Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa
Encyclopedia
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(40 km south of Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
) is a branch of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition
Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition
The Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition is a network of Buddhist centers focusing on the Gelugpa tradition of Tibet. Founded in 1975 by Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, who began teaching Buddhism to Western students in Nepal, the FPMT has grown to encompass...
(FPMT), an international network of Gelugpa dharma centers. It is named for Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelugpa monastic order of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
. The Dalai Lama has taught there on several occasions.
Established in 1977 by the FPMT founders, Lamas Thubten Yeshe
Thubten Yeshe
Thubten Yeshe was a Tibetan lama who, while exiled in Nepal, co-founded Kopan Monastery and the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition...
and Thubten Zopa Rinpoche
Thubten Zopa Rinpoche
Not to be confused with Geshe Lhundub Sopa Rinpoche, Geshe Tenzin Zopa, Lama Zopa Tharchin , and Geshe Lobsang Zopa ...
, the ILTK offers various courses on Tibetan Buddhism in Italian, English, and (to a lesser extent) several other European languages. Of these, the most noteworthy is a six-year (formerly seven) "Masters Program" designed for the training of FPMT teachers.
The Masters Program
Manjushri Institute
Manjushri Institute was a large Buddhist college situated at Conishead Priory in England from 1976 until its dissolution in 1991. In 1991 its assets, including Conishead Priory, were transferred to a new Centre, Manjushri Mahayana Buddhist Centre which was later re-named .- The Founding of...
in Ulverston (Cumbria, England). Begun in 1978, it was taught by Geshe Jampa Tegchok, with assistance from Western monk Thubten Pende. It fell victim to factional struggle between followers of Lama Yeshe and Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. In 1982 a similar program was begun at Nalanda Monastery (France) with the same teachers, but failed to attract sufficient interest.
In 1980, Lama Yeshe asked his old friend and colleague from Sera Monastery
Sera Monastery
Sera Monastery is one of the 'great three' Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet, located north of Lhasa. The other two are Ganden Monastery and Drepung Monastery. The origin of the name 'Sera' is attributed to a fact that the site where the monastery was built was surrounded by wild roses in...
, Geshe Jampa Gyatso, to become resident teacher in Pomaia. Geshe Jampa began teaching elements of Lama Yeshe's curriculum in 1983, though unsystematically. With the help of several FPMT educators (Thubden Pende and Joan Nicell), plans for the formal course were created. The first "Masters Program" was held between 1998 and 2004. About thirty students finished the course, with others participating in portions of it. A second course began in 2008, with some modifications, and is scheduled to continue until 2013. Geshe Jampa Gyatso died before it commenced, resulting in the appointment of his junior colleague, Geshe Tenzin Tenphel, as course teacher. In 2009 Geshe Tenphel resigned from this role, to be succeeded by Khensur Rinpoche Jampa Tegchok.
Five major texts are studied:
- 1. The Abhisamayalamkara (Ornament of Clear Realization), a commentary on the PrajnaparamitaPrajnaparamitaPrajñāpāramitā in Buddhism, means "the Perfection of Wisdom." The word Prajñāpāramitā combines the Sanskrit words prajñā with pāramitā . Prajñāpāramitā is a central concept in Mahāyāna Buddhism and its practice and understanding are taken to be indispensable elements of the Bodhisattva Path...
sutras, revealed by MaitreyaMaitreya-nathaMaitreya-nātha is a name whose use was pioneered by Buddhist scholars Erich Frauwallner, Giuseppe Tucci, and Hakiju Ui to distinguish one of the three founders of the Yogācāra school of Buddhist philosophy, along with Asaṅga and Vasubandhu. Some scholars believe this "Maitreya" to be a historical...
to AsangaAsangaAsaṅga was a major exponent of the Yogācāra tradition in India, also called Vijñānavāda. Traditionally, he and his half-brother Vasubandhu are regarded as the founders of this school...
; - 2. The MadhyamakavataraMadhyamakāvatāraMadhyamakāvatāra is a text by Candrakirti on the Middle Way school . It is a commentary on the meaning of Nagarjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā and also the Daśabhūmikasūtra-śāstra...
of Chandrakirti; - 3. The Abhidharmakosa of VasubandhuVasubandhuVasubandhu was an Indian Buddhist monk, and along with his half-brother Asanga, one of the main founders of the Indian Yogācāra school. However, some scholars consider Vasubandhu to be two distinct people. Vasubandhu is one of the most influential figures in the entire history of Buddhism...
; - 4. Kirti Losang Trinle's exposition on the Grounds and Paths of Secret MantraTantraTantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
(commenting on Tsongkhapa's Great Exposition of the Stages of the Path of Tantra); and - 5. Aku Sherab Gyatso's commentary on the Guhyasamaja Tantra.
