.

Ara Khangtsen

Except Tawon, Powo and Ara, all the other 13 houses of Sera Mey have been re-established in exile. The houses take care of the sheltering and other basic needs of the monks. Each house has its own prayer hall, hostel, kitchen, house master, treasurer etc. The houses hold their own prayer sessions from offerings received from their own sources.

Term & Affiliation

Though the exact duration for ones study at Sera Mey is not fixed, generally it takes around twenty years to complete the course of studies and reach the highest level of Geshe graduate as Geshe Lharampa. When a student finished fourteen years of study and examination at Sera Mey, he qualifies to appear for six successive years of Examination of the Gelukpa University, after completion of which he is granted the highest degree of Lharampa.

In the six years of Lharampa examination, apart from the examinations on the five classical texts, a candid needs to take the following subjects: Tibetan grammar, Tibetan history, miscellaneous topics such as Praising the Supreme Qualities of Avalokiteshwara by the 7th Dalai Lama Gyalwa Kelsang Gyatso, The Praise to Buddha Shakyamuni for his teachings on Dependent Origination by Lama Tsongkhapa, and Tsongkhapas biography.

Each of the five main classical texts is divided into two parts, the upper and the lower. So in two years of examination, a student covers the upper parts in the first year and the lower in the second year. In this way, the whole range of teachings is fully covered in two years and this process is repeated three times with different commentaries as the basis of examinations. Finally after having successfully passed in all those examinations, a candid takes part in the debate at the Great Prayer Ceremony held in the first month of the Tibetan New Year. This prayer ceremony has been founded by Tsongkhapa to commemorate Buddhas victory over the evil forces through miraculous powers. A candid faces debates from scholars of the three seats of learning [Sera, Drepung, and Gaden] and is finally awarded a certificate that carries the stamp of the Department of Religious Affairs in the Govt of Tibet, the signature of either the Throne Holder or the Vice Chancellor of the Geluk school and the official stamp of the Gelukpa Universitys Board of Examination. The certificates are awarded in the presence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Gaden Tripa [supreme head of Geluk school], the ministers, members of assembly and other dignitaries of the Tibetan govt. in Exile.

Course Of Studies
Study Program
The study of the five classical texts were divided between fourteen classes. Based on seniority, the classes are ranked as:

i. ii. iii.

The first class The second class The third class

iv. v. vi. vii. viii. ix. x. xi. xii. xiii. xiv.

Zenkyang The senior Madhyamika The junior Madyamika The supplementary class of Prajnaparimita called Zurkhol Prajnaparimta forth Prajnamparimita third Prajnaparimita second Senior than old Prajnaparimita Old Prajnaparimita New Prajnaparimita The Art of Logical Reasoning, and The combined class of Tenets, Seventy Aspects of the Path, Paths and Grounds[Dupdhonsasum]

With Maitreyas Ornament of Clear Realization- that covers the whole range of teachings on the Perfection- as basis, the students of Parimita study the four other texts of Maitreya, The Two Distinguishers, Haribadras The Commentary That Illuminates The Meaning, the commentary by Tsongkhapa called The Precious Excellent Instruction Called The Golden Chain, Gyaltsab Jes Ornament To The Essence of Explicit Explanation, Khedrup Jes The Light On The Difficult Points, the root text and commentaries on the topic of Basic Consciousness As The Foundation Of All [Kunshi Namshe] , Tsongkhapas The Excellent Instruction Called The Essence [lekshed Nyinpo]On The \Art Of Skillfully Distinguishing Between The Definite And The Interpretable, all of Khedrup Tendarwas writ ings on Prajnaparimita.

With Chandrakirtis root text Engaging in the Middle as the basis, the students of Madhyamika study The Six Collections on the Middle Way by Nagarjuna, the root text and commentary of Hundred [verses] by Aryadeva, The Clear Wor ds on the Middle by Chandrakirti, Tsongkhapas five main texts on the philosophical views:

1. 2. 3.

A The &

commentary Great The

on

Engaging to within the

in

the

Middle of

called

Explicitly called on the

Illuminating the Ocean

the of

Thoughts, Reasoning, [Vipassana],

Commentary two works

Fundamental and

Wisdom Lamrin

4.

greater

smaller

Superior

Insight

5. The Excellent Instruction called the essence on the art of skillfully distinguishing between the interpretable and definite],

Thousand Doses that Open the Eyes of Fortunate Beings by Khedrup Je Gelek Pelsangpo, Gyaltsab Jes commentary on

Shantidevas Engaging in the Deeds of Boddhissatvas, and the General Explanatory Text and The Critically Analysis on Madyamika by Khedrup Tendarwa.

