RYI STUDENT BLOG

Nepal is nice in many ways but there is one way in which it is more wonderful and nice than many other places in the world and that is when it comes to the momos. All momos are nice, but one kind is superior to pretty much all food in all of Nepal, the buff momo.  It is the perfection of food, really. It is cheap, fast and available all over Boudha, and elsewhere. In fact, there are so many places that make nice momos that it would be impossible to list them all. It is enough to say that there are big places, small places, ugly places, decent looking places, shady places, hidden places and so forth that are full of spectacular momos, on every street and in every corner. And there is more than just food and eating to momos! There are so many other benefits also that I have experienced around momos. It is perfect to eat before studying, and also after studying, like a unique fuel for midterms and finals and quizzes . After long empowerments, days, weeks, classes, years ...

Nepal is an old historical country and filled with folk tales. Nepal is defined as the place in which the Lord Buddha was born in two thousand five hundred years ago. Not only is there a long history, but also there are many interesting folk tales in this holy place. Relating to these interesting folk tales, there are many different festivals in Nepal. Therefore, Nepal has become a land of many festivals. As a person who is interested in Nepali folk tales, I would like to share one of these stories with you and hope you will enjoy these interesting festivals when you are visiting this holy place. There is a magic jacket of Karkotak , the king of serpent, at Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur is the oldest city of three old cities in Nepal. Once upon a time, there was an old farmer, who was famous for curing sore eyes. One day, Karkotak took a human form as a young Brahmin, a highest class in Hindu system. He asked the old farmer to come with him, because his wife had very sore eyes and no...

“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...