It's Never Too Late!
It’s Never Too Late!
I am a mature aged student (I just turned 51) studying
at Rangjung Yeshe Institute for the last seven years. I have just completed my second four-year bachelor’s
degree, this one is in Tibetan Buddhism and Himalayan languages, and I am about
to start an MA prep year in order to focus just on the Tibetan language in
preparation for starting the MA in Buddhist Studies next year.
I had no idea that I would still be here after seven
years when I first arrived, but I really enjoyed my studies, so I kept staying
for another year and another year. I also
had no idea that I would ever do a master’s degree. So, I suppose a lot has
changed for me in seven years. I chose to study part time because I was older,
and I didn’t want to rush my studies. I wanted to learn things properly. But I
also chose to study part-time because I was lucky to have a part-time job from
home that I have been able to do online. I would not say that I have
had a lot of fun in the last seven years because I have mostly just studied and
worked. It is important to say the studies here can be quite challenging and
that the program can be quite intense. But I love what I am doing. It feels
really meaningful.
Studying here is an extraordinary educational
experience. Although we are studying at a university, it is also set
within the living tradition of a Tibetan monastery and within a Tibetan
community and at a Buddhist holy site as well as being surrounded by the places
of Buddhist history and places where famous masters have
practiced. It is a kind of total immersion experience into Buddhism
and Tibetan Buddhism as well as Himalayan languages and
cultures. And because it is such an extraordinary place, there are
always western academics coming to the area to do research, who often give
talks at RYI about their work, as well as Tibetan Buddhist teachers who
frequently give teachings in the Kathmandu area. We are not just reading
about Buddhism and writing papers, we are living and experiencing it every day
in ways that are constantly surprising. :)
~ Erica from US/Australia
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