The Vajra Vidya Institute, India

In order to preserve Tibetan Buddhism and maintain the Karma Kagyu tradition in India, in the fall of 1999, Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche completed his project to build an institute of buddhist studies in Sarnath near Varanasi and named it as " Vajra Vidya Institute " which was the name of the sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa. It means " Indestructible Knowledge ".

 

The architecture of the Institute is very special as it was designed by Thrangu Rinpoche and is based on ancient Buddhist and Tibetan traditions and the mandala principle. The main shrine room is devoted to Buddha Shakyamuni.

 

The Vajra Vidya Institute is currently training more than 70 ordained monks in Buddhist Philosophy in general and in the teachings of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism in particular so that they may become Buddhist teachers. The monks are studying with the resident Khenpos (accredited teachers) under the guidance of Thrangu Rinpoche. All students have to be followed the five-year program of study.

 

Karma Gooncho

 

Debating is a major method used in Tibetan Buddhist monastic studies. The purposes of Tibetan monastic debate are to defeat misconceptions, to establish the correct view, and to clear away objections to that view.

 

The Karma Gooncho is an one-month winter training program which has been held each year in the Vajra Vidya Institute since 1999. The shedra students of Vajra Vidya Institute, Nalanda University in Rumtek, Sikkim, Sherab Ling in India and Karma Lekshey Ling in Nepal and other Kagyu monasteries are participating. Around five hundred students attended the Gooncho. These teachings focus on debates among the different teams from the various shedras. The subjects of the debates are Buddhist philosophical views.There is teaching and the students are taught by the Khenpos of the shedras and by Thrangu Rinpoche when he is in attendance. During the Gooncho, HH 17th Karmapa attends and is teaching logic to the monks.

 

Debating is held in an open courtyard. Each group is composed of two monks, one standing and playing the role of the questioner, and the other sitting down and playing the role of the defender. Reticence has no place in the debate arena. With an arrogant snap of his fingers and an accusing hand-gesture, the questioner loudly, shrewdly, and repeatedly cross-examines, provokes the holder of a philosophical position. While calmly remaining in his seat, the defender of a subtle philosophical point must be equipped with logical counter-arguments. Monks rock forward and backward on their feet as they speak, occasionally swinging their malas and clapping their hands together.

 

Holding forth the left hand after clapping symbolizes closing the door to rebirth in the helpless state of cyclic existence. The drawing back and upraising of the right hand symbolizes one’s will to raise all sentient beings up out of cyclic existence and to establish them in the omniscience of Buddhahood.

 

The Library

An extensive library is being gradually created, including audiovisual archives of teachings. The Institute is publishing many dharma texts for use by students at the Institute and other colleges fore Buddhist studies.

 

The two librarians are Venerable Tsering and Venerable Lopon Tsering. The library contains three Tripitakas in Pali, Chinese and English. The studies of Tibetan Medicine and Astrology will be also offered in the future.

 

The Dispensary

 

The Institue,since the time of starting construction in 1992, has maintained a medical clinic that attends to the need of the people in the area surrounding the monastery and the workers who are employed at the VVI. Twice weekly, a doctor comes from Varanasi to hold a clinic. The dispensary is stocked with common medicines and first aid which several of the monks have learned to use when needed.

 

In February/March 2002, for the first time, a dental clinic will be held daily, during that time, with a volunteer dentist and assistant from the U.S. based organization, Himalayan Dental Relief .

 

The Book Store & Coffee Shop

 

The Vajra Vidya Bookstore has many of Thrangu Rinpoches Books, many texts and other Dharma books. As well there is an assortment of statutes, thangkas, buddhist ritual objects etc. The coffee shop is a popular place to meet and also to study. Both are run by the monks and all profits goes to the monk welfare Committee.

 

The VVI Guesthouse & Kagyu Dharmachakra Stupa

 

Located next to the VVI, the new guesthouse has twenty rooms with attached bathrooms, a meditation room and dining hall with kitchen. This facility is suitable for group retreats, as well as individual guests, as it is completely self contained in its own compound. In the compound garden is the newly consecrated Kagyu Dharmachakra Stupa where visitors can meditate and circumambulate.