At Dharma Gate Buddhist College, the three-year BA and the two-year BÉTA (Lifestyle Counselling Assistant with a Buddhist Perspective) programs currently culminate in a traditional assessment format. Within this framework, students must both take a final examination and submit a written work modeled on the established format of a thesis. A dedicated course supports preparation for the final examination, while the writing of the thesis is integrated into the academic curriculum via a seminar.
As with all institutions of higher education, the operation of the College as a tertiary institution is fundamentally shaped by scholarship. Much of the material taught would be inconceivable without the College’s research programs, the academic activity of its instructors, and more broadly, the international scholarly study of Buddhism. The thesis that concludes one’s studies is therefore justifiably modeled on academic publications, and it rightly demands adherence to the standards applicable to scholarly writing.
At the same time, as a religious institution maintained by a Buddhist church, the College is not only entitled but indeed fundamentally obliged to incorporate into its education those religious and ethical ideals and values that fall outside the scope of academic inquiry, taking into account the practical character of Buddhism and its related cultural phenomena. It also holds graduates accountable for the realization of these ideals. Buddhism, therefore, is not only a subject of academic study but, more importantly, a call for realization grounded in its ideals and values—a call to which one must respond through action in the world.
From the perspective of the current thesis format modeled on scholarly work, this dimension of action can at most be examined objectively. However, the assessment of a Buddhist teacher’s expressions, actions, and realizations must be guided by religious criteria, that is, by a religious body representing the values of the Buddhist tradition. In order for the College to include this dimension—which deeply permeates its educational mission—in the final evaluation of students, a system of assessment must be developed that allows not only for the evaluation of students’ knowledge and competencies related to understanding, but also of the realization of Buddhist ideals and values.
This system of assessment is the Dharma Creation Collection (Dharma alkotás gyűjtemény). Its components are aligned with the competencies specified in the College’s national qualification framework (KKK).
It is important to emphasize that for BA and BÉTA students, the Dharma Creation Collection serves as an alternative to the traditional thesis. Students may choose either to take advantage of this opportunity or to submit a traditional academic thesis. The traditional thesis thus remains available for those graduates whose personal interest or inclination draws them toward the scholarly domain and its methodologies, or whose research problems, questions, and hypotheses are best expressed through the traditional thesis format. The collection, by contrast, offers a platform for those with a more practice-oriented disposition, who actively participate in the work of practice communities and/or are engaged in the arts, and who, after successfully completing their studies, are best served by a task more aligned with their own nature and capabilities.
It must also be stressed that the purpose of introducing the Dharma Creation Collection is not to make graduation easier. Indeed, as will become clear in the subsequent description, its requirements are in many respects more stringent than those for a traditional thesis.
Finally, from a content perspective, the Dharma Creation Collection does not seek to provide a broader platform for personal self-expression. Rather, through its implementation, the College and the Church explicitly seek to promote the creation of works that embody and realize Buddhist ideals—works that are inspiring, encouraging, edifying, and useful for the community, and more specifically for the Buddhist community (sangha).
The Dharma Creation Collection focuses on assessing the following abilities, which likewise fall within the scope of the core competencies of a Buddhist teacher:
Understands and applies ethical norms related to their professional field and personal responsibility, with special attention to Buddhist precepts and to the ethical teachings of Buddhism.
Is capable of self-reflection and the expression of self-awareness, of evaluating the direction of their development, and of articulating their relationship to Buddhist teachings.
Is capable of articulating their connection to the communities of practitioners and to the Buddhist tradition.
Is able to give an account of their experience in Buddhist practice, as well as of the Buddhist values that shape their daily life.
Is committed to maintaining a lifestyle that is consistent with Buddhist values.
Understands and articulates how their own professional competencies can contribute to Buddhist practice communities and society.
Students who choose to prepare a Dharma Creation Collection are required, beyond their practical training embedded in the curriculum, to participate actively in the religious practice and activities of the religious communities of the Dharma Gate Church (A Tan Kapuja Egyház).
In practice, this requirement is often already fulfilled beforehand, as this form mainly offers an alternative to those who are already active practitioners within one of the member communities.
