04 05 2012FRIDAY LESSON 599 FREE
ONLINE eNālāndā Research And Practice
UNIVERSITY And THE BUDDHISTONLINE GOOD NEWS LETTER by ABHIDHAMMA RAKKHITA through http://sarvajan.ambedkar.org
IT IS
THE WISH OF THE PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD THAT USA CELEBRATE 2556TH
BUDDHA JAYANTI AT WHITE HOUSE, AS IT WAS MAGNANIMOUS TO CELEBRATE DEEPAVALI.
Dhammapada: Verses and Stories
Dhammapada Verse 156 Nostalgia
For Past Glory
Verse 156.
Nostalgia For Past Glory
Who
have not led the holy life
nor riches won while young,
they languish on, worn-out bows,
sighing for the past.
Explanation: This verse captures a situation that is
universally true. Most people tend to spend their youth squandering the
precious days with no thought about the
inevitable old-age that will overtake them. Youth is allowed to slip by without
having garnered either material or spiritual wealth. The Buddha’s admonition to
mankind in this passage, is that they must, in time, become mindful of the
passage of time and the speedy fading of the glamour of youth.
Level II: Buddhist Studies
http://onlinelearning.fpmt.org/
Welcome
to the FPMT Online Learning Center
FPMT Media Center
Streaming
video teachings by Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Getting Started
The enrollment
keys for individual courses are available through the Foundation
Store
. All online programs are complimentary by
becoming a Friend of
FPMT at the Dharma Supporter level
or higher. (List
of Courses Available)
The enrollment keys for free courses and instructions on creating a user
account and using the site can be seen in the Site User Guide
. Or, watch our User Guide Video to
get started.
Meditation 101
Meditation
101 is an introductory course on basic Buddhist meditation techniques. A
variety of meditations, such as breathing, mindfulness, visualization, and
analytical will be explained. Students will explore what kinds of skills can be
developed in meditation and how these are useful in daily life. more…
Buddhism in a Nutshell
Buddhism
in a Nutshell is an introductory course on Buddhism for complete beginners. It
presents basic Buddhist philosophy and principles within the Tibetan Mahayana
context, and provides simple meditation instruction. more…
Heart Advice for Death
and Dying
The
Heart Advice for Death and Dying course is a 5 session program designed to
provide practical instructions for the time of death to students who are
interested in learning about death and dying from the Tibetan Buddhist
perspective. more…
Discovering Buddhism
Discovering
Buddhism is a 14 module program that will provide a solid foundation in the
teachings and practice of Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism. We are pleased to offer
Module 2 ‘How to Meditate’ at no charge. The enrollment key for mod two is calmabiding07 more…
Living in the Path
Living
in the Path is FPMT’s newest program, featuring the teachings of Lama Zopa
Rinpoche. We are pleased to offer some Living in the Path modules at no charge,
including Module 1 ‘Motivation for Life’. The enrollment key for this module is
motivation03 more…
Basic Program Online
The
Basic Program, designed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche for committed students ready to
go beyond the introductory level, is taught by geshes and non-Tibetan teachers.
Its comprehensive curriculum greatly enhances Dharma understanding,
establishing a basis for ongoing study, practice, retreat and service. more…
Special Commentaries and Other Teachings
Special
Commentaries are ongoing teachings and commentaries by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and
other teachers on specific texts and practices such as Lama Tsongkhapa Guru
Yoga, Lama Chöpa, Bodhicaryavatara and Calm Abiding meditation. These courses
are all offered free of charge. more…
FPMT Media Center
Watch Lama Zopa
Rinpoche’s ‘Light of the Path’ retreat teachings from September 2009 and
September 2010 on the FPMT Media Center with Spanish, French, German and Chinese translations.
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/index.htm
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http://www.buddhanet.net/l_study.htm
- International Websites
- The International
Association of Buddhist Universities (IABU)The International Association of Buddhist Universities, IABU, is an
international forum for institutes of Buddhist higher education to
network, understand, and benefit from the richness and variety of the
multinational Buddhist tradition. - Asian Websites
- Hong Kong
- University of Hong Kong Centre of Buddhist Studies (China)
Since 2002, the University of Hong Kong has been offering a broad range of
Buddhist studies at postgraduate research (MPhil/PhD), Master and
undergraduate levels. The degrees are awarded through the Faculty of
Social Sciences. Our courses covering social application, Indian Buddhism,
Chinese Mahayana, Buddhist Canonical languages and others are taught by a
team of renowned Buddhist scholars from around the world. - India
- Antioch College Buddhist Studies in India (Bodh
Gaya, India)Antioch Education Abroad interweaves the diverse resources of Bodh Gaya
into a fall semester study program. Emphasis is placed on a comparative
approach to both theory and practice. Participants reach their own
understanding of that essence which is common to all the varieties of Buddhism,
while learning to appreciate the many cultural and historical environments
in which it has flourished. The program consists of four components:
- Core
Courses - Language
- Meditation
Traditions - Independent
Study: Selected Topics
Japan)
The college is a postgraduate college with one faculty and one area of
specialization. It provides a five-year programme covering philological
and cultural studies with instruction in the required methodologies; And
specialists provide one-to-one supervision in order to enable the student
to reach the stage of producing a Ph.D. thesis.
