Learn Tibetan on your own. How to Learn Tibetan Effectively

How to Learn Tibetan Effectively

There are many different options to learn Tibetan: self-study, group lessons and individual lessons. If you have the opportunity and a burning desire to really master the language, then you need to approach this radically. In my opinion, the best option- undergo training in Tibet or India. The Tibetan diaspora in India offers various opportunities for international listeners. One of them is courses based on the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives.

We bring to your attention a short interview with one of the students of this educational institution, Rashid Miftiev. Rashid began his acquaintance with the Tibetan language in Russia and even passed. Having come to the conclusion that in order to successfully master the language, you need to go to India, he realized his intention. Now he is studying in India and chose the time to answer questions from the site.

Every year in Russia there are more and more people who are interested in Tibetan culture, religion and language. The Tibetan language is quite complex and I think that you need a fairly compelling reason to start mastering it. Rashid, how did you come to start learning the Tibetan language?

Rashid: All my motivation is related to the topic of Buddhism. I realized that for serious study of the Dharma, the Tibetan language would be necessary. After all, even simple communication with a teacher will require his knowledge, not to mention texts for further study. And this “passionate desire” brought me to Dharamsala. Initially, I considered the Tibetan language as an instrument, without which movement in Buddhism, if possible, would be fraught with difficulties. However, today, “wandering” along this path, my opinion has leaned even more towards studying the Tibetan language. It turned out that the question is much more complicated and, let’s say, “broader” than I thought at first. (The latest teachings on Lamrim by E.H. Dalai Lama are confirmation of this. They dealt mainly with 2 texts: the 1st Lamrim of Pobonka Rimpoche and the 2nd Lamrim of Sharap(-va) Rimpoche. The latter has not even been translated into English) .

I have met quite a few people who have not progressed beyond the basics in Tibetan - there are reasons to postpone studying the language and subsequently it can be very difficult to start all over again. What difficulties do you encounter when learning a language and how do you overcome them?

Rashid: It was difficult for me to organize myself for everyday activities. I started taking private lessons. I was lucky and met a Tibetan language teacher who is extremely demanding and strict. I found serious support in him. Sitting for several hours a day studying is also difficult and again you have to force yourself. But knowing that you will come to the teacher with unfinished homework helps. And again, I come back to the motivation for learning. An important help is the absence of any other labor or educational activities(even the study of Buddhist philosophy is in second place at this stage). Simply put, it is better if you study only the Tibetan language.

Rashid, at what stage of learning the Tibetan language are you, what do you focus on in your studies (written, spoken)?

Rashid: I study both conversational and grammar of the Tibetan language at the same time. Now I have passed the simplest forms of Tibetan cases, and spoken at the level of everyday communication (eat, drink, buy, where did I go, etc.). It so happened that the teacher focuses on grammar, and I, accordingly, “rest” in the same direction. Actually, this system is in a sense very simple, you have to learn everything by heart and know in the 60th lesson what you learned in, say, the 3rd (I was told that this is how they teach it in monasteries).

I heard that you are now continuing to comprehend the Tibetan language in the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives. Tell us more about what LTWA is and where it is located?

Rashid: Let me note right away that the answers to the previous 2 and 3 questions are related to my private lessons; classes at LTWA are built on a different principle. They are adapted for Europeans and are in many ways similar to any language course. The Institute of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamsala is a place where foreigners from all over the world come to study the Dharma and the Tibetan language. There are about 40-50 of them here at a time. Dharma is given on English language. Tibetan, respectively, too, but I know very little English (my lexicon equal to literally 100-200 words), I was able to figure it out. Classes run every day. Closed Sunday. The Tibetan language is divided into 3 levels of grammar and 3 levels of spoken language. Each level lasts 3 months. You are free to choose how many classes you take per day. Typically, those who are serious about learning a language take 2-3 classes, but you need to understand that if you don’t study at home for at least 4-5 hours, you will be learning the language for a long time. One class costs 500 rupees per month. With due diligence, after about 2-3 years you should be able to speak Tibetan fairly well and understand the teachings (I think).
P.S. I've heard some negative opinions about studying at LTWA. I don't agree with him, this is a decent place to study Tibetan for at least a couple of years. Everything, as always, depends on the specific person and his diligence.

What prospects open up for you after completing your studies at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives?

Rashid: After there are several educational institutions, where you can study the Dharma more deeply. Let's say the Institute of Dialectics in Dharamsala, etc.

It seems that such options for mastering the Tibetan language away from your mother are very effective. Tell us, how can one become a LTWA student, are there any age restrictions, how long does the training last, what pitfalls can one encounter when enrolling in courses, what language is the teaching conducted in?

Rashid:
1). To become a student of LTWA in Dharamsala, you just need to come and express your desire to attend these courses. You will be charged 3 months for 1 course, i.e. approximately 1500 rupees.
2). If you are staying for a long time and don’t want to ride, renew your tourist visa. You need to contact them through the website http://www.ltwa.net/library/ and receive a letter from them (in this case you pay about 4500 rupees per year). This letter entitles you to obtain a student visa for 1 year, renewable for 5 years, without leaving Dharamsala.

