Debate courtyard in a monastic university like Sera is an important place where students study all the five major classics through critical debate. With logical reasoning as the governing rule, students practice the art of debate by questioning one another. This method of monastic debate is considered one of the best means of gaining a profound understanding through establishing the realities of things. As such, the debate courtyard is one of the most important places of learning for the monk students of major Tibetan monastic seats.
In the past – prior to 1959 – Sera Mey had two debate courtyards: the upper and the lower. Many past great practitioners practiced debates in them. Teachings were also given by eminent masters in these debate courtyards; thus these are considered places of great blessings.
In exile, the tradition of the debate has continued to this day. At the tent camp in Buxhall [a village in West Bengal where the monks who arrived in exile in India were settled by the Indian government for some years] and at the old debate ground in front of the old monastic prayer hall, debate classes were held for many years. The present debate courtyard, which was recently renovated, was constructed in 1996. It was initially sponsored by the late ex-abbot Khensur Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Tharchin and his students. It has one main courtyard in the middle and two other courtyards on the sides. The main courtyard is used for prayer gatherings before the beginning of debates as well as for conducting debate sessions/classes. The two courtyards on the sides are used for conducting debate classes. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama blessed the compound and gave teachings there.
With the increase in the number of monk students, the old courtyard was found not spacious enough to contain all the debaters. There was also a need of renovation as it became difficult to hold debate classes during rainy seasons. Therefore, with the blessing of His Holiness and the support of the Tibetan government in exile, our previous abbot Khensur Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Rabga sought help from well-wishers from the west. Our ex-abbot His Eminence Khensur Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Jamyang and his students have contributed a lot. The present debate courtyard was made possible with the efforts of His Eminence Khensur Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Rabga and His Eminence Khensur Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Jamyang. Kyabje Woeser Rinpoche and his students have also contributed a lot.
The new debate courtyard has one floor on top which has classrooms as well as a science laboratory and other classrooms. Several other rooms are to be used to accommodate monks visiting Sera for inter monastic gatherings or for Geluk examinations. Hundreds of monks from Gaden and Drepung as well as from Tashi Lhunpo and others would flock in during mass events such as Jangunchoe Chenmo, and these new rooms would be useful to extend our service to them. Our former abbot His Eminence Gyutoe Khensur Rinpoche Ngawang Jorden has been actively involved and lead us to the fruitful completion of The Debate Court Yard.
Meditation Care Centre
The former abbot of our monastery His Eminence Gyutoe Khensur Rinpoche Ngawang Jorden was advised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama during a special audience to build a meditational retreat center inside the vicinity of the monastery. Through the efforts of our present abbot, this project became a success and at present, we have a beautiful retreat center within the monastic premise.
On behalf of Sera Mey Monastery and our abbot, I extend a warm thank you for your donations. You honored us with our Debating Court Yard and Hermitage inside the campus.
All thanks to your large amount of donations that we’re able to successfully complete the constructions of Debate Court Yard and Hermitage Centre within our campus and make us aware of opportunities the field of administration provides them with for a bright and successful future. We have 1696 monks in our monasteries with different regions. It is because of your donations that many of our monks with a natural inclination towards the daily routine of prayers and motivated to make their academic life without any obstacles.