The Religious/meditation certification – a mandatory part of the Dharma Creation Collection – can only be obtained through participation in the practices of Dhammadípa, the Dharma Gate Zen Community, and the Dzogchen Community.
Practice carried out outside these three communities cannot be recognized, nor can any other “professional practice” linked either to Dharma Gate or another institution.
Participation in the practices of the Dzogchen Community is possible exclusively through personal presence. For the practices of the Zen and Dhammadípa communities, online participation is also available; however, even for these, online attendance cannot fully substitute for physical presence.
The practice schedules and specific participation requirements are determined by the leaders of the respective communities.
As justification for the above, we would like to emphasize that the Church places special importance on the students’ deep and committed communal practice, and it only considers this to be fully ensured, aligned with its principles and values, if it is carried out within the aforementioned member communities.
The acceptance of the candidate and the evaluation of their practice and community activities (Competencies A.1, A.4, A.5, A.6, B.1, B.2) will be certified by the leader of the given community. This certification will form part of the Dharma Creation Collection.
The certification must include the names, nature, dates, and durations of meditation practices and other religious or community activities completed in the academic year preceding graduation (see Appendix 2).
The communities of Dharma Gate will independently determine the specific modalities and criteria for issuing certifications, but the basic standards are pre-established by the College.
The practice opportunities provided by the communities
Upon applying for the Dharma Creation Collection, the student must propose a selected excerpt of a traditional (sacred) text of a specified length. This excerpt must be approved by the competent decision-making body, the Dharma Council (see later), or the Council may request modifications.
This excerpt will serve as the basis for the student’s work, during which they must produce two written pieces: either two Sutra Commentaries or one Sutra Commentary and one Sutra Analysis.
The Sutra Commentary (I.2.a), in its nature, is closer to a lectio than an exegesis; that is, its aim is to create an edifying/motivating/inspiring/contemplative piece rather than a scholarly text interpretation.
The student must compose texts for the collection that reflect on, unfold, and deeply contemplate the contents of the chosen excerpt — in the form of a commentary, a written sermon, or an essay (Competencies A.3, A.5, B.3).
The length of the text should be between 4,000 and 10,000 characters.
The Sutra Analysis (I.2.b) is a formal academic interpretation that follows both the format and the content criteria of a traditional thesis, with the important difference that its length is smaller: it must be a minimum of 4,000 and a maximum of 15,000 characters.
The student must create two different written works connected to the excerpt (either two Sutra Commentaries or one Sutra Commentary and one Sutra Analysis), one during their second and one during their third year.
Thus, it is possible for students to choose a hybrid solution, where one of the two written pieces (the Sutra Analysis) adheres to traditional academic methods and tone.
The requirement to produce two Sutra Commentaries is intended to make any personal, character, or attitude development visible over time within the Dharma Creation Collection. Therefore, there must be at least one year between the two compositions.
The hybrid solution (one Sutra Commentary and one Sutra Analysis) offers a particular opportunity for those who choose the Dharma Creation Collection form overall but still wish to demonstrate their academic competencies.
In Buddhist religious practice, dharma-speeches play an important role.
All three major traditions maintain a serious and extensive heritage of ceremonial speeches delivered on various occasions.
Moreover, public speaking is a form of expression for a Buddhist teacher that is immediately recognizable as a form of religious practice even within Western societies. Therefore, it is essential that graduating students demonstrate their skills in writing and delivering speeches.
The speech may formally relate to any of the three major Buddhist traditions, but its content is not restricted beyond the requirement that it address the perennial problems of human existence and, if possible, relate to some socially relevant event or phenomenon of the year of graduation (Competencies A.2, A.3, A.5, B.3).
The speech must be composed in writing and attached to the Dharma Creation Collection, but it must also be delivered live as a teaching on an oral occasion.
During the live teaching, a written outline may be used, but reading out the full text verbatim is not allowed.
The duration of the live teaching must be between 5 to 10 minutes (4,000–6,000 characters).
In the Sample Collection associated with the Dharma Creation Collection (see later), students will find numerous examples of dharma-speeches that can serve as models both in form and style.
This form follows the model of an internal monologue, within which the practitioner articulates insights, admonitions, and lessons for themselves, in the nature of a personal confession.