Of these, the first three (along with works by Dharmakirti
Dharmakirti
Dharmakīrti , was an Indian scholar and one of the Buddhist founders of Indian philosophical logic. He was one of the primary theorists of Buddhist atomism, according to which the only items considered to exist are momentary states of consciousness.-History:Born around the turn of the 7th century,...
and Gunaprabha) constitute the major texts of the Gelugpa Geshe curriculum (cf. Tibetan Buddhist canon
Tibetan Buddhist canon
The Tibetan Buddhist canon is a loosely defined list of sacred texts recognized by various sects of Tibetan Buddhism. In addition to sutrayana texts from Early Buddhist and Mahayana sources, the Tibetan canon includes tantric texts...
). The last two are associated with Gelugpa tantric
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
colleges, Gyuto
Gyuto Order
Gyuto Tantric University is one of the great monastic institutions of the Gelug Order.-History:Gyuto was founded in 1475 by Jetsun Kunga Dhondup and is one of the main tantric colleges of the Gelug tradition...
and Gyume, whose students traditionally entered after earning a Geshe degree. Guhyasamaja is a major tantric practice emphasized by Gelugpa lineages, owing perhaps to its prominence in the writings of Tsongkhapa (emphasized in the original, expanded curriculum as designed by Lama Yeshe).
In addition to the formal studies described above, participants engage in several meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
retreats, mostly focused on lamrim
Lamrim
Lamrim is a Tibetan Buddhist textual form for presenting the stages in the complete path to enlightenment as taught by Buddha. In Tibetan Buddhist history there have been many different versions of lamrim, presented by different teachers of the Nyingma, Kagyu and Gelug schools...
topics. Students are not expected to observe the five precepts, but are asked to aim at conduct according with them.
The Masters Program course includes both resident (in Pomaia) and on-line participants. Both groups receive a certificate upon completion, with the residential students additionally qualifying as FPMT teachers. Despite the name, the ILTK does not actually award a masters degree.
Other Courses
Similar to other FPMT centers, the ILTK also offers short-duration courses such as lamrimLamrim
Lamrim is a Tibetan Buddhist textual form for presenting the stages in the complete path to enlightenment as taught by Buddha. In Tibetan Buddhist history there have been many different versions of lamrim, presented by different teachers of the Nyingma, Kagyu and Gelug schools...
. Some of these are modules in sequences such as "Discovering Buddhism" (two years of weekend study) or the FPMT's "Basic Program" (a standardized sequence of seven courses which requires several years to complete).
In addition to Tibetan Buddhist subjects, ILTK also offers "alternative" courses on such subjects as hatha yoga
Hatha yoga
Hatha yoga , also called hatha vidya , is a system of yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a Hindu sage of 15th century India, and compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika....
, qigong
Qigong
Qigong or chi kung is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation...
, Sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
, astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
, aromatherapy
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses volatile plant materials, known as essential oils, and other aromatic compounds for the purpose of altering a person's mind, mood, cognitive function or health....
, and massage
Massage
Massage is the manipulation of superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to enhance function, aid in the healing process, and promote relaxation and well-being. The word comes from the French massage "friction of kneading", or from Arabic massa meaning "to touch, feel or handle"...
. Psychological counseling
Counseling psychology
Counseling psychology is a psychological specialty that encompasses research and applied work in several broad domains: counseling process and outcome; supervision and training; career development and counseling; and prevention and health...
services are also available.
Other activities
ILTK has been a member of the Unione Buddhista Italiana (Italian Buddhist Union) since that organization's founding in 1984, and served as its headquarters until 1992 (when the UBI opened offices in Rome). UBI is a lobby group seeking various forms of government recognition for Italian Buddhist institutions.ILTK hosts regular conferences of the "Mindfulness Project," which is devoted to dialogue between Buddhism and counseling psychology.
Since 1983 ILTK has published an Italian-language newsletter—now a thrice-yearly magazine—entitled Siddhi. It also manages a press, JTK Publications (JTK for "Je Tsong Khapa"), devoted to Italian-language Buddhist books and other material.
Affiliated Sangha
In 1978, Khyabje Song Rinpoche ordained five monks in Pomaia. Their monastery, Tagden Shedrub Dhargye Ling ("Place Where Study and Practice Proliferate Uninterruptedly"), was built during the 1980s under the patronage of Lama Zopa. It was the first Gelugpa monastery in Italy. Two of its monks, Pierro Cerri and Claudio Cipullo, were also among the founders of ILTK.In 1984, six monks and one nun formed the Italian International Mahayana Institute, a cultural organization. The group (possibly defunct?) had two categories of membership: monastic and lay.
A nunnery, Shenpen Samten Ling ("Place of Concentration Benefiting Others"), opened in 1989 under the patronage of Lama Zopa.
Books
- Cozort, Daniel. "The Making of the Western Lama." In Buddhism in the Modern World (Steven Heine & Charles S. Prebish, eds), Oxford UP: 2003, ch. 9. Cozort discusses the ILTK's Masters Program in the context of the overall educational curricula of the FPMT, which he compares with the traditional system of Sera Je Monastery as well as that another Western order, the New Kadampa TraditionNew Kadampa TraditionThe New Kadampa Tradition ~ International Kadampa Buddhist Union is a global Buddhist organisation founded by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso in England in 1991. In 2003 the words "International Kadampa Buddhist Union" were added to the original name "New Kadampa Tradition"...
.