Osaka, Japan)
Shitennoji International Buddhist University is a private undergraduate
university offering independent curricula based on a professional level of
knowledge in each department and major to help students survive in a
modern society based on internalization and information exchange.
First, in order to help students develop a high level of humanity, all
students are required to take basic classes in General Buddhism and
Theories in Japanese Civilization. Then, students study specialized
subjects to deepen their knowledge of their professional field, as well as
comprehensive subjects covering a wide spectrum of subjects outside their
normal field of study, including subjects in departments and majors other
than their own. The students have opportunities to study abroad in the
university’s study abroad programs. The university also welcomes
international students.
Gyeongju Campuses, Korea)
The College aims, through profound research and teaching of Buddhism, at
building up Buddhist personality with wisdom and compassion, at developing
capabilities and knowledge required for seeing life and the world, and at
producing talents who can subjectively and positively make contributions
to the development of mankind over the world at large such as religion,
education, politics, culture, etc.
Buddhist College
(IBC) (Hatyai, Thailand)
The International Buddhist College is intended to be developed as a seat
of advanced Buddhist learning with opportunities for Buddhist studies both
at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It offers students a unique
opportunity of experiencing a comprehensive and in-depth study of Buddhism
from a non-sectarian point of view, while promoting knowledge and
understanding of the different schools and traditions within Buddhism.
As an academic institution, the IBC strictly adheres to the norms of a
liberal arts education, adopting an academic approach to religious
(Buddhist) studies. However, it will seek to combine the rigours of
academic scholarship with a continuous inculcation of Buddhist spiritual
values, as in the tradition of ancient Buddhist seat of learning like
Nalanda and Vikkramasila, where in the process of learning one imbibes
nearly the whole of its culture.
University
(MCU) (Bangkok, Thailand)
Located at Wat Mahadhatu Bangkok,. Established BE 2430/CE 1887 by His
Majesty the King Chulalongkorn the Great (King Rama V) For the Higher
Education of Buddhist Monks, Novices and Laity
Mahachulalongkornragavidyalaya University is accredited by the Government
of Thailand.
MCU has become a major institute of Buddhist Higher Education, Research
and Community Service, as well as the education of monks, novice and laity
at campuses throughout Thailand.
MCU at Bangkok offers the Bachelor’s Master’s and Doctorate degrees with
faculties in Buddhism, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences.
The International programme offers Master’s degree in Buddhist Studies and
Philosophy, Designed to facilitate and support international research in
Buddhist studies, the medium of instruction, both spoken and written, is
English.
Buddhist University (Bangkok, Thailand)
Mahamakut Buddhist University is a higher education academy of Thai
Sangha. It was established by King Rama V on 1st, October B.E. 2436. The
university consists of five faculties with eleven courses available for
Bachelor’s Degrees, which are as follows:
- Faculty of
Philosophy (Philosophy Major) - Faculty of
Humanities (English major) and (Sansakrit major). - Faculty of
Society (Sociology and Anthropology) and (Politic). - Faculty of
Education (English and Thai Teaching, Educational Administration and Out-System
Education major). - Master
Degree course (Buddhism and Philosophy) and (Buddhist Studies)
Thailand)
The Department of Humanities, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities in
collaboration with College of Religious Studies, Mahidol University will
be opening a new PhD programme in Buddhist Studies. The programme focuses
on South and South-East Asian Buddhism, offering a wide range of courses
that covers both Theravada and Mahayana traditions. The primary objectives
of the programme are to train students to acquire and apply research
skills at the highest level of academic analysis and to produce graduates
who are able to teach and conduct research in Buddhist Studies at a level
consistent with international standards.
One of the main emphases of the programme is to read primary texts in
their original languages, especially Sanskrit and Pali, and to study them
with critical modes of analysis that incorporate Western scholarship.
Although there is much modern scholarship on Buddhism, few researchers
have the ability to utilise the primary sources in their original Pali or
Sanskrit, which can result in misinterpretation and an over-dependence on
secondary sources.
Myanmar)
The University was established in 1998. It is a permanent centre of higher
learning of Theravada Buddhism. It is located on the beautiful site of the
sacred Dhammapala hill near the Sacred Tooth Relic Pagoda, Yangon,
Myanmar.
For the first time, those who wish to learn Theravada Buddhist canonical
texts and insight meditation in Myanmar tradition will have a chance to
study them at the same institution. Faculty members are renowned Myanmar
Buddhist scholars of high academic achievements who have profound
knowledge of the Pali canons. In order to overcome language barriers,
language teaching is included in the academic programmes. The medium of
instruction is English.