There are no age restrictions. The duration of training depends on your desire. Teaching is conducted in English.

If a person decides to go to India and take a course, what should he take into account? For example, how much money do you need to save to complete a year's training at LTWA? Where and how can I get accommodation, what is the food situation, what is the tuition fee depending on the duration of a particular course of study, what kind of wardrobe should I choose, taking into account the local climate?

Rashid: I would advise you to first come to Dharamsala on a tourist visa and see everything on the spot. I did it myself. Plan your trip for the start of the next 3-month course. The schedule is on the library website (don’t worry if you’re late, you will be allowed to attend classes). And I probably wouldn’t recommend going for the first time during the rainy season, i.e. from mid-July to mid-September. A long break in classes (vacations) occurs from mid-December to early March (there are no classes, but the administration is working). By the way, I would like to note that there are a lot of Russian students, compared to other countries. At the last meeting with the EU Dalai Lama with LTWA students, there were many times more Russian students than students from other countries (about 15-20 people).

Issues of housing, food, clothing and medical services are absolutely resolved on the spot. Dharamsala is a small mountain town, but due to large quantity tourists have all the necessary things for very reasonable money. If you want to save money on clothes, check the yearly weather forecast for Dharamsala and pack what you wear in that temperature.

And in conclusion, Rashid, what other advice can you give to those people who are serious about learning the language and want to achieve real results - learn to read, write, understand and speak Tibetan fluently?

Rashid:

1. Take a very careful look at your motivation for learning a language. The higher the value you place in a language, the greater the result.
2. Soberly assess all your capabilities (psychological, financial, etc.)
3. Search good teacher, while the search can go parallel to language classes. Ideally, he would also be a bearer of Buddhist philosophy. You might have to take a ride to Dharamsala for this.
4. I advise you initially not to be content with half measures, but to understand that if you are a person, like me, with fairly average abilities, most likely you are guaranteed at least 5-6 hours a day of your own studies. Plus classes with a teacher and in the classroom for another 2-3 hours. In this mode, 2-3 years and visible results will come. According to various serious students, the time frame for learning the Tibetan language to a decent level varies from 4 to 5 years.

Rashid we wish you success in your further studies and achievement of your goals! Let the acquired knowledge help you crack the nut of Buddhist wisdom!

Gombozhab Tsybikov born into a traditionally Buddhist Buryat family. By place of origin, his family belongs to the Transbaikal Buryats, more precisely to the Agin Buryats. According to the tribal division of the Buryat people, his family belongs to the Khorinsky Buryats, namely, to the Khorinsky Kubdut tribe, the Nokhoi Kubdut clan (i.e. Nokhoi Khүbduүd, Nokhoy Khүgdүүd).

Education

The scientist’s father, Ts. Montuev, independently studied the Mongolian and Tibetan languages ​​and was elected by his fellow countrymen to public positions. Initially, he thought of giving his son a Buddhist monastic education, but changed his mind and first sent him to the Agin parish school, where the boy’s teacher was the prominent educator Buda Rabdanov, and then to the Chita gymnasium, from which Gombozhab graduated with a silver medal (according to legend, he earned a gold medal). refused to give it to the “foreigner”). Here he was awarded a scholarship. A. N. Korfa. Based on point 5 of the scholarship dated July 2, 1893, by decision of the school’s teachers’ council, he was recognized as worthy to continue his education at Tomsk Imperial University.

Here, by his own choice, he entered the medical faculty, one of 5 the best centers medical education Russia at that time.

The famous doctor and politician Pyotr Badmaev happened to be passing through Tomsk and persuaded the student to quit medicine and take up oriental studies. Gombozhab agreed and left for Urga, where he studied Chinese, Mongolian and Manchu languages ​​in a school created by P. Badmaev for Buryats in preparation for entering St. Petersburg State University.

In 1895, Tsybikov entered the Oriental Faculty of St. Petersburg State University on a scholarship from P. Badmaev. Among his teachers are such famous orientalists as A. M. Pozdneev and others. Subsequently, Badmaev receives instructions to convert his fellows to Orthodoxy. Tsybikov remains committed to Buddhism and loses his scholarship. He continues his studies thanks to the support of his fellow countrymen. In 1899 he graduated from the university with a gold medal and a first-class diploma.

In 1897, G. Ts. Tsybikov took part in the work of A. N. Kulomzin’s commission to study land use and land ownership in the Transbaikal region. This was his first study. Field observations and collected materials were published as Materials of the Kulomzin Commission in 1898.

