Why do Tibetan lamas debate the scriptures and high-five?

Debate is a Buddhist term and a debate on Buddhist theory. That is, after learning Buddhist scriptures, in order to strengthen the true understanding of Buddhist scriptures, monks exchange their learning experience and Buddhist teachings by asking and answering questions or asking and answering questions or asking and answering questions, just like our academic discussion. It is a way for lamas to learn Buddhist scriptures. The contents and steps of studying Confucian classics by monks in Sera Temple, Gandan Temple and drepung monastery are basically the same. Learn Xian Zong first, then Tantric Sect. Xianzong is mainly composed of five classics (Inming, Prajna, Meditation, Discipline and Harmony) stipulated by the Gelug Sect. It generally takes 20 years or more to learn these classics. A lot of profound Buddhist classics, I'm afraid it's hard to remember them completely by practicing on your own. Therefore, the method of asking and answering each other is very beneficial to practice, and it is also a way for monks to upgrade to monks in turn, except for reincarnation. According to the regulations of the Gelug Sect, "Gesi" is the highest degree of the Gelug Sect, which is equivalent to a doctorate. This was decided by the public debate at the annual Zhao Chuan Dafa Conference in Lhasa.

Clap your hands. Every time you ask a question, step back, throw a rosary with your right hand, put it on your left arm, step forward, hold your right hand high, and clap your left hand hard, and a thunderous clap will ring on the head or forehead of the meditation Lama. Clapping your hands has two functions. First, it means that I am asking you a question now. Please answer it quickly and pay tribute to it. One means is to deter opponents in imposing manner. It is said that if the questioner can't answer, then the questioner can high-five or throw prayer beads as a warning, and sometimes he will hold the beads on his arm to seek the support of the Buddha. Respondents should concentrate their eloquence and knowledge, and try to refute each other in addition to their witty responses. If the respondent responds properly, it will arouse applause from onlookers. If what you say doesn't convey the meaning or make sense, you will be laughed at by the whole house.

In the debate, other actions are meaningful, such as saying "bottom" before each question, then raising your right hand high again, making a crisp sound with your left hand, and then stretching your right hand down to the other side to pull it up. That "bottom" sound is equivalent to enlightened wisdom, because Manjusri Bodhisattva is a symbol of wisdom in Buddhism, and his mantra is "Om Ajie Bazala Land". The sound of "bottom" can enlighten Manjusri Bodhisattva in our hearts and open our wisdom. Gao Yang's right hand shows Manjusri wisdom behind him. Second-hand blows have three meanings: one is that it takes a slap to make a sound, and everything in the world is the product of a combination of many reasons; Second, applause represents impermanence, and everything is fleeting; Third, the crisp voice awakens the compassion and wisdom in your heart and drives away your evil thoughts. Right hand down, and then pull back, hoping to save all beings from suffering through inner kindness and wisdom.

The Buddhist education received by monks in temples is similar to that of our ordinary schools, and they can read master's and doctor's degrees from primary school to junior high school. At the age of seven, a believer became a monk, and then after two years of study, he officially began to learn the five theories at the age of ten. He studied thirteen lessons in succession and was about twenty-three when he became a monk. After the debate, the little Lama was promoted from "Riqiong" (equivalent to junior high school) to "Riqing" (senior high school) and obtained "Riqing" (intermediate Buddhist degree). After studying Confucian classics for several years, you can take the exam of "Gexi" (doctor of Buddhism). Only monks who have obtained the "Nissin" degree are eligible to participate in the examination and debate activities of the highest degree of Tibetan Buddhism "Gexilalaba". Promoting Buddhism through debate is a traditional way to promote Tibetan Buddhism. Even, a Lama was admitted to a postgraduate and doctor's degree in Tsinghua, Peking University.

The system of obtaining Gussie degree came into being with the appearance of debate examination system. The level of academic titles awarded depends on the size, status, number of colleges and courses of temples. In order to improve and standardize the trial and defense system, some rules and specific principles that are generally applicable to temples are stipulated. Such as content, ceremony, debater qualification, matters that both sides should pay attention to, and so on. The content of the debate mainly depends on the arguments put forward by the founder. There are three dialectical parties in the debate, namely the founder, the opponent and the referee. The three elements of debaters: wisdom, proficiency and familiarity with classics. Four foundations of debate: opinions, opinions, prohibition and self-discussion. Three mistakes in debate: content error, thinking error and language error. In order to prevent complacency and mistakes in the debate, seven virtues of the debate are stipulated: magnanimity, gentle tone, harmless words, keen sense, perseverance and arrogance, cunning love of evil without giving up the right reasons, serious self-interest and so on. According to their own reality, temples have also formulated detailed rules for examination and debate, which require monks to refer to and implement.

There are differences in form and level in debating scriptures, such as studying debating scriptures with monks in the same class in the academy (which belongs to the usual practice stage), debating scriptures in the whole temple at the end of each semester or at the law conference (which belongs to the intermediate debate activity), and debating scriptures when obtaining a certain Gesi degree (which belongs to the higher stage). The temple regards the activity of debating scriptures as an important means to measure a monk or Lama's knowledge level, ability of debating scriptures and dull and keen thinking. It is required to take the laws of logic as the main content and combine the basic theory of Buddhism as the introduction, and then gradually deepen and extend to the rest of the works. In the debate between the two sides, the party with a theory (Li Zong) establishes an insight according to the content of a certain exposition and argues to maintain the correctness of this insight. It is characterized by 1 debater, who sits on the floor and can only reply seriously according to the topics and various questions raised by the other party. When you reply, you should be concise, you can't play it at will, and you can't ask questions. The other side is the opponent, that is, the one who challenges the arguer around the theme of the argument. The questioner may be one person or several people, always standing in front of the discussant and asking some difficult questions. The content of the question is detailed and unfathomable, depending on the knowledge and defense ability of the respondent. The defender sometimes raises his hand and raises his hand to ask questions, sometimes waving beads and a monk's hat, holding the cassock of the discussant or patting his body. The atmosphere was warm and tense. If the commentator is proficient in classics and persuasive, so that the questioner is exhausted, then the audience applauds for goodness and the debate wins. If you don't know much about argumentation, or you are not good at argumentation, you will be tongue-tied, the questioner will clap his hands and cheer, and even make various gestures of ridicule and ridicule with verbal errors. Monks outside the venue will boo, which makes the arguer very embarrassed. Therefore, in order to lose face in front of a large audience in the main hall, monks usually study and debate scriptures, and under the guidance of teachers, they work very hard to get a Gus degree or a higher level with excellent results, so as to get ahead and be respected among monks.