Shedra

Shedra is a Tibetan word (བཤད་གྲྭ, bshad grwa) meaning "place of teaching" but specifically refers to the educational program in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and nunneries. It is usually attended by monks and nuns between their early teen years and early twenties. Not all young monastics enter a shedra; some study ritual practices instead. Shedra is variously described as a university, monastic college, or philosophy school. The age range of students typically corresponds to both secondary school and college. After completing a shedra, some monks continue with further scholastic training toward a Khenpo or Geshe degree, and other monks pursue training in ritual practices.

The curriculum varies with the lineage and monastery but most cover the main foundational texts in the Tibetan Buddhist canon, such as the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (The Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way) by Nagarjuna and the Madhyamakāvatāra (Entering the Middle Way) by Candrakīrti. Some non-Buddhist courses, such as grammar, poetry, history, and arts may be included. The initial years focus on the Buddhist sutras and the remaining years on tantras. Care is taken to introduce foundational topics first, building key concepts and vocabulary for later study.

Compared to western educational systems, the shedra places much greater emphasis on memorization by students. Some traditions require monks memorize complete texts before studying them. They may be required to recite in class the new sections they've memorized each day. In some lineages, debate becomes a major focus and practice for refining one's understanding. In those lineages students may spend a major portion of the day in debate with each other.

There are differing views on the importance of shedra. Gelug, Sakya and Jonang lineages consider the shedra training essential, whereas in the Nyingma and Kagyu lineages, this is less the case.

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