Travel to Tibet

During " Big Games» The Russian Empire reached the borders of Tibet. A series of research expeditions to Tibet were organized, primarily by Przewalski, but they did not reach Central Tibet and Lhasa. Based on the experience of Indian “pandits” - British agents and researchers, the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs drew attention to the custom of pilgrimage of the Buryats and Kalmyks to Tibet. G. Ts. Tsybikov went on a trip to Tibet in a group of pilgrims, with carefully hidden research equipment. The journey began shortly after graduating from St. Petersburg State University in 1899 and ended in 1902. Tsybikov spent 888 days in Tibet proper (the longest in Lhasa, where he arrived in early August 1900) from 1900 to 1901.

Here he visited the most important monastic centers, took a number of unique photographs (about 200 in total during the trip) and was awarded an audience with the 13th Dalai Lama. The audience was formal.

Entry into Tibet for foreigners (not from China and Mongolia) was prohibited. Violation of the ban could be punishable by death. Before Tsybikov, travelers such as N. M. Przhevalsky failed in their attempt to reach the Tibetan capital.

Tsybikov took photographs and kept a diary secretly, under the threat of being discovered. It is interesting that he hid the photography from the second Russian researcher, who arrived in Lhasa at the end of 1900 in the retinue of Agvan Dorzhiev, Kalmyk Ovshe Norzunov, who also took photographs.

In 1905, Tsybikov and the Dalai Lama met again, this time in the capital of Mongolia, where the Dalai Lama met with Russian politicians and scientists in the situation of the occupation of Tibet by British troops under the command of Colonel Younghusband. Here Tsybikov acted as a translator between representatives of Russia and the Dalai Lama.

At the same time a Buddhist pilgrim and a servant of science, after his journey G. Ts. Tsybikov devotes himself to teaching and the project of translating the fundamental work “Lamrim” by the Tibetan scientist Tsongkhapa (Tsongkhava).

The newly created Oriental Institute of Vladivostok was headed by the doctor of Mongolian and Kalmyk literature A. M. Pozdneev, creating the first center of practical oriental studies in Russia from relatively young graduates of St. Petersburg State University. “Having neither plans proven by experience, nor proven programs for their teaching,” teachers had to independently develop teaching methods, write teaching aids, because they simply did not exist. G. Ts. Tsybikov was invited to the department of Mongolian literature, and headed it from 1906 to October 15, 1917. In addition to a number of textbook collections, G. Ts. Tsybikov published a “Manual for the study of the Tibetan language” during this period, where he collected and summarized material on colloquial Tibetan speech. This textbook has gone through 3 editions and for Russian Empire and the USSR remained the only textbook of spoken Tibetan language created by a domestic author.

Buryat autonomy and Far Eastern Republic

Due to significant changes in the political structure of the region in the 1917-30s. and in connection with subsequent repressions that affected most of his colleagues and associates, Tsybikov’s activities in the data government entities mentioned as significant, but not disclosed in Soviet-era publications. It is known that Tsybikov played a significant role at the Chita Congress, and also supported the early initiatives of Ataman Semyonov (primarily on preventing decossackization).

Towards the end of his life, he retired from political activity and successfully ran his own cattle farm.

• . Lokesh Chandra. The total number of words, compounds, and phrases approaches 200,000 entries. Terms of technical subjects like astronomy, medicine, iconography, metrics, prosody and philosophy have also been included.

• Sarat Chandra Das. Famous dictionary of the Tibetan language. Contains approximately 27,000 words. Includes information about the Tibetan alphabet, information about pronunciation, and grammatical notes. Numerous examples of word usage are given.
• Tsepak Rigzin. This Tibetan dictionary of Buddhist terms was commissioned by King Tri Ralpachen in the 9th century and expanded from the writings of Tibetan lamas. The dictionary includes 6,000 basic terms and over 8,000 additional terms, with Sanskrit equivalents where possible. In the new edition, the base of Buddhist terms has been revised and increased by 40%.

Training is the main section of the site. In general, this is what the site was created for. On this page you will find some information about what is covered in each lesson, and you can go directly from there to the different levels of our course.

Reading

Introduction

A little
stories...

Lesson I

BASIC ALPHABET
 writing
 pronunciation

Lesson II

ALPHABET
 vowels
 inscriptions

Lesson III

ALPHABET
 4 types
subscription

Lesson IV

ALPHABET
 trisyllabic

SUFFIXES

Lesson V

PREFIXES
SECOND SUFFIXES
READING RULES

Reading Supplements

Workshop

Sanskrit

Each lesson contains small exercises and tasks. Do them without skipping - train. Remember, you must do all the training yourself! You cannot learn the Tibetan language just by reading pages with lessons.

Also at the end of each lesson there is a dictionary of new words and an exercise to test the words learned in the previous lesson. Remember them. Yuri Roerich started out in much the same way.

All the lessons are not yet enough to fully study the Tibetan language (what can we say, this is still a long way off), but we are working on it, and lessons will be added as soon as possible. Your support and feedback are our catalyst for this!

In this verbosity, we almost forgot to say the main thing!.. May your training be easy! It will benefit you! And masterful command of the Tibetan language will not take long to appear!