RYI STUDENT BLOG

“It is only natural that various obstacles and hurdles occur in the spreading of the True  Dharma’s rule. However, to overcome or ward off these Dharma-opposing elements while  remaining true in mind, body and speech is another personal dharma and duty of each of the  sanghas.”  As various hurdles arise in my path, born from the fruition of the seeds of my own  past actions, I find myself taking solace in these words uttered by my Guru. Three and a half years ago when the bud of the Dharma’s flower began to sprout in my  heart, immense motivation arose in me with regard to seeking liberation from the sorrows of  the world. But with the passage of time, as the reality of the difficulties of the path began to  be more visible, and the need to replace motivation with discipline took form, the various  hurdles that had arisen seemed to overcome me, a naïve traveler on the path, and as such  the budding flower was prevented from b...

The Tibetan version of Buddhist canon whether sutra or shastra, is treated as the most authentic or significant version for the study and practice of Buddhism in modern days.  It is undoubtedly as it was given with extraordinary care, consideration and every possible skillful means during the transmission, translation and interpretation from the original sources.  The Tibetan version of Buddhist canon therefore has the quality to serve for us to comprehend the core message, the message what the Buddhist original canon has to convey and elucidate.   Therefore, it seems that the study of Tibetan language is crucial to study to understand Buddhism in a far better way. Evidently, a numbers of Buddhist sutras and shastras have been translated and interpreted into modern languages whereby one can study Buddhism and advance knowledge in it, although a number of significant issues with the translation and interpretation of key terminologies are yet to be...

Eating healthy food is how we can maintain healthy body and mind. Healthy body and mind are what we need to study well. Studying well without consuming healthy food is unthinkable and implausible in our life. Indeed, Rangjung Yeshe Institute not only has awesome intensive courses on Buddhist studies for international folks in a spiritual environment, but also has a small wonderful canteen. The canteen serves healthy food for you to be mentally and physically fit to study well at RYI. There is no need to worry about food items, serving time, and price. The canteen serves vegetarian food with various items that are tasty and healthy. Everyday you have a chance to taste different items of food. Along with various tea and coffee items, the canteen mainly serves breakfast and lunch. Considering the importance of your time, the staff serves foods punctually and respectably. Unlike other places, there is no disappointment regarding food-serving time. When it is lunchtime, it is not you th...

( Self translation from a talk I heard in waking life) The little boy asked, “Bhagwan, you have initiated us into sanyas but you haven’t given us any mantra.  Traditional practitioners come and ask us, “what is your gurumantra ?! ” Bhagwan, Why haven’t you  given us a gurumantra ? Then Bhagwan said, “Now, little boy , you have to be free of mantras, just as you have to be free of the  mind. If there remains no mind then where would you hold your mantra? And you if you could hold your  mantra then you also need to keep your mind alive. Sure indeed, I haven’t given you any mantra.  Because I don’t want, that your mind survives. I am here to snatch away all your mantras. Already you  have too many mantras. Infact , you have a whole compilation of mantras. And that is the whole of your  past. Much you have known and much you have gathered knowledge. Someone is Hindu, someone is  Muslim, someone is Issaih, someone is Jaina. Someone’s mantr...

“School life is a golden life,” I often used to cherish this quote and feel it is so true until I joined the RYI. The beautiful environment here, students came from almost every corner of the world, Modern students  learning from the traditional teacher and exposure to the daily life of Monks in RYI made me rich as a  person. Moreover, studying in RYI proved my presupposed notion of college life as boring life infused  with boring lecture to be wrong rather it induced me to think out of the box and have broader approach to  life. First and foremost I feel blessed to be at RYI is that I got precious opportunity to study Buddhism under  the constant vigilance of Rinpoches and their priceless guidance which I find very rare and I could never  trade it for anything else in life. I feel embraced by Rinpoches’ compassion all the time at RYI. As a student, I got to learn several things in various topics here such as Himalayan Languages, Buddhist  Ph...

Generally speaking, the academic environment is consider to be a place of competition and incentive for  inflated egos. A place where the best ones are persons that, as having a superior status in comparison  from others, always keep a distance that shows and reinforce he or she superiority. As result, to the so  called lower ones there are only the hope to attain the same status, no matter what is necessary to do. Fortunately, in diametrical opposition, even the formal aspect of an university being sustained in RYI - Rangjung Yeshe Institute, here what we experience is a place where the teachers and colleagues support  each other and rejoice for others’ victories and achievements. A place where the role of the worldly identities are object of contemplation and gentle exercises of  transformation and purification. Nothing is discarded, everything is recognized in their wisdom aspect  and as skillful means to generate benefit to others. Who is in...

My classmates and teachers during the summer I had the wish to learn Sanskrit since quite a long time. With the help of a generous  sponsor and much needed motivation, I was finally able to join Beginning Sanskrit  Course during Summer 2016 at RYI. Fortunately, on the first day of orientation, Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche-la invited all the  students for a talk and lunch. He gave us motivational speech regarding how fortunate  we all are to get this chance to learn Dharma by one way or the other. I had been learning Tibetan language too. So, at the end of the talk, I gathered the  courage to go forth to him and ask for blessings in Tibetan language to complete the  course. He was amazed to see me do so and gave me his blessings. I left with the smile  on my face and with confidence that I will be able to do the course no matter what  obstacles may occur. Prayer flags at Namo Buddha So, the classes began. I and my classmates were doing f...