Buddhist Philosophy Between Worlds: Gelug Presentations of Buddhist Philosophy at the Tibetan Monastery and the North American Dharma Centre

This paper explores the monastic philosophical curriculum of the Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The curricula of the Gelug monasteries are rooted in the presentation of the 14th century scholar Tsongkhapa, who emphasized the importance of the classical Treatises (rgya gzhung). These texts were written in Sanskrit by great Indian scholars (paṇḍitas) between the 4th and 6th centuries CE and translated into Tibetan beginning in the 9th century CE. Upon completion of the curriculum emphasizing these great texts and their Tibetan commentaries over a period of eighteen to twenty years, monastic graduates receive the title of Geshe (dge bshes). Since the late 1960s, Tibetan monastic scholars have been teaching Buddhism in contemporary secular societies such as North America. This paper will examine how the Geshes present subjects of an ancient philosophical curriculum to diverse modern audiences, and the challenges they face in the process.