The Institute of Religious Studies was officially set up in 2001 on the
basis of the formerly established Center for Religious Culture and Center
for Buddhist Studies. At present, the Institute is divided into two
sections, the Section of Religious Studies and the Section of Buddhist
Studies. It offers a two-year MA program that seeks to introduce graduate
students to the advanced studies of religion and Buddhology. All students
have to write and submit a thesis for obtaining an MA degree. The
Institute has now approximately 60 students in enrollment and welcomes
both local and foreign students to pursue their academic research here.
At the Chung-hwa Institute students attend a three-year intensive course
in Buddhist studies. The student can choose one of four sections four
sections in which to pursue his or her studies. The sections are: Chinese
Buddhism, Indian Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Buddhist Informatics.
Education at the Chung-hwa Institute emphasizes training in the canonical
languages of Buddhism: Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan and classical Buddhist
Chinese. The Buddhist Informatics section too puts an emphasis on
(digital) textual studies. In seminars students study Buddhism in its
philological, historical and philosophical aspects. In addition we offer
courses in modern languages especially English and Japanese.
Institute of Exact Methods (Nepal)
The institute offers the regular Buddhist studies program on the following
topics: History of Buddhism in India. Twelve Principal Deeds of Lord
Buddha, The Four Councils, Life and Works of Nagarjuna, Arya Deva Asanga,
Vasubandhu, Dingnaga and Dharmakirti. The institute is also giving a
special intensive class on Tibetan Buddhism and the History of Buddhism in
Tibet.
University, Nepal)
Kathmandu University - Centre for Buddhist Studies at Rangjung Yeshe
Institute offers a unique academic education, undergraduate and graduate,
leading to Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Master of Arts (MA) degrees in
Buddhist Studies with Himalayan Language.
The programme, located in Boudhanath, Kathmandu, Nepal, is structured as
an intensive immersion into Buddhist Philosophy, Tibetan Language and
other areas relevant to the study of Buddhism and the Himalayan region.
Lanka
Humanities University
of Kelaniya (Sri Lanka)
The department handles three main disciplines. They are Pali, Buddhist
Philosophy and Buddhist Culture.
In addition to undergraduate and postgraduate courses, a Diploma in Pali
and Buddhist Studies, for foreign students is also offered. The medium of
instruction of the Diploma is English, Graduate and Post Graduate Studies
can be followed either in Sinhala or English.
Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies (PGIPBS)
University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka
The Institute has three Departments of Study representing Buddhist
Philosophy, Buddhist Culture and Buddhist Literary Sources. Pali Studies
come under the department of Buddhist Literary Sources. Currently
Professors Asanga Tilakaratne and Ven. K. Dhammajoti serve as heads of
departments of Buddhist philosophy and Buddhist Literary Sources
respectively.
PGIPBS is also the only place in Sri Lanka - and for that matter one of
the very few places in the world - where students can undertake guided
comparative studies of the northern and southern Buddhist sources
involving all the canonical languages with the exception of Tibetan.
Peradeniya
(Sri Lanka)
The University of Peradeniya from its very inception recognized the role
it has to play in promoting Pali and Buddhist Studies in the University
curriculum. Pali and Buddhist Studies have become established over the
last five decades as the major disciplines in the Humanities field of the
University.
The study of Buddhism can be approached with the aim and objective of
providing a philosophical alternative in the search for the meaning of
life and opting for a more humane mode of living. However, in a University
academic context this could be done from a non-dogmatic and critical
standpoint that promotes tolerance of other points of view and dialogue
with other alternative philosophies of life inculcating a value
orientation in the learner that could eventually contribute to peaceful
and harmonious living.
Association of Buddhist Studies (AABS) (Australia)
The aim of the Australasian Association of Buddhist Studies is to promote
the academic study of Buddhism in the Australasian region. It is
anticipated this will be achieved:
- through
the organization of events, such as seminars and conferences - by making
available information and resources relevant to Buddhist studies - by
fostering links between scholars and students within the region - by
fostering links between different disciplines working in the field of
Buddhist studies - by
fostering links between local and international scholars
Australia)
This is the major site which keeps track of leading information facilities
in the field of Buddhism and Buddhist studies around the world. Edited by
Dr T.Matthew Ciolek (The Australian National University), Prof. Joe
Bransford Wilson (U. of North Carolina at Wilmington) and Privat-Dozent
Jerome Ducor (Ethnographic Museum, Geneva) in association with Janice
Glowski, Adrian Hale, Barry Kapke, Murray Kessell, and Peter Schlenker.
