Bylakuppe: The Department of Education (DoE) and Tashi Lhunpo Monastery jointly organised a “Southern Tibetan Schools

Dialectic Meet”, which commenced on 28 August at 9 a.m.

This meet saw participation of 95 students predominantly above class VI, comprising 49 girls and 46 boys, from seven different Tibetan schools located in the Southern Tibetan settlements. 

The inaugural of the eight-day event, from 28 August to 4 September 2024, was attended by Ven Lobsang Thukje, the Education Director of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, and Ngodup Tenpa, the Education Officer of the DoE, along with Principals of the four Tibetan schools based in Bylakuppe.

In his introductory remarks, Education Officer Ngodup Tenpa highlighted His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s emphasis on incorporating dialectical disputation in academic studies to foster students’ cognitive thinking. Hence, he said, “Every Tibetan school has appointed Buddhist philosophy teachers to teach logic and dialectic to students in all primary schools, ensuring that instruction is rooted in wisdom and critical thinking. The Department of Education has been organising this conference since 2012 to emphasise the integration of critical thinking into the curriculum.”

Likewise, Geshe Lharampa Thubten Namgyal, representing all the participating school philosophy teachers, spoke about the significance of this dialectic meeting and acknowledged that, “Due to the benevolence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and initiatives from DoE, the dialectical study (riglam) has witnessed a growing interest and participation from the students in it.” He further added that the school’s administrations have also recognised the importance of such meetings, which have brought substantial benefits and highlighted the need for further support.

The chief guest, Ven Kachen Lobsang Thukje, having devoted his life to studying dialectic, stressed the potency of dialectical disputation in improving one’s reasoning. Additionally, the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery’s Education Director briefly shed light on the advent of dialectical studies in Tibet from India during the reign of Tibetan emperors that was further made accessible in exile to lay Tibetans in the aftermath of the PLA’s annexation. He said that the reasoning and interpretation of things and matters are unique to Buddhism and that everyone must uphold it. 

In his closing remarks, Education Officer Ngodup Tenpa extended his heartfelt gratitude to the administration of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery and attendees for their participation.

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