This post contains material from Dr. Pierce’s blog, https://piscience.wordpress.com/, written after his India trip in 2016.
I was under the misconception that the monastery just housed monks. Not only do many non-monk Tibetan exiles live around the monastic settlement, but there are a many children who go to school at the monastery. The school-age children have the traditional robes and shaved heads, like the monks. What families send these children to the monastery? Remember, many Tibetans are living in exile in various parts of India. Traditionally, every first born Tibetan son is sent to become a monk (while daughters can become nuns), as early as age five, though this is not the case for every family. In my understanding of the Buddhist tradition, the body is a vessel for the spirit, and therefore it is viewed as a great honor to join the monastery. This monastic life is ultimately a choice, however, and monks or nuns are allowed to leave at any time.
I’m not sure how many children are going to school at Sera Jey, but I’d guess it’s in the thousands. The school website is really interesting, especially the highlighted student work on the lefthand side — fair warning, though, some of the stories are heart-wrenching.
The children students learn a traditional Buddhist curriculum, and have a very regimented schedule (see below). Debates are a large part of the curriculum, though it is not a traditional Western debate with a winner and loser; rather, debates are designed as an opportunity to share knowledge — I’ll address debates more in an additional post.
My first day at the monastery was also the day off for the children (and the monastery as a whole). Looking out of my room, I could see lots of children playing in the courtyard — it wasn’t hard to imagine my son joining in the games they were inventing!
