At the Sera Monastery in Lhasa, you can watch Tibetan monks debate in the afternoons. It’s a lively affair, with the challenger standing, stating his argument as either a syllogism or a consequence, and ending each question with a dramatic clap and a stomp of his feet. The defenders sit quietly, contemplate the argument, then responds in a rather calm manner.
This is perhaps why I’m partial to Buddhism over the all other major religions. Since the nature of Buddhism focuses on self realization, reasoning and debating to clear one’s misconceptions and find the right path is not only allowed, but encouraged. This tradition gives power to the individual, to apply Buddhist wisdom towards one’s own life, and achieve a deep understanding of the true nature of the universe in order to be released from the suffering. For the curiosity driven seeker, this is much easier to swallow than to simply be assured of things hoped for, and convinced of things not seen.
I found myself feeling rather awkward as a tourist, taking photos of monks amidst their daily ritual, as if they were animals in a zoo. I did quite enjoy watching this young man, who spoke with such dynamism, almost jumping with his claps. Too bad my Tibetan was a bit rusty, it would have been lovely to actually listen to such a debate.
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