A path of learning: Indo-Tibetan Buddhism as education by Sonia MacPherson B.A., The University of British Columbia, 1985 A Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Centre for Studies in Curriculum and Instruction) We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA April 2000 © Sonia (Seonaigh) Ann MacPherson, 2000 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the head of my department or by his or her representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department The University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada Date DE-6 (2/88) ABSTRACT ABSTRACT This study chronicles a non-modern pedagogical tradition, Indo-Tibetan (Gelugpa) Buddhist education, as it negotiates a modern, global context in exile in India. As an enlightenment tradition, Buddhism emphasizes investigative inquiry over scriptural orthodoxy and belief, making it compatible with some aspects of modern, secular culture. This is a study of the relationship between these two educational cultures within one educational institution—Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute of Dialectics in the Indian Himalayas. The text itself is arranged in the form of a mandala, which is divided into five sections or stages of learning: intention, path, inference, experience, and realization. The intention section highlights the value of cultural and educational diversity, and includes a brief synopsis of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist educational history. The path section describes specific Buddhist approaches to ethnography and social research. The inference chapter is the empirical (ethnographic) component of the study, and considers the practice of dialectical debate as a case of what Wittgenstein called a "language game." This chapter includes photographic documentation and the text of a public (Western-style) debate held at Dolma Ling on the subject of the merits of their traditional debate system. The experience chapter considers the unique role of direct perception (experience) in Buddhism, and how it can be educated through combined meditational and testimonial practices. The author explores the tendency to segregate experiential from rational paths, especially when liminal experiences of suffering, bliss, and death are involved. She concludes that such experiences strain our powers of reason and, in some cases, representation, resulting in a tendency to marginalize such experiences within formal, rational education systems and their knowledge bases. Narrative, poetic, and direct experiential methods of meditation are better suited to deal with these subjects. The "realization" chapter discusses conceptions of realization, praxis and embodiment, that is, rational inferences translated into direct experience and action, as of particular relevance to educators. In the Buddhist view, such realizations are the desired end of all inquiry. This end is accomplished through creative and direct "conversations" (testimonies, dialogues) between reason and direct experience on the path of learning. ii Table of Contents: Abstract P- » List of Figures P- vii Preface P viii Acknowledgements p ix PRELIMINARIES ...embarking on a journey p 1 Chapter one: WHITE ...intention p 16 White luminous gates P 17 "We exchange time for experience." p. 20 I. Introduction p. 26 A. Culture, time, globalization p. 26 B. Education in the global local/e p. 34 C. Traditions of invention and education p. 37 D. The role of desire p. 42 E. Freedom in modernity/ies P- 44 F. Questions to guide our inquiry p. 49 1. Comparative theories of learning and knowledge p. 49 2. The outcome and purpose of knowledge p. 51 3. The relation between tradition and modernity in "global" education p. 52 4. Gender in Tibetan monastic and "global" Education p. 52 5. Intercivilization dialogue on "freedom" and "creativity" p. 53 II. Tibetan education: Historical and contemporary contexts p. 54 A. Historical context p. 55 B. Contemporary context p. 60 1. Tibet p. 60 2. In exile in India, Nepal, and elsewhere p. 64 3. DolmaLing p. 67 iii Chapter two: YELLOW ...path p 75 Oblique yellow paths P- 76 The path of research P 83 I. The research path as an "educational journey" p. 83 II. Grounds P 86 A. Ethics P- 86 B. Intention p. 88 C. Epistemology P- 93 1. A question of trust p 93 2. Enlightenment epistemologies p. 94 a) Western enlightenment epistemologies p. 96 b) Buddhist epistemology and enlightenment p. 102 III. Paths P- 106 A. Apprenticing the path p. 106 B. The conceptual/experiential divide p. 108 1. Reason and direct experience p. 109 2. Realization and embodiment p. Ill C. Mindfulness P 113 IV. Fruits P H5 A. Wellbeing P- 115 B. The realization of emptiness as interdependence p. 121 C. Compassion and wisdom p- 122 V. Conclusion p. 123 Chapter three: RED ...inference p. 129 Red fire, flowing blood p. 130 Debating dialectical debate: Reasoning education at Dolma Ling p. 134 I. Introduction p. 134 II. Historical and social contexts p. 138 III. Textual and oral practices in Indo-Tibetan Buddhist education p. 142 IV. The monastic Curriculum p. 144 V. Introductory texts and topics p. 146 VI. The language game of dialectical debate p. 146 A. Words and sentences p 149 1. Words as definitions, divisions, and illustrations p. 149 a) The language tree of "Colours and so forth" p. 150 2. Sentences: The logic, grammar, and discourse moves p. 151 a) The logic p. 151 b) The "grammar" p. 153 c) The discourse moves p. 154 B. Instruments p. 158 1. Gestures p. 158 2. Patterns p. 166 C. Contexts p. 167 iv D. Characteristic activity p. 167 1. As an educational activity p. 167 a) Daily activities and groupings p. 167 b) Annual activities and groupings p. 168 c) Longterm activities and groupings p. 169 2. As a socializing activity p. 170 a) As socialization into competition/cooperation p. 170 b) As socializing peer support p. 171 c) As socializing through apprenticeship and guided participation p. 171 d) As socializing and sublimating emotions p. 174 e) As gender-socializing activity p. 176 f) As socialization into community p. 181 3. Debate as integrated cognitive activity p. 181 4. Debate as dialectical (dialogic) activity p. 182 E. Antecedent training and learning in which rules are imparted p. 183 F. Use of components of the language-game p. 183 G. Its point or purpose p. 183 V. Debating dialectics: The views of the nuns of Dolma Ling p. 184 Chapter four: GREEN ...experience p 209 Remembering green. Kangra wheatfieldnotes on skydancing & other feats of grace p. 210 Songs of experience p. 227 I. The nuns' experiences P- 229 A. Osel Khargyen p. 230 B. Metok Yangsom p. 235 C. Ngawayng Sangdrol, the nun who never made it to Dolma Ling p. 238 D. Kunsang Dolma p. 240 E. The Lithang nuns p. 242 II. Experience p. 246 III. Liminal experiences: Suffering, bliss, and death p. 252 A. Suffering p. 253 B. Bliss p. 258 C. Death p. 262 IV. Educating experience p. 264 A. Educating emotions: Testimony and meditation p. 266 1. Testimony p. 266 2. Meditation p. 269 B. Educating powers of reflection: Analytical meditations p. 273 C. Educating attention: Single-pointed and mindfulness meditation p. 274 1. Single-pointed meditation p. 275 2. Mindfulness meditation p. 275 D. Educating the bodymind: Tantric meditation p. 277 V. Gendering experience p. 281 v Chapter five: BLUE ...realization p. 286 A spacious blue P 287 Realizations p. 290 I. The conceptual/perceptual divide P- 290 II. Freedom in debate p 294 III. Realization p. 301 POST-SCRIPT ...on completing a journey p. 305 Post-script on completing a journey p. 306 A. A path of learning p. 306 B. Pedagogical methods p. 307 1. aspiration, ritual p. 307 2. explicit, examined, and apprenticed processes p. 307 3. dialogue, analytical meditation p. 307 4. mindfulness, single-pointed, or Tantric meditation p. 307 5. the event—bodhicitta, mahamudra, and interdependence ... p. 307 REFERENCES p. 312 vi FIGURES: Photographs and charts 1. A stone path in the Kangra Valley near Dolma Ling p. 1 2. Ground plan of a sample (Zhi khro) mandala p. 14 3. Three-dimensional structures of Zhi khro mandala p. 15 4. White pictures (White Tara, Kangra wheatfields, Dolma Ling nunnery) p. 19 5. Yellow pictures (HH the Dalai Lama, Sera monks, margolds & bee) p. 82 6. Red pictures (the nuns of Dolma Ling) p. 133 7. Diagram I: Conversation decision-making tree p. 136 8. Figure I: Definitions, divisions, & illustrations for "Colours and so forth" p. 152 9. Sarnath University ruins in Sarnath, near Varanasi, UP, India p. 159 10. "Learning to debate" in classrooms and courtyards p. 160 11. "Peer instruction" among the nuns p. 161 12. The monk teachers and debate dialogues p. 162 13. "Tantric arts:" The nuns learning and practising Tantric arts p. 163 14. "Learning Tibetan secular and religious music" p. 164 15. "Responding to contemporary issues:" Debating debate; refugee children ... p. 165 16. Green pictures (a bird in Bodh Gaya; scenes from the Kangra Valley) p. 226 17. Blue pictures (Tibetan flag; Tibetan Children's Village students) p. 289 vii PREFACE: I use various designations for Buddhism in this text, and the reader should consider Buddhism identified as designating the scope of the claim made. So, if I say the more generic "Buddhism," then this indicates that the claim is being made for all paths of Buddhism.