Debate Period

Labrang Monastery comprises six colleges, the largest one being Majung Thosamling. Dedicated to the study of Buddhist philosophy and dialectics, its teachers use debate as an central learning tool. 

The curriculums established by the great scholars of the Gelukpa tradition require that a student memorize the root of a text, then listen to its explanation from their teacher. Debate, the principles of which are taught in the first year, is the gymnastic that brings the concepts to life and helps students gain mastery of a philosophical concept through questioning each other on various topics.

Excelling in debate is a source of great fame for young monks, marking their pedigree as scholars, and demonstrates their understanding of the philosophical concepts they were taught. Debate sessions, which take place daily during certain periods throughout the year, take place in a dedicated courtyard, with flagged stones and shady trees.  

For a skilled debater, these sessions are the most exciting time of the day, and can become very animated. Inter college debates, which occur at certain times of the year, give a scholar the opportunity to engage with those from other monasteries and yearly examinations, where a monk has to defend his stand or question a peer, attract large audiences of illustrious teachers. Great scholars thus gain their fame not simply in their own monastery but in others as well.