Geshema Degree

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DGA
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Geshema Degree

Post by DGA »

So.

Is the geshema degree identical to or different from the geshe degree in its curriculum, pedagogy, assessments, or function?

Is a geshema someone who has earned the top degree while ordained as a nun rather than a monk? Or is there a difference in the content of the degree? {same question asked differently]


https://tnp.org/wp-content/uploads/2013 ... r-2012.pdf
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Lobsang Chojor
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Re: Geshema Degree

Post by Lobsang Chojor »

A Geshe-ma degree is the same as a Geshe degree. The ma suffix indicates that the person holding the degree is female.
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Ayu
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Re: Geshema Degree

Post by Ayu »

Yes. It is the same.
And it's a great achievement that these days it's finally possible for women to study for their Geshe degree and pass those examinations.
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Re: Geshema Degree

Post by Bristollad »

I know the first women who achieved the geshe degree were students at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics. The curriculum there is slightly different to the curriculum at Ganden, Drepung or Sera because they also touch on some of the philosophical presentations given by Nyingma, Kagyu and Sakya scholars. For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as Rime Geshe.

Now, as more nunneries are offering training in geshe studies, I don't know if the curriculum being studied is more in line with the big three Geluk monasteries or still follows the IBD curriculum.

see https://ibd.instituteofbuddhistdialecti ... -programs/
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DGA
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Re: Geshema Degree

Post by DGA »

Ayu wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 7:42 pm Yes. It is the same.
And it's a great achievement that these days it's finally possible for women to study for their Geshe degree and pass those examinations.
Long, long overdue.

When I reflect on the baked-in misogyny in so many Buddhist institutions, I wonder if I would want to participate at all if I were a woman. And I'm frustrated with myself for not taking this problem as seriously as I should for many years.

I have to say that the language bothers me. It could be that it's because I don't understand Tibetan, but I don't think it's right that a degree should be named differently just because the holder is female. I hold a doctorate; my colleague Allison, who holds exactly the same degree as mine from the same program, shouldn't hold a doctorette or whatever.

I've supported the Tibetan Nuns Project in the past and I intend to continue to do so. This is important.
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Re: Geshema Degree

Post by Lingpupa »

DGA wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 4:29 am I hold a doctorate; my colleague Allison, who holds exactly the same degree as mine from the same program, shouldn't hold a doctorette or whatever.
It really depends on the particular language. In Italian, for example, using the female title for a man or the male title for a woman would be equally absurd. In Tibetan? Not qualified to say.
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Svalaksana
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Re: Geshema Degree

Post by Svalaksana »

Lingpupa wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 7:45 am
DGA wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 4:29 am I hold a doctorate; my colleague Allison, who holds exactly the same degree as mine from the same program, shouldn't hold a doctorette or whatever.
It really depends on the particular language. In Italian, for example, using the female title for a man or the male title for a woman would be equally absurd. In Tibetan? Not qualified to say.
Indeed, I was bound to mention that as well. My language is Portuguese and therefore stems from Latin too. Latin languages for example rely heavily on definite articles which convey the gender of the referent, even for inanimate objects such as a rock or the sea, and this bears no qualitative power. Perhaps Tibetan holds a similar schema, though I'm also not informed on that.
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Ayu
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Re: Geshema Degree

Post by Ayu »

DGA wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 4:29 am
Ayu wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 7:42 pm Yes. It is the same.
And it's a great achievement that these days it's finally possible for women to study for their Geshe degree and pass those examinations.
Long, long overdue.

When I reflect on the baked-in misogyny in so many Buddhist institutions, I wonder if I would want to participate at all if I were a woman. And I'm frustrated with myself for not taking this problem as seriously as I should for many years.

I have to say that the language bothers me. It could be that it's because I don't understand Tibetan, but I don't think it's right that a degree should be named differently just because the holder is female. I hold a doctorate; my colleague Allison, who holds exactly the same degree as mine from the same program, shouldn't hold a doctorette or whatever.

I've supported the Tibetan Nuns Project in the past and I intend to continue to do so. This is important.
In German and French it is normal to have male and female names for the professions.
In Germany right now it is rather a demand by feminism to say the female Form, if the person is female. Like this it is stated: Yes, women can and they are in any male-named profession as well.
It tells, women are there and not neglected.
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Lobsang Chojor
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Re: Geshema Degree

Post by Lobsang Chojor »

DGA wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 4:29 am I have to say that the language bothers me. It could be that it's because I don't understand Tibetan, but I don't think it's right that a degree should be named differently just because the holder is female.
It's just the language so you know the person being mentioned is female, the degree is a geshe degree but the person holding it is Geshe-la when male and Geshe-ma when female. It's no different to Latino and Latina for gender.
"Morality does not become pure unless darkness is dispelled by the light of wisdom"
  • Aryasura, Paramitasamasa 6.5
ༀ་ཨ་ར་པ་ཙ་ན་དྷཱི༔ Oṃ A Ra Pa Ca Na Dhīḥ
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Lobsang Chojor
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Re: Geshema Degree

Post by Lobsang Chojor »

Bristollad wrote: Tue Sep 07, 2021 11:55 am Now, as more nunneries are offering training in geshe studies, I don't know if the curriculum being studied is more in line with the big three Geluk monasteries or still follows the IBD curriculum.
As far as I'm aware from briefly talking to a nun studying at Kopan, they follow the curriculum of Sera Jey in both Kopan monastery and nunnery. I'm not sure about other nunneries though.
"Morality does not become pure unless darkness is dispelled by the light of wisdom"
  • Aryasura, Paramitasamasa 6.5
ༀ་ཨ་ར་པ་ཙ་ན་དྷཱི༔ Oṃ A Ra Pa Ca Na Dhīḥ
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