experience of studying at RYI Uncategorized

The Joy of Study

The joy of study

Spring is here again, and with it the sun has returned to Scandinavia. The nature is changing color from its brown-grey nakedness into lush green, and flowers are springing forth everywhere. When Summer slowly is closing in, one year has almost passed since I started my studies at the one-year program of oral translation at Rangjung Yeshe. 

I ask myself what I will remember from this past year and a smile goes through my mind. There are so many memorable moments. I will remember all my fellow students, and how greatly connected I feel to all of them, although I have never meet them “in real life”. 

I will remember all the time I have spent memorizing words, reading texts, preparing for translation, and listening to teachings. There have been both frustration and immense joy during this year. But mainly, I will remember how when I study Tibetan, especially the Dharma languish, it feels like my whole body is being filled with nectar. This is not anything I tell people in general, except for now, when its written down here for anyone to read, ha, ha!  

I feel that the Tibetan languish is so rich and the meaning of the words are so vast. To put down a lot of effort into trying to understand their meaning, struggling with it, and then suddenly understand, that feeling is immense. I can feel my whole body being filled with joy, and the best way to illustrate it is that you are filled with clear and brightly shining nectarlike light.  

When I think about that these words, that I am reading, was written down by great masters, whose sole purpose was to benefit beings through those teachings, then it is such a blessing to receive them, and being able to do it directly in Tibetan. That makes all efforts that I have put down into trying to learn the languish, actually for several times, before I made a commitment to myself to not give up until I understood, so much worth it.  

So, one year have passed, but I will continue. I do not think there will ever come a time when I feel there is no more need to study, because these studies which fill my whole being with light, are so much more than just knowing words and learning a languish. 

Johanna Joergensen, TTP student 2022. 

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