(Australia)
The main objectives of the Centre for Buddhist Studies are to:
- Foster research
into various areas of Buddhist Studies, with special focus on Buddhist
textual traditions and methods of Buddhist meditative practices. - Support
the teaching of Buddhist studies within the School of History,
Philosophy, Religion and Classics at the University of Queensland,
coordinate and expand the undergraduate and postgraduate courses on
Buddhist studies and encourage an interdisciplinary approach in Buddhist
studies. - Initiate
cooperation in research and postgraduate training with leading academic
institutions for Buddhist Studies in Australia and abroad. - Foster
interdisciplinary collaboration with academic institutions working on
related areas of research. - Develop
links with the general public through collaborative projects, seminars,
workshops and publications.
in Buddhist Studies (University of Sydney, Australia)
The postgraduate coursework program in Buddhist Studies has been offered by
the Faculty of Arts at the University of Sydney since 2006. This
innovative program has been developed in response to widespread interest
in Buddhism among Australians and overseas students.
The program offers units covering the full spectrum of Buddhist culture
and practice, as well as language studies. There are units on the
development of early Buddhist scriptures and the history, art and
archaeology of this phase of development. There are units that analyse
meditation and the healing tradition in Buddhism. Particular local
manifestations such as the Vajrayana tradition in Tibet, East Asian
Buddhism and the more modern Western Buddhism enrich the picture further.
Students who are interested in gaining the ability to access the primary
texts may study Pali and Sanskrit.
Open Universities Australia La Trobe University (Victoria, Australia)
Distance Learning Buddhist Studies units are taught via a mix of
conventional and email based correspondence between staff and students.
These units overlap in their content with the on-campus units, which offer
an introduction to Buddhism and Eastern Meditation Traditions.
University
(Paris, France)
A body founded in 1995 by French Buddhists to promote Buddhist studies in
France and Europe.
Enquiry
(Devon, England)
Offers a broad education in traditional Buddhist values critically applied
to contemporary needs. The nature of this education is meditative,
transformative and creative. It is non-religious and non-sectarian in
nature.
The Centre for Buddhist Studies at the University of Bristol was created
in 1993 within the Department of Theology and Religious Studies as the
first Centre for Buddhist Studies in the UK. At undergraduate level the
Centre’s staff contribute to the undergraduate BA programme in Theology
and Religious Studies; at graduate level they offer a taught MA in
Buddhist Studies and supervision of research leading to MPhil and
MLitt/PhD.
Buddhist Studies
(’OCBS’) (England)
The OCBS exists to contribute to Oxford University, to Buddhist Studies
and to the wider understanding of the Buddhist tradition. It will:
• train scholars and sustain a growing research effort in the field;
• collaborate with other centres and explore interdisciplinary
perspectives;
• make the fruits of scholarship widely accessible;
New structures have developed within the University and a taught course
specific to Buddhist Studies will be available soon (a UK first).
The MA degree in Buddhist Studies endeavours to provide a coherent but
flexible range of taught courses on Indian and other forms of Buddhism,
specialised courses dealing with specific issues, regions or traditions,
language-based courses in reading and interpreting Buddhist texts in
Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, Chinese, and Japanese, and language courses in
literary and modern languages relevant to the study of Buddhist texts or
working with Buddhist communities.
MA, Postgraduate Diploma, and Postgraduate Certificate. Web-based
interactive Distance-Learning.
Course
aims:
- To provide
students with the opportunity to engage in specialist study at
postgraduate level within an area of Religious Studies. - To provide
students with a critical understanding of issues in Buddhist thought,
history and practice. - To meet
the need of students who wish to develop an in-depth understanding of
Buddhism from the basis of an existing knowledge of some aspects of
Buddhism and successful undergraduate study, normally in a Humanities or
Social Science discipline (see below). - To provide
a high quality off-campus course to students around the world through
various electronic means and existing published material. - To provide
students with the necessary research skills to enable them to produce a
sustained piece of independent research.
(Wuppertal, Germany)
KIBI offers a four-year program of Buddhist. Founded by HH the 16th
Karmapa and emphazises the teachings of the Karma Kagyü school of Tibetan
Buddhism.
Hungary)
The Budapest Buddhist University was founded in 1991. Their aim was to
provide high-level education in Buddhist theory and practices for the
Hungarian public. From the outset, the curriculum tended to incorporate
different strands of Buddhism present in the country, not neglecting
Hungary’s long-standing tradition of oriental scholarship.
Following a long process of curriculum development and authentication, our
four-year Buddhist teachers’ training programme was accredited in 1999. On
fulfilling a number of additional criteria set by the Hungarian
Accreditation Committee, this accreditation was finally reconfirmed in
2001. With the introduction of the new law of tertiary education in 2005,
the Buddhist College joined the Bologna process and was one of the first
Hungarian institutions of higher education to be re-accredited in the new tertiary
educational system. In 2006 we started our new 3-year BA programme, later
to be followed by a 2 years MA programme. Our training programme was thus
extended from four to five years, and in effect, we developed into a
university meeting European standards.
A Buddhist Studies undergraduate major/specialist program is run from the
Department for the Study of Religion.