It is recommended that its content be connected to meditation and religious practice, serving as a personal, internal reflection of that activity.
Through this form, experiences can be expressed that may be too subjective to appear among the required forms, yet still exert a decisive influence on spiritual development and unfolding (Competency A.1, B.1).
There are no formal requirements for this piece; its maximum length is 8,000 characters.
Its content is a freely chosen Buddhist theme, and it is also open in form: it may be composed in any epic style (e.g., a short story, fable) (Competency A.3, B.1, B.3).
Length: 4,000–8,000 characters.
A freely chosen Buddhist theme and form (Competency A.3, B.1, B.3).
Length for a written work: 4,000–6,000 characters.
A freely chosen Buddhist theme and form (Competency A.3, B.1, B.3).
Length: for a written text, 4,000–8,000 characters; for an event, a maximum of 15 minutes.
The theme must relate to Buddhism and can take the form of either traditional or contemporary applied arts (e.g., paintings, sculptures, works of industrial art, etc.) or performing arts (e.g., theatrical performances, music, dance, martial arts demonstrations, etc.), as well as the creation of a short film or music video (Competencies A.3, B.1, B.3).
Applied arts: it is mandatory to present the artwork itself (if it is portable) or to submit certified documentation (e.g., a recording of an exhibition, performance, show, concert, or flash mob).
If the creation is related to performing arts, it must be presented live at the final examination along with the Dharma talk.
The maximum duration for a short film or video clip is 5 minutes.
In this category, if the creation is the result of collaboration with others (cf. Competency A.4), it is absolutely necessary for the candidate to have taken a decisive role in the creation process, and this must be precisely described in the mandatory Plagiarism Declaration (Appendix 3).
Presentation in writing of a notable figure chosen by the candidate, with sources cited. It is expressly not a requirement or consideration that the writing be of artistic value (thus, this is the mandatory elective form that can be chosen by those who are less interested in the arts) (Competencies A.3, B.3).
Length: 4,000–8,000 characters.
The implementation of the elements of the Dharma Creation Collection requires three semesters in the BA program and two semesters in the BÉTA program. For certain elements, the order of completion is fixed, as is the amount of work required in each semester, according to the following schedule:
BA Third Semester, BÉTA Second Semester
•
Submission of the Dharma Creation Collection Application Form and registration in Neptun, indicating the project and topic.
•
Note: Students intending to compile a Dharma Creation Collection must strictly follow this schedule and submit their application during the third semester for BA students and the second semester for BÉTA students. Later applications will not be accepted. Since the application deadline for the traditional thesis is the fifth semester, a student who initially applies for the Dharma Creation Collection but later decides to switch to the traditional format may still do so by applying for a traditional thesis during their fifth semester.
BA Fourth Semester, BÉTA Third Semester
•
Completion and submission of the Sutra Commentary (I.2a).
BA Fifth Semester, BÉTA Third Semester
•
Completion and submission of the Mandatory Elective Creation (II.1–6) and/or the Dharma Talk (I.3).
•
Note: It is mandatory to complete at least one of these, but it is possible to submit both to distribute the workload more evenly across the available semesters.
BA Sixth Semester, BÉTA Fourth Semester
•
Submission of the Meditation and Religious Practice Certificate (I.1).
•
Completion and submission of the second Sutra Commentary or the Sutra Analysis (I.2b).
•
In addition, if not yet submitted in the previous semester:
•
Submission of the Mandatory Elective Creation (II.1–6) or the Dharma Talk (I.3).
•
Note: It is therefore not permissible for the candidate to submit both the Mandatory Elective Creation and the Dharma Talk only in the final semester. At least one of them must be completed and submitted in the previous semester.
As previously indicated, in addition to submitting the documents of the Dharma Creation Collection, candidates must also take the regular oral final exam, which includes the delivery of the Dharma Talk and, where applicable, the presentation of their artistic creation.
Given that the compilation of the Dharma Creation Collection and the production of the written works take place over a longer period — at least three semesters — it is essential to have an advisor analogous to the supervisor assigned for a traditional thesis. This advisor must be able to support the candidates with their professional knowledge and expertise, but over a much longer period than in the case of a traditional thesis. Due to the complex nature of the Dharma Creation Collection, it may also be necessary, where appropriate, to have two advisors, as the regulations for traditional theses also allow.
