Monlam Pavillion
6 February, 2025
It has become customary to hold a western-style debate on two evenings during the Kagyu Monlam. Initiated by the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa in 2013, his aim was to widen the educational experience of the monks and improve their ability in public speaking. Western debates serve as a complement to traditional Tibetan debates. They promote skill development in public-speaking and rhetoric, in a format that all listeners from all backgrounds can readily understand, without specialist training in Tibetan logic and epistemology. The focus, therefore, is on fluency in the expression of ideas and clarity of argument.
The debate was held between two teams of four monks – the proponents and the opponents- drawn from the eight shedras which had attended the Kagyu Gunchö.
Speaking in a lively and forceful way, with humour whenever possible, the monks argued their positions based on the words of the Buddha, quoting from the sutras and tantras, and using logical reasoning.
HE Zurmang Garwang Rinpoche was the convener for the debate and the moderator was Khenpo Lhakpa, the abbot of Karma Lekshey Ling College in Nepal, who said that this debate was in accordance with the way the Buddha, when he lived, used to give religious teachings in the form of questions and answers with his śrāvakas (listeners) and the bodhisattvas.
In the first round, one person from each team had ten minutes to speak to the topic. The proponents went first, and then the opponents. In the second round, each participant had three minutes to make their points in response to what had been said. In the third round, time was reduced to one minute per participant. Finally, one person from each team had five minutes to sum up and conclude the arguments.
The audience of khenpos, monks and a few laypeople listened intently, following the arguments from both sides, and laughing at the jokes. They clearly enjoyed the debate.
Finally, Karma Chödrak, the CEO of the Kagyu Monlam Chenmo, presented auspicious katags to the debaters and to Zurmang Garwang Rinpoche.