Buddhist Studies courses at the University: Lectures on Tibetan Buddhism
Series. A series of lectures by prominent Tibetan scholars on various
topics in Tibetan Buddhism. U of T Buddhist Studies Research Guide. A
Research Guide containing resources for the academic study of Buddhism
that are available in the University of Toronto library system. (As such,
most of these resources are available to the University community only.)
Study of Buddhist Languages. Language study opportunities for key languages
in Buddhist Studies.
States of America
(California, USA)
The Center for Buddhist Studies oversees a variety of research programs,
scholarly events, and outreach activities, often in collaboration with
units on and off campus. The Group in Buddhist Studies, which is comprised
of faculty from the Departments of East Asian Languages and Cultures,
South and Southeast Asian Studies, History of Art, and Psychology offers
an interdisciplinary program of study and research leading to a Ph.D.
degree in Buddhist Studies.
Angeles, California USA)
A wide array of undergraduate courses in Buddhism are offered in various
departments at UCLA, such as Asian Languages and Cultures (including its
divisions of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, South and Southeast Asia, and
Indic), Art History, and Anthropology. Several hundred students take
courses on Buddhism every year at UCLA, the largest enrollments of any
university in the United States.
Colorado USA)
Naropa University is a private, non-profit liberal arts college
characterized by its unique Buddhist educational heritage. Naropa offers
an MA in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, so they have rich course offerings in
Buddhism in the areas of history, culture, philosophy and basic texts as
well as meditation intensives offered by masters of major Buddhist
practice traditions.
The university also offers a comprehensive one-year program in Buddhist
Studies for visiting upper-division students from other undergraduate
institutions with majors in religious studies, anthropology or philosophy.
California USA)
University of the West (formerly known as Hsi Lai University) is a
private, nonprofit, co-educational university offering undergraduate,
graduate, certificate and continuing education programs consistent with
the educational mission of California higher education degree-granting
institutions.
The mission of University of the West is to:
1. Educate students in a context informed by Buddhist wisdom and values.
2. Facilitate cultural understanding and appreciation between East and
West.
A highly qualified faculty and a supportive and physically attractive
learning environment are provided so that students can master a body of
knowledge, acquire analytical and creative problem-solving and learning
skills, cultivate moral and cultural discernment and develop personal and
social responsibility.
University
(Talmage, California USA)
The purpose of Dharma Realm Buddhist University is to bring the principles
of the Buddha’s teachings to a wide range of people and to inspire
profound change in higher education and in society at large. At DRBU,
students and faculty work together to reform the process of teaching and
learning so that the process is not only intellectual but spiritual and
moral. Their aim is that the work of scholarship is guided by the
principles of goodness. DRBU offers education in the areas of Buddhist
studies, language and Chinese studies. It offers both a B.A. and M.A.
program.
Buddhist Studies
Buddhist Seminary and Graduate School (Berkeley, California)
The Institute of Buddhist Studies is a seminary and graduate school
affiliated with the Graduate Theological Union and associated with the
Buddhist Churches of America. The IBS offers a systematic educational
program specializing in Contemporary Shin Buddhist Studies and culminating
in a fully accredited Master of Arts degree which is jointly administered
with the GTU.
The Institute of Buddhist Studies is dedicated to preparing women and men
for lives of ministry in the tradition of the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha,
and to fostering the understanding and development of Shin Buddhist
thought in engagement with the issues and perspectives of contemporary
life.
Buddhist Studies
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA)
The Prajnopaya Institute of Buddhist Studies (MIT-Prajnopaya) is devoted
to a non-sectarian and non-denominational approach to Dharma. Students are
encouraged to engage in the study of the Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana
(Triyana) schools. Prajnopaya also brings together all five schools of
Tibetan Buddhism. The Institute continues to grow under the chief
patronage of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, along with the heads of the
other Tibetan Buddhist lineages, and provides a healthy environment for
spiritual dialogue. The Prajnopaya Institute emphasizes critical study
combined with serious practice.
The Manjushri Institute of Buddhist Studies was established to organize
and host opportunities for serious study and practice of the Buddha Dharma
in the Indo-Tibetan-Mongolian tradition. It provides access to teachers
from the great monastic learning centers of India and Asia as well as the
growing community of western Buddhist scholars and yogis, to benefit
students at all levels, through short retreats and regular programs of
study and practice.
(Massachusetts, USA)
The Barre Center for Buddhist Studies offers a variety of study and
research opportunities, lectures, classes, seminars, workshops,
conferences, retreats, independent study, and, in the future, a
scholars-in-residence program. The study center offers research and
publication facilities for Buddhist scholarship and translation. Its
vision calls for dialogue between different schools of Buddhism and
discussions with other religious and scientific traditions. The emphasis
is always on the interrelationship between study and practice, and on
exploring the relevance of classical teachings to contemporary life.