Overall, the consultation requires approximately the same amount of commitment as supervising a traditional thesis, but its nature differs due to its extended timeframe and the fact that the relationship between the candidate and the advisor is more intimate and personal. It involves more informal and, where appropriate, subjective elements because of the character of the collection to be created. Therefore, only those teachers who voluntarily apply and are willing to undertake more than just consultation — essentially assisting the student’s spiritual development in the role of a mentor — can be involved in the consultation process.
In addition to the interactive assistance of their advisors, candidates will also receive guidance for the preparation of the elements of the Dharma Creation Collection. Specifically, they will have access to a compilation whose elements can serve as examples, models, and formal and methodological foundations for the students. Among the mandatory elements of the Dharma Creation Collection, candidates will find several examples and variants for the Sūtra Commentary, Sūtra Analysis, Dharma Talk, and for the appreciation of notable figures under the optional mandatory elements.
The compilation does not necessarily need to include examples for the optional literary, material, or performing arts creations, since the degree of freedom in these areas is very high, the creative scope is wide, and it would not be advisable to constrain the candidates’ imagination with examples.
The Sample Collection will soon be publicly available on the College’s website.
The elements of the Dharma Creation Collection are formally fixed, but candidates are responsible for proposing their content. To this end, the College will rename the already existing three-member Practical Expert Committee as the Dharma Council, and while maintaining its scope and operation, will establish an expanded professional decision-making body to evaluate topic proposals for the Dharma Creation Collection.
The Dharma Council will review candidates’ proposals and, if necessary, suggest modifications, functioning in a similar manner to the Scientific Council, which performs preliminary evaluations for traditional theses.
In the case of special topic selections, the three-member council may be expanded to five or seven members through the ad hoc involvement of experts, with the additional members appointed by the Rector based on the recommendation of the three permanent members of the Dharma Council.
The permanent members of the Dharma Council may, if necessary, delegate an authorized representative with full voting rights in their place. The members of the Council will select a chair for each meeting from among the permanent members. In the Council’s decisions, in case of dispute, a simple majority vote determines the outcome (both the chair and ad hoc expert members have one vote each).
The completed Dharma Creation Collection is assessed in writing by one or more evaluators (the opponent or opponents) appointed or designated by the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, and, if necessary, by external experts. As in the case of a thesis, the evaluator takes both formal and content-related aspects into account when assessing the collection and pays special attention to the style. The primary evaluation criterion is the adherence to Buddhist values. It is also important that the writings are assessed from a practical perspective—specifically, how the text impacts and engages its reader. In the case of artistic creations, these same criteria apply: artistic merit is considered secondary.
In addition to the written evaluation, as already mentioned, students who choose to complete a Dharma Creation Collection must also demonstrate their theoretical knowledge during the oral final examination, just like students who choose the traditional thesis format. The difference between the two final events is that students with a traditional thesis defend their work before the committee, while students who prepared a collection receive a written evaluation of their work, to which they may respond. Furthermore, students presenting a collection are required to deliver the Dharma speech that is part of their collection during the final examination, and optionally, they may also present their other creations. Both presentations (the speech and any additional work) are evaluated verbally during the final exam, and students are given the opportunity to respond to the feedback verbally as well.
The examination committee evaluates the final examination during a closed session using a five-grade scale. In the final evaluation, the assessment of the Dharma Creation Collection accounts for two-thirds, while the Buddhist comprehensive examination accounts for one-third. In the assessment of the Dharma Creation Collection, the committee weighs the five components equally (Meditation and Religious Practice Certificate, Sutra Commentary, second Sutra Commentary or Sutra Analysis, Dharma Speech, and one Compulsory Elective Form), each contributing 20% to the overall score.
The religious practice graduation requirements for the BA and BÉTA programs at Dharma Gate Buddhist College:
The appendices belonging to the regulations of the Dharma Creation Collection (Application Form, Meditation and Religious Practice Certificate, Plagiarism Declaration) can be downloaded together with the full regulations from our Regulations page, under Volume II: Student Requirements System (HKR), as Appendix 1 to the TVSZ.
