Ritual Practice and Monastic Education at the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies in Ladakh

In contemporary Ladakh, becoming a monk extends beyond ritual mastery or preserving tradition—it now includes higher education, engagement with global Buddhist discourse, and career possibilities beyond the monastery. This paper, based on ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, and surveys, examines how monks at the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies (CIBS) navigate the dual demands of scholastic training and ritual obligations, balancing academic study with responsibilities as ritual specialists in their home monasteries. This paper argues that monastic education at CIBS is a dialogical process, shaped by the interplay of ritual expertise and transnational Buddhist movements.