[
Submit a Buddhist website to BuddhaNet’s Web Links via e-mail with a brief description -
50 words ]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_studies
Buddhist
studies
Buddhist studies, also known as Buddhology (although the latter term
is sometimes reserved for the study of Buddhas rather than that of Buddhism as a whole), is the academic study of Buddhism. The term applies
especially to the modern academic field, which is a subset of religious
studies,
and is distinct from Buddhist philosophy or Buddhist theology. As
with religious studies in general, scholars of Buddhist studies represent a
variety of disciplines including history, anthropology, and philosophy.
In
contrast to the study of Judaism or Christianity, the field of Buddhist
Studies has been dominated by “outsiders” to Buddhist cultures and
traditions. However, Japanese universities have also made
major contributions, as have Asian immigrants to Western countries, and Western
converts to Buddhism.
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Relationship
to contemporary Buddhism
Charles Prebish, a scholar-practitioner, describes the
academics who are also Buddhist practitioner as fulfilling a crucial
traditional role that has gone otherwise unfilled in countries that are not
traditionally Buddhist:
Throughout much of Buddhism’s history, Buddhist
scholarship and practice have been two very distinct vocations in a highly
polarized tradition. Not surprisingly, stories reflecting the study/practice
dichotomy in Buddhism are abundant in both the primary and secondary literature
on the subject. Walpola Rahula’s History of Buddhism in Ceylon provides a good
summary of the issue. During the first century B.C.E., in response to a concern
over the possible loss of the Tripitaka during a severe famine, a question
arose: What is the basis of the Teaching (sasana)—learning or practice?
A clear difference of opinion resulted in the development of two groups: the Dhammakathikas,
who claimed that learning was the basis of the Sasana, and the Pamsukulikas,
who argued for practice as the basis. The Dhammakathikas apparently won out.
The two vocations described above came to be known as gantha-dhura,
or the “vocation of books,” and vipassana-dhura, or the “vocation of
meditation,” with the former regarded as the superior training (because surely
meditation would not be possible if the teachings were lost). Moreover, the
vipassana-dhura monks began to live in the forest, where they could best pursue
their vocation undisturbed, while the gantha-dhura monks began to dwell in
villages and towns. As such, the gantha-dhura monks began to play a significant
role in Buddhist education.
It would probably not be going too far to refer to the
gantha-dhura monks as “scholar-monks.” Why is this distinction so important? It
is significant because the scholar-monks were responsible for the education of
the laity and cultivated a Buddhist literacy among the ordinary practitioners
of the tradition. While this was a normative practice in the ancient Buddhist
tradition, Buddhism in the Western world has not favored a monastic lifestyle.
As such, the education of the laity has been left to teachers who are no longer
trained as scholar-monks. In fact, while many of the leaders and authorized
teachers in the various Western Buddhist groups have had formal monastic and
scholarly training at some point, many—if not most—have abandoned the monastic
and scholarly lifestyle altogether. This has fostered a “scholarship gap,”
which to a large extent is being rapidly filled by scholar-practitioners who,
although not living as full-fledged monastics, have solid scholarly and
academic training grounded in a rigorous personal practice.[1]
Geographical
“Schools”
Prebish
writes that:
…geographic associations seem to identify at least two
’schools’ of Buddhology: the Anglo-German and the Franco-Belgian. The former
(and older) was led by T. W. Rhys Davids and Hermann
Oldenberg,
while the latter included primarily Louis de La Vallée Poussin, Jean Przyluski, Sylvain
Lévi,
Paul Demiéville, and Étienne
Lamotte.
To these schools, Edward
Conze,
quite reasonably, adds a third: the Leningrad school, including Stcherbatsky, Rosenberg, and Obermiller. The Anglo-German school
almost exclusively emphasized the Pali literary tradition, while
the Franco-Belgian school utilized the Sanskritic materials, along with their corresponding translations and
commentaries in Chinese and Tibetan. The Leningrad school is
clearly closer to the Franco-Belgian school than the Anglo-German. These are
general classifications, but they nonetheless capture the style of the
traditions as they have been maintained over the last century.[2]
Prebish
goes on to discuss developments in the USA:
Although some might consider Eugène
Burnouf
the founding father of Buddhist Studies as a discipline, the beginnings of
Buddhist Studies in the United States seem inextricably bound to three primary
individuals: Paul
Carus,
Henry Clarke
Warren,
and Charles Rockwell Lanman. […] Despite the work of
these early educators, it was not until after 1960 that Buddhist Studies began
to emerge as a significant discipline in the American university system and
publishing industry. During the Vietnam War years and immediately
thereafter, Buddhist Studies was to enjoy a boom, largely through the efforts
of such leading professors as Richard Hugh
Robinson
of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Masatoshi
Nagatomi
of Harvard University, and Alex
Wayman
of Columbia University. No doubt there were many
reasons for the increased development of Buddhist Studies, not the least of
which were the increase in area studies programs in American
universities; growing government interest in things Asian; the immense social
anomie that permeated American culture in the 1960s; and the growing
dissatisfation with (and perhaps rejection of) traditional religion.[3]
Donald
Lopez emphasizes the influence of Geshe Lhundup Sopa at Wisconsin, and Jeffrey
Hopkins
at Virginia.[4]
University
programs and institutes
According to Prebish, Buddhist studies in the United
States prior to 1975 was dominated by the University of Wisconsin, Harvard
University and the University of Chicago.[5] Prebish cites two surveys by Hart in which
the following university programs were found to have produced the most scholars
with U.S. university posts: Chicago, Wisconsin, Harvard, Columbia, Yale,
Virginia, Stanford, Berkeley, Princeton, Temple, Northwestern, Michigan,
Washington, and Tokyo.[6]
Other regionally-accredited U.S. institutions with
programs in Buddhism include the University of the West, Institute of Buddhist
Studies, Naropa
University, and the California Institute of
Integral Studies. (A number
of dharma centers offer semi-academic, unaccredited study; some of these seem
likely eventually to win accreditation.)
