为了认识圆满教法，我们必须学习三藏：经、律、论。经，是佛说的教言，律是僧众生活的原则与规范，论是佛陀教义的解释。
妙音佛学院的核心课程为《菩提道次第广论》、戒律与五部大论。《菩提道次第广论》的作者是宗喀巴大师，本书广引经论，阐明佛陀最精要而完整的教授。如果将论譬喻为眼睛，戒律则如同双脚，透过明亮的双眼看到正确方向，搭配健稳的双脚行走，就可以到达离苦得乐的目的地。
学习《五部大论》的16年学制：背诵与辩论
五部大论是五部不同祖师大德所著的论典，即《释量论》、《现观庄严论》、《中论》、《俱舍论》与《戒论》。此学制需经由十六年时间才能完成。其学习方式主要为经典背诵与辩论。每一部大论尚有许多祖师为该论撰述的解释，在学习过程中皆需广泛研读。
背诵，指记住经论上每一个字的能力，不只提升记忆力，也可以训练心，使之趋于沉静而专注。妙音佛学院里有几位二十多岁的尼师已能背诵四十余万字的经论，这意味着任行何处，他们脑中随时藏着十五部经论。若要将这些经论背诵出来，需花上整整三天的时间。
辩论是一种以理路辩难的学问。学习辩论不仅开展心的逻辑思考能力，并能加深对所学的理解。日复一日强化理路，会发现在压力之下自己越来越不受情绪左右。不再只能为眼前事物所转、屈服于负面情绪，而能够开始用清晰的心，从多个角度看待这个世界。
学习五大论的学僧并多为从小学习古文，期以精准的佛学涵养佐以优美简炼的文字，致力于大量佛法典籍翻译事业，使汉语系佛法教典得以广泛传播与留存。此外，在扎实的教理基础下，进一步跟随善知识的引导闭关修行，成为教证量具足的修行人，期盼以精勤地闻思修，令自、他生命皆能到达究竟远离痛苦的彼岸。
我們的學制
學習三藏：經、律、論
為了認識圓滿教法，我們必須學習三藏：經、律、論。
經，是佛說的教言，律是僧眾生活的原則與規範，論是佛陀教義的解釋。
妙音佛學院的核心課程為《菩提道次第廣論》、戒律與五部大論。《菩提道次第廣論》的作者是宗喀巴大師，本書廣引經論，闡明佛陀最精要而完整的教授。如果將論譬喻為眼睛，戒律則如同雙腳，透過明亮的雙眼看到正確方向，搭配健穩的雙腳行走，就可以到達離苦得樂的目的地。
學習《五部大論》的16年學制：背誦與辯論
五部大論是五部不同祖師大德所著的論典，即《釋量論》、《現觀莊嚴論》、《中論》、《俱舍論》與《戒論》。此學制需經由16年時間才能完成。其學習方式主要為經典背誦與辯論。每一部大論尚有許多祖師為該論撰述的解釋，在學習過程中皆需廣泛研讀。
背誦，指記住經論上每一個字的能力，不只提升記憶力，也可以訓練心，使之趨於沉靜而專注。妙音佛學院裡有幾位二十多歲的尼師已能背誦四十餘萬字的經論，這意味著任行何處，他們腦中隨時藏著15部經論。若要將這些經論背誦出來，需花上整整3天的時間。
辯論是一種以理路辯難的學問。學習辯論不僅開展心的邏輯思考能力，並能加深對所學的理解。日復一日強化理路，會發現在壓力之下自己越來越不受情緒左右。不再只能為眼前事物所轉、屈服於負面情緒，而能夠開始用清晰的心，從多個角度看待這個世界。
學習五大論的學僧多為從小學習古文，期以精準的佛學涵養佐以優美簡鍊的文字，致力於大量佛法典籍翻譯事業，使漢語系佛法教典得以廣泛傳播與留存。此外，在紮實的教理基礎下，進一步跟隨善知識的引導閉關修行，成為教證量具足的修行人，期盼以精勤地聞思修，令自、他生命皆能到達究竟遠離痛苦的彼岸。
Our Curriculum
Learning The Tripitaka: Sutras, Vinaya, Abhidharma
We believe that in order for us to achieve a complete understanding of Buddhism, we need to learn the Three Scriptures: Sutras are the words of the Buddha; Vinaya represents the rules and regulations of monastic life; Abhidharma is the interpretation of Buddhist doctrine.
GWBI’s core curriculum consists of The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (The Great Treatise), Nanshan Vinaya, and The Five Great Treatises. The Great Treatise was composed by Great Master Lama Tsong-Kha-Pa, and it contains the core essence of Buddha’s teachings, drawing upon many sutras and abhidharma. Using the analogy of Abhidharma as our eyes and Vinaya as our legs –
a pair of eyes to clearly see the right path with a pair of strong and healthy legs – we are able to reach our goal of attaining complete happiness and leaving suffering behind.
The Sixteen-Year Five Great Treatises Curriculum: Recitation and Dialectics
The five major abhidharma are: Ornament for Clear Knowledge, Commentary on the Compendium of Valid Cognition, Commentary on the Middle Way, Treasury of Knowledge, and Compendium of Discipline. Completion of the sixteen-year Five Great Treatises curriculum is comparable to receiving a PhD in Buddhist philosophy. Each of the five abhidharmas is accompanied by numerous commentaries, all of which need to thoroughly comprehended. The curriculum is taught in the form of recitation and dialectics.
We believe that in order for us to achieve a complete understanding of Buddhism, we need to learn the Three Scriptures: Sutras are the words of the Buddha; Vinaya represents the rules and regulations of monastic life; Abhidharma is the interpretation of Buddhist doctrine.
GWBI’s core curriculum consists of The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (The Great Treatise), Nanshan Vinaya, and The Five Great Treatises. The Great Treatise was composed by Great Master Lama Tsong-Kha-Pa, and it contains the core essence of Buddha’s teachings, drawing upon many sutras and abhidharma. Using the analogy of Abhidharma as our eyes and Vinaya as our legs –
a pair of eyes to clearly see the right path with a pair of strong and healthy legs – we are able to reach our goal of attaining complete happiness and leaving suffering behind.
Recitation, the ability to memorize texts word for word, not only improves one’s memory but also trains one’s mind to quiet down and concentrate.
There are many twenty-something-year-old novice nuns at Great Wisdom Buddhist Institute who have memorized over 400,000 words. This means they carry roughly 15 books in their heads wherever they go. Reciting aloud all that has been memorized requires three full days with no breaks in between.
Dialectics is the skill of debate through logical reasoning. It develops the mind’s ability to reason logically and deepen one’s understanding of what has been learned.
By strengthening our logical reasoning skills over time, we find ourselves less and less dictated by our emotions in stressful situations. Instead of simply reacting to the situation and succumbing to the negative emotions, we start to have a clearer mind and see the situation from different angles.
The novice nuns who are currently learning The Five Great Treatises have also been learning Classical Chinese from a young age. We hope that pairing deep understanding of the Buddhist teachings as well as the ability to express in exquisite classical language would aid in the translation of Buddhist scriptures, thereby preserving and increasing awareness of these teachings. Moreover, with a strong foundation in scriptural knowledge, we can further our practice by engaging in meditation retreats guided by our teachers. We aspire to become practitioners skilled in both scriptural and experiential knowledge so we can help everyone find joy in their lives.