Article Index

History of Gyuto Tantric Monastery
Jetsun Sherab Senge
Ramosche Temple
Jetsun Kunga Dondrub's Disciples
Admission Procedure
The Monastery's Administration
Present Situation of the Monastery
Annual Activities in the Monastery
The Syllabus and Course of Studies Ngagrampa Studies
Kyerimpa Studies
Tantra and the Role of Gyuto
Monastic Training and Daily Schedule

Kyerimpa Studies

Anyone entering Gyuto Tantric Monastery directly without first having completed formal studies of sutra texts and a dialectical education must follow the course of studies detailed below and pass examination and tests in these subjects.

1.  Memorization of texts covering around 700 standard folios:

1. The first twelve chapters and part of the thirteenth chapter of the Guhyasamaja Tantra.
2. The first chapter of the Chakrasamvara Tantra.
3. The complete rituals of Guhyasamaja, Chakrasamvara and Vajrabhairava.
4. The great ritual cake offerings for six different deities associated with fierce activity.
5. The great consecration.
6. The liturgy of the four Dharmapalas.
7. Miscellaneous texts.

2.  Training in chanting, harmonics and the use of ritual musical instruments:

1. Classical concise and expanded chants and harmonics of the self-initiations, consecration and tantras as well as six new and twenty-five old chats of Mahakala and Dharmaraja.
2. Use of ritual musical instruments such as cymbals, wind instruments and drums.

3.  Drawing, sand design and three dimensional model construction:

1. Drawing the base and constructing the fireplace for the four kinds of activities, peaceful, increasing, powerful and fierce. 
2. Drawings of all ritual cake offerings.
3. Drawing of the earth deity connected with the positioning of mandalas, buildings and so forth.
4. Two dimensional representations on cloth of the mandalas of the three great deities.
5. Drawings of eight kinds of stupas.
6. Designing and constructing three dimensional models of the mandalas of the three great deities including their symbols.
7. Designing and laying out different mandalas with colored sand.

4.  Preparation and collection of materials and objects of ritual offering:

1. Recognition, collection and preparation of objects required for fire offerings.
2. Preparation of major and minor ritual cakes.
3. Preparation of objects required for self-initiation.
4. Preparation of objects required for consecration rituals.
5. Butter sculpture and their decoration as offerings during the great prayer festival on the fifteenth day of the first Tibetan month.

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