When the students are in the class of Zenkyang, they study the Classics of Vinaya. With Sharchen Ngawang Tsultrims Root Summarized Text of Vinaya as basis, Students study The Root and Auto -Commentary of Sutra on Self-Liberation, The Extensive Commentary of Vinaya, The Great Commentary by Kunkhen Tsonawa, the first Dalai Lama Gyalwa Gedun Drupas Precious Rosary, Panchen Lodoe Leksangs General Explanation and Classical Explanation.

The second class and Lharampa class study the Abhidharmakosa and its Auto-Commentary by Vasubandhu, Chim Jampelyangs text on Abhidharma, and Gyalwang Thinley Namgyals The Extensive Commentary that Illuminates Darkness like the Sunshine. Pramana, the art of reasoning in Buddhism, is studied in the beginning class of preliminary logic, the class of Mind System, the class of Rational Reasoning, and is further continued for two months every year, with the second month always coinciding with the dates of winter Jang Gunchoe Debate Sessions held amidst the monk scholars of all the great monasteries.

Through rigorous debate sessions, memorizations, recitations, lectures and personal readings, students are trained to pierce deeply and extensively into the general meanings and difficult points of different root texts and their commentaries.

The past tradition that flourished to this day, students need to learn not only through teachings they receive from their respective teachers but through skillful debates as well. Annually, the monastery has eight great sessions of debate, with each lasting for a month or more. Except on special public holidays, the Great Maitreya Prayer Session, and the Great Medicinal Buddha Prayer Session, students engage in the practice of debate while occasionally engaging in prayer sessions to accumulate merits for the success of their study and as part of the purification practice.

Unlike other modern universities or centers of learning that demand extravagant fees, any sincere aspirants who want to pursue study and contemplation can do so by adopting the lifestyle of ordained but without the need to pay even a penny. Foreigners should have the obligatory PAP [protected area permit from the Indian govt. to study at Sera { click here to download application form}

Examinations
Memorization

In the past in Tibet, there existed an examination of memorization in which students recited by heart all the texts that they had memorized. This was conducted twice in a year, one in summer and another in winter. The same examination is being continued in exile. Good students are able to recite by heart thousands of pages.

Debate
Debate is also one form of examination that has existed in the past in Tibet and it is one of the most important parts of monastic studies. Unlike the past when students presented their debates from topics of their own choices, now, students above the class of Senior to Old Prajnaparimita need to choose an envelope from closed envelopes that contain different topics; on the chosen topic so written on a small paper inside the envelope, they have to debate in public. Through suggestions of experienced resident teachers, this system was established in 1979 and it still continues.

Written examination
No form of written examination existed in the past monastic system of education in Tibet. As it is important for students to be able to write and express their own thoughts on different ranges of the Buddha teachings, in 1989, a new system of written examination was established. The subjects at that time were the five classical texts of Buddhism. Tibetan Grammar and other miscellaneous subjects were not included then. However, since 1995, the Tibetan grammar was included in the examination. In 1997, other miscellaneous subjects were also added. Now, students above the class of Senior to Old Prajnaparimita write their examinations on the mentioned subjects. This written examination is also conducted to prepare students for the six successive years of examination at the Geluk University.

A Days Schedule for Students

It is said thus in Vasubhandus Abhidharmakosa: Having heard perfectly and through concentration One applies skillfully into practice [what is learnt]
The students should be able to properly abide in his monastic and Vinaya rules while in the process of years of strenuous studies, contemplation, and meditation. Getting up at 5 a.m. in the morning for prayer gathering, the monks have their breakfast at prayer and then start their morning memorization when the prayer finishes around 7a.m. From 7 a.m. till 9a.m, students memorize their own texts of study or read texts for their debate. From till 11a.m. students gather at the debate ground and engage in debate.

In case of sessions when there are no morning prayer or debate, students engage in memorization, reading and contemplation. At 11 a.m. they have their lunch and there is break to do their own things till 2p.m. From 2 a.m. to 5a.m,

students attend teachings, do memorizations and read texts. Dinner starts at 5p.m. and at 6 a.m. they have their evening debate that lasts till 9 p.m. Students debate over whatever they had learnt during the day and received at teachings from their respective teachers. From 9 p.m. till 11 p.m. or as late as 1 a.m. students engage in recitation of whatever they have memorized and read texts to contemplate on the meanings. Except on holidays and special prayer sessions, students engage in a rigorous daily schedule of study.

The Purpose of Religious Study

In Shantidevas Engaging in the Boddhissatvas way of life it says: The only medicine that heals the sufferings of migratory beings And the source of all happiness is the Dharma.
The relief for the sicknesses that cause sufferings of beings and the source of all temporary and ultimate happiness is only the precious Dharma. As such, graduating after years of intensive study, contemplation and practice, monks either stay to teach, work and serve the monastery or go to foreign countries or smaller monasteries to teach. Some go to solitary retreat and devote the remaining parts of their lives in intensive meditation. Many of them go on to serve in various sections of society.