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MONGOLIAN MONKS" STUDIES IN LHASA"S MONASTERIES At the time of the Abhidharma, one studied chiefly Vasubandhu’s The Treasury of Phenomenology (Tib. Chos mngon pa’i mdzod, Skt. Abhidharmakösa) and its commentaries. To support the proper interpretation of the texts written by famous Indian and Tibetan scholars in these five topics, handbooks or manuals (Tib. yig cha) were compiled by eminent monks. Three famous handbooks used in different Tibetan philosophical monastic schools became popular among the Mongols, namely 1. Giinchin igchaa (Tib. Kun mkhyen yig cha) written by Kunkyen Jamyang Zhepa (Kun mkhyen ‘Jam dbyangs bzhad pa, 1648-1721). In the list it is mentioned as Goman igchaa referring to Gomang college where this handbook was in use. 2. Losalin igchaa or Wanchin igchaa (Tib. Pan chen yig cha) written by Panchen Sönam Tepa (Pan chen Bsod nams grags pa, 1478-1554) is referred as Losalin igchaa (Tib. Blo gling or Blo gsal gling yig cha) in the list named after Losaling college where it was in use. 3. Serjee igchaa (Tib. Ser byed yig cha) is the manual of Sera Je (Ser byed) monastic school of Sera monastery, written by Jetsünpa Chöki Gyeltsen (rJe btsun pa Chos kyi rgyal mtshan, 1469-1546). Exams and Degrees After philosophical lessons one reached the so-called karam (Khal. garam, Tib. bka’ ram) class and had to take a long examination. This examination was important for depending upon the quality of this examination one would afterwards obtained the rank of the four higher or lower geshe (Khal. gews, Tib. dge bshes) titles according to the grade of the examination. There were four geshe ranks: 1. hlarampa (Khal. Ikhaaramba, Tib. [ha rams pa) | went to higher class 2. tsogrampa (Khal. tsogrim, Tib. tshogs ram pa) called hlaram 3. rigrampa (Tib. rigs ram pa) remained in the 4. lingseb (Khal. linseb, Tib. gling gseb) karam class Until the geshe disputation in both hlaram and karam classes of each monks had to remain in their own classes. According to the size of the class there is a varying number of years of waiting for disputation. Both the rigrampa and the lingseb arranged their disputation in their own monasteries and they received their geshe status* from their own monasteries. In the second Tibetan month, at the Offering Festival (Tib. Zshogs mchod), the congregations of three monasteries stayed in Lhasa for about ten days and during that the ¢sogrampa arranged their geshe disputations. 34 They had the so-called lower geshe level. 163
