My Favorite Class
My favorite class at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute was the philosophy class, which was very interesting. I experienced as I was in nirvana at that moment while listening to the Lopon. I compared every teaching with my own life, certain facts just matched with my own life. I was very lucky that I got an opportunity to study in the Rangjung Yeshe Institute.
In the philosophy class I learned basic things of Mahayana Buddhism, such as the proper method of giving rise to Bodhicitta, practicing the six paramitas and so forth. Teaching of this kind will help me in my entire life to practice Buddhism. Lopon also mentioned in the philosophy class the right way to listen, meditate and reflect on those teachings.
In the last chapter ‘dedication’ we learnt that in the Mahayana tradition, at first we must give rise to Bodhicitta, then follows the action and dedicate the virtue of this action for the benefit of all sentient beings. Whenever a practice contains these three factors, giving rise to bodhicitta, the action and dedication, then it is called the real practice of Mahayana tradition.
Our Lopon explained it by giving a simple example: When we go for a Kora in Boudha we must give rise to Bodhicitta, then we do the Kora by reciting mantra and lastly we dedicate the merit of this virtue for the benefit of all sentient beings.
At the Rangjung Yeshe institute I met many students from different country. I am a Nepali student. I also have a Nepali friend her name is Sonam Sherpa. She also learned History, Tibetan language, translations from Tibetan to English. She is quite happy to study here.
Ishwor is also a Nepali student who is studying in the M.A program at the Rangjung Yeshe institute. He shared his experience like this “I am very happy to study in Rangjung Yeshe institute. I studied for six years and I learned Tibetan language. I had a feeling that I became a Buddha while listening to teachings of Lopon. The teachers of this institute are very helpful. I really would like to recommend Nepali students to come to this institute and study but this is an academically based college. Therefore in this college we get an opportunity to study Buddhism as well as practice it in our daily life.”
~Puja from Nepal