RYI STUDENT BLOG

I had been studying and living in Bodhanath (Kathmandu) for the last 5 years, benefiting from a unique environment to study and practice Buddhism.  A  couple of months ago, as my classes were finished and my family was waiting for  me in Europe, I had to leave half of my heart in this incredible place and move  back to old familiar Europe.  As I was preparing for this transition, I was so  touched by the warmth of the Rangjung Yeshe Institute community – my  professors, fellow students and close friends. It is extraordinary to have shared  these years with so many brilliant and warm-hearted scholars and practitioners  of all origins and ages. In this little neighborhood, it is impossible to walk home  without meeting a few friends on the way. In this holy place of Bodhanath, we  are constantly suffused with the blessings of the gigantic stupa and the  numerous authentic monastic institutions that have developed...

A classmate recently approached me asking about ways to improve her Tibetan. This is something I reflect on a lot (as I’m sure we all do!)  and, although there must already be  many such lists, I thought I might share a few less common approaches in light of the variety individual  learning-styles. 1.) Wechat (Tib: skad ‘phrin ) For me, Wechat has been of immense benefit. The walkie-talkie style voice chat allows you to listen to messages as many times as needed  until you understand. Once you understand you can response with the possibility of canceling your message before sending in case you make a mistake. This gives you a little more space to recall grammar, words, pronunciation, etc. than in a real-time conversation. There are also  subscription accounts that send you short articles about Tibetan issues in composed in literary Tibetan as well as Tibetan lessons spoken in both  Lhasa and Amdo dialects. This is a really great way to continuous...