Prominent European programs include Oxford and Cambridge, SOAS, the universities of Humbolt and Bonn, and
the Sorbonne. In Asia, Tokyo University has long been a major center for
Buddhist research.
Professional
associations
·
International Association of
Buddhist Studies
·
Buddhist
Studies at the University of Chicago
Publications
Journals
specializing in Buddhist Studies (in alphabetical order):
·
Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies / Indogaku
Bunkkyogaku Kenkyu
·
Journal of the International
Association of Buddhist Studies
·
Pacific
World: Journal of the Institute of Buddhist Studies
·
The Pure
Land: Journal of the International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies
·
Universal Gate Buddhist Journal / 普門學報
In
addition, many scholars publish in journals devoted to area studies (such as
Japan, China, etc.), general Religious Studies, or disciplines such as history,
anthropology, or language studies. Some examples would be:
·
Journal of Chinese Religions
·
Journal of Contemporary Religion
·
Journal of
Indian Philosophy
·
Journal of the Pali Text
Society
Major
university presses that have published in the field include those of Oxford,
Cambridge, Indiana, Princeton, SUNY, and the Universities of California,
Michigan, Chicago, Hawaii, and Virginia. Non-university presses include Curzon
Press, E.J. Brill, Asian Humanities Press, and Motilal Banarsidass. A number of
scholars have published through “dharma presses” such as Snow Lion
Publications, Wisdom Publications, or Shambhala.
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Welcome
to the UCLA Center for Buddhist Studies
The UCLA Center for Buddhist
Studies trains scholars and educates members of the broader community about
Buddhist religion and culture in all of their diversity. Among U.S.
universities, only UCLA aspires to cover all of the major traditions in this
world religion.
The BDK
TV Series “The Buddhist Way of Life”
Three part video series featuring Professor Robert
Buswell, director of the UCLA Center for Buddhist Studies.
read
more »
Buddhists,
Neuroscientists Come to a Meeting of the Minds
The symposium, originally set to feature the Dalai Lama,
brought researchers from UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human
Behavior together with eminent Buddhist scholars for a two-hour conversation
about their distinctive yet complementary understandings of compassion,
creativity, mental flexibility and attention, as well as the role mindfulness
meditation may play in cultivating these qualities.
read
more »
Panel
on Connection Between Neuroscience and Buddhism Proceeds Without Dalai Lama
Two guest scholars agreed to fill in for His Holiness at
the last minute. The panel also featured three UCLA neuroscientists, who
presented on major findings in their field, reports The Daily Bruin.
read
more »
Dalai
Lama’s UCLA Appearances Canceled
His Holiness the Dalai Lama is unable to travel due to ill
health. His scheduled appearances at UCLA on Monday, May 2 have been canceled.
The 1:30 symposium will go ahead without the Dalai Lama’s participation.
read
more »
Tibetan-Born
Neuroscientist Helps Pave Way for Dalai Lama’s Visit
The Dalai Lama will come to campus on May 2, 2011, for two
public events sponsored by the UCLA International Insitute and the UCLA Center
for Buddhist Studies. One of them, a dialogue between His Holiness and UCLA
neuroscientists, will in many ways fulfill the journey that a UCLA expert in
Tibetan Buddhism, meditation and medicine began half a century ago.
read
more »
Renewed
Agreement with Korean University
Officials from Seoul-based Dongguk University and UCLA
sign a new memorandum of understanding that is expected to result in
collaboration and exchange in fields beyond Buddhist studies.
read
more »
Tibetan
Gift to Library
A Tibetan monk and two Americans dedicated to the Bon
tradition of Tibet, an ancient religion that influenced Tibetan Buddhism,
deliver a digitized copy of canonical Bon texts to the UCLA Library and Center
for Buddhist Studies.
read
more »
Lasting
Support for UCLA Buddhist Studies
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America establishes the Yehan Numata
Endowment at the UCLA Center for Buddhist Studies and pledges 10 years of
additional support. The new funds will bring distinguished visitors and enhance
graduate education.
read
more »
Korean
Classics for a Wider Audience
Thirteen Korean historical, religious, and philosophical
classics will be introduced to English readers under a translation project
coordinated by the UCLA Center for Buddhist Studies.
read
more »
buddhist@international.ucla.edu
http://www.antioch.edu/aea/programs/buddhist-studies-in-india/
Buddhist Studies in
India
A
semester of study and meditation while living in a Buddhist monastery near the
site of Buddha Shakyamuni’s Enlightenment.
Program Highlights
- Engage in rigorous academic classes with highly
qualified instructors, earning 16 undergraduate semester credits. - Explore Buddhism in Bodh Gaya – center of the
Buddhist world. - Receive meditation instruction from masters in three
Buddhist traditions: Vipassana, Zen, and Vajrayana. - Live with fellow students in a Buddhist community,
the Burmese Vihar (monastery). - Gain valuable research skills, along with a greater
understanding of Buddhist culture, Indian society, and yourself.
“I don’t think one can receive this experience anywhere else.” -Conan Cheong, Wesleyan University
Program
Description
This program weaves together the diverse resources of Bodh
Gaya into a fall semester of study emphasizing a comparative approach to both
theory and practice. At the heart of the Buddhist Studies in India program is
the desire to allow students to explore this subject from as many different
points of view as possible. Western academic models are systematically used in
the core courses, while Buddhist philosophies are tested in the Meditation
Traditions course.
Since the Buddhist Studies Program began in 1979, students
from a wide range of schools have participated. Since 2008, a sampling of
colleges and universities that students have come from are: Amherst College,
Barnard College, Bates College, Boston University, Brown University,
CSU-Northridge, Carleton College, Colby College, Columbia University, Dartmouth
College, DePauw University, Drake University, Goucher College, Hamline
University, Harvard University, Johnson State College, Kenyon College, Knox
College, Macalester Colleges, Mercyhurst College, Northwestern University, Penn
State University, Princeton University, Rutgers University, Saint Michael’s
College, Smith College, Stanford University, Stony Brook University (SUNY),
Swarthmore College, The College of Wooster, UNC-Chapel Hill, Tufts University,
Tulane University, University of Hawaii-Hilo, University of Illinois at
Chicago, UMass-Amherst, Vassar College, Wake Forest University, Wellesley
College, Wesleyan University, Willamette University and Williams College.
Stanford
|
Discovering
|
Buddhism without borders Kuensel, Buhutan’s National Newspaper - 1 day ago The conference, organised by the home ministry and the centre for |
Buddhism expert wants science to
|
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Gift
|
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Buddhist Art and its Conservation:
|
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Studies in Buddhist ethics 5 – Categorical
|
Review
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Finding Zen in the Midst of
|
The
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VOICE OF SARVAJAN
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/akhilesh-yadav-up-250-killed-in-a-day-bsp/1/186333.html
250 people being murdered a day
in Akhilesh Yadav-ruled Uttar Pradesh, claims BSP
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP ) launched a frontal and scathing attack on the
Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) government and
claimed that every day more than 250 people were being murdered in Uttar
Pradesh ever since the new government took over.
Addressing a press conference here, Leader of Opposition and state BSP
president Swami Prasad Maurya said that law and order has hit a new low in the
state and accused the state government of making officials’ transfers a
“mini industry in the state”.
“Even as crime is spiralling, the government has made transfers an
industry,” Maurya said. He added that on an average, four murders were
taking place in every district every day and by this rate, 250 murders were
taking place in the state every day.
Warning that the Samajwadi Party ’s patronising of criminal elements
had begun to tarnish the image of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, the BSP leader
said the people of Uttar Pradesh would soon realise their mistake and would
repent voting for the SP.
http://zeenews.india.com/news/uttar-pradesh/bsp-alleges-spurt-in-crime-rate-in-up_772039.html
BSP alleges spurt in crime rate
in UP
Lucknow: The
Bahujan Samaj Party Friday alleged that there was a spurt in crime in Uttar
Pradesh ever since the Samajwadi Party came to power and asked Chief Minister
Akhilesh Yadav to seriously work towards providing justice and security to all.
Citing cases of murders which have been reported from different parts of the
state in the recent days, leader of opposition in UP Assembly and senior BSP
leader Swami Prasad Maurya said that they indicated as to how the state has
become a hunting ground for criminals and mafia elements in the present
government.
“In merely 40
to 42 days of the SP government, people have started remembering the good days
of BSP’s rule of law”, Maurya told reporters here.
The BSP leader advised the chief minister to desist from tall claims and
instead seriously work for providing justice and security to all.
PTI