Ācārya, you are both a meditation teacher/practioner and involved in Buddhist studies academia, not unlike some others in the field such as Bhadanta Anālayo. Can you talk about this path into academia, and whether or not you think it is important for Buddhist academics to have direct training in practice lineages before going for their degrees (or during their programs)?
I ask as an undergraduate interested in Buddhist studies along multiple fronts (philosophical, historical, anthropological, linguistic, etc.) but who's own personal Buddhism is more about devotion and faith than about practice in this life. I would say that I'm probably like an ordinary, if slightly more devout, Buddhist layperson (in that I don't do much sitting meditation, I go to temple for pūjā and such and I might do a buddhānusṃrti informally), only with strong academic inclinations. Do you think I would be a better scholar of Buddhism if I actually had experience in more advanced Buddhist practice? Do you feel that you are a better scholar of Buddhist studies by virtue of your personal advanced practice?
nyanasagara2 karma
Ācārya, you are both a meditation teacher/practioner and involved in Buddhist studies academia, not unlike some others in the field such as Bhadanta Anālayo. Can you talk about this path into academia, and whether or not you think it is important for Buddhist academics to have direct training in practice lineages before going for their degrees (or during their programs)?
I ask as an undergraduate interested in Buddhist studies along multiple fronts (philosophical, historical, anthropological, linguistic, etc.) but who's own personal Buddhism is more about devotion and faith than about practice in this life. I would say that I'm probably like an ordinary, if slightly more devout, Buddhist layperson (in that I don't do much sitting meditation, I go to temple for pūjā and such and I might do a buddhānusṃrti informally), only with strong academic inclinations. Do you think I would be a better scholar of Buddhism if I actually had experience in more advanced Buddhist practice? Do you feel that you are a better scholar of Buddhist studies by virtue of your personal advanced practice?
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