Debate winter School ‘23
Online only, for two consecutive weekends
Feb 25-26 & March 4-5, 2023
Sera Jey Monastic University (Karnataka, India) invites you to join the third annual online Nalanda Debate crash course at the virtual Sera Jey Monastery. More information will be sent to you after registration. Please use the dropdown menu above to find resources that will get you acquainted with Nalanda Debate.
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED
Who?
This course is intended for those with no prior experience in Nalanda Debate as well as those who already have the skillset developed. During debate practice sessions, we will divide the students into two groups: one group for students to newly learn the debate format, and another group for students who wish to debate more intricate topics.
Register by clicking on the “Register Here” buttons on the top or bottom of the page. Attendees from DWS ‘21 and ‘22 are welcome to attend again.
What?
A four-day crash course in Nalanda Debate, over two consecutive weekends. Each day will consist of three live Gather Town (a virtual meeting space) sessions including explanation and debate practice. Participants will also be asked to watch pre-recorded videos with background information and to review written materials both before and during the course.
Where?
Wherever you have internet access - this course will be fully online. Live sessions will be held at the virtual Sera Jey Monastic University in the interactive space of Gather Town. You should have a quiet environment and stable internet to participate.
When?
February 24-25 and March 5-6. [plus a practice session on Wednesday March 1]
Time slots per day will be as follows. Please only refer to the timings for your time zone to avoid confusion!
Participants west of the EST time zone will be able to join by watching recordings of the Lecture session and joining the Debate Practice 1 and Debate Practice 2 live. Recordings will be made available as soon as possible. Participation will require a full commitment for all four days of the course.
Sessions
Lecture
Debate Practice 1
Debate Practice 2
India (IST)
Lecture - 17:00-18:30
Debate Practice 1 - 20:00-21:30
Debate Practice 2 - 14:00-15:00
Europe (CET)
Lecture - 12:30-14:00
Debate Practice 1 - 15:30-17:00
Debate Practice 2 - 09:30-10:30 (*you also have the option of joining from 19:00-20:00)
USA (EST)
Lecture - 06:30-08:00
Debate Practice 1 - 09:30-11:00
Debate Practice 2 - 13:00-14:00 (*This is not concurrent with the IST and CET timezones, so students in the Americas will meet separately for this session)
Why?
To learn a new method of engaged critical analysis in order to enrich one’s investigations and enable a broader and more nuanced way of thinking about science, philosophy, and life. Nalanda Debate makes you more precise in your thinking, so you can have a clearer mind with less confusion and uncertainty.
How much?
The winter school will be taught free of charge. Participants are invited to make a donation to Sera Jey Monastic University (instructions to donate will be sent by email after registering).
let wisdom shine
The Buddha engaged in dialogue with people of all varieties of beliefs and backgrounds - these dialogues often mimicked a debate, with the Buddha using logic to help the wisdom of his questioners shine. A form of debate set in rigorous logic was then codified in Tibet, 1000 years ago. Now English speakers can unearth this precious jewel of Tibet.
Why learn Nalanda Debate?
In an era where new knowledge is produced at unprecedented rates and at every stage of its production is challenged by misinformation, skills of critical analysis have never been more valuable. Nalanda Debate provides a formal structure for you to engage in constructive dialogues, whether in the classroom, research lab, or daily life. It brings extra clarity as you investigate the many aspects of our world.
Utilized by Tibetan scholar-contemplatives for the past thousand years to investigate the functions of cognition and perception, and to ultimately probe the very nature of reality, Nalanda Debate is a tried and true method of enhancing our critical thinking capacities. The unique style of using consequential reasoning – pointing out absurd logical consequences in a partner’s stated view (reductio ad absurdum reasoning) – helps to reveal hidden cognitive biases and unacknowledged contradictions held within one’s mind. By situating a dialogue in a restrictive format, the discussion can progress and unearth richer and richer meaning without getting sidetracked or falling prey to time-wasting straw man and ad hominem arguments.
While useful for anyone who intends to be an active citizen of a knowledge-based society, this tool is especially pertinent for today’s research scientists. The practice of Nalanda Debate depends on some logical rules shared in common across most systems of logic, but does not assume any knowledge or acceptance of specifically Buddhist views.
The second annual Debate Winter School was held in Gather Town from Jan. 24-28, 2022 and was attended by students from all parts of the world. You can use the menu above to find recordings of the full course under the “Resources” tab.
‘One unique thing about the Nalanda Tradition is that we extensively use a logical approach… Single-pointed meditation is good, but it is even better to do analytical meditation and engage in discussion, debate.’
H.H. the Dalai Lama, Dharamsala, Dec. 9, 2020
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED
