EMPOWERING OURSELVES IN THE BUDDHIST STUDIES

Milan Shakya
MA in Buddhist Studies

General Trends in Nepal

It is depressing to note that even if there is a vast ocean of Buddhist literatures and
philosophy we are ignorant of them, still we pretend to be a great Buddhist scholar and
deceive those innocent listeners but in fact we don't know much about Buddhism. This is
an indisputable truth. Why so? Because of lack of Buddhist studies, research or three
forms of prajñā (śrutamayī, cintāmayī and bhāvanāmayī). Two trends are rampant in our
society during these days. 1. One group of people say all the studies and reflections are
just the luxury of the intellect (Buddhivilāsa) and all devotional worships, pūjas and
rituals are just meaningless activities (karmakāṇḍa). So on the basis of this mistaken idea,
they blindly focuss only on the meditation while ignoring the listening and study
(śrutamayī) and reflection and discussion (cintāmayī) aspect. Even if the followers of this
trend believe this is only the way, but, this, according to Buddhism, is a fallacious and
wrong notion and leads to the luxury of the mind (manavilāsa) and selfishness of the mind
(svārthīdhyāna). As for the another trend, focussing only on the Śrutamayī prajñā, people
just study few Buddhist books and they claim themselves to be the greatest Buddhist
scholars while not applying what has been learnt from Buddhist studies to practice. They
are jealous of others’ success and always try to show others how superior they are to
others. Even if they teach Buddhism, because they never practice much of it, they are
always striken by rāga, dveṣa and moha and consequently their minds are restless and
deluded. The uneducated and simple people also blindly follow them as if they are the
realized paṇḍita. So they don't know they are being deceived by that false guru. The false
guru may again be the person who declares himself to be the realized one and causes
others to spread the good news about him, develops a cult while himself still being
subject to the Eight Worldly Concerns (aṣṭalokadharma: 1. Fame [yaśa], 2. Disfame
[apayaśa], 3. Happiness [sukha], 4. Sorrow [duḥkha], 5. Profit [lābha], 6. Loss [alābha],
7. Praise [praśaṃsā], 8. Humuliation [nindā]). This is opposed to the Buddhavacana or

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the Buddhist text. So we need to integrate all three of them, śrutamayī, cintāmayī and
bhāvanāmayī prajñā.

Let's wake up before it is too late.

So these are two extreme hypocrisies prevalent now in our society. We don't need any
one of them. This is the issue of the so called learned and the so called practicing person
who are doing things in distorted way just beguiling the commoners like ourselves.

OK leave them now, look at ourselves, what are we doing now? As for we the
commoners, all the time we just preoccupy ourselves with our monotonous work or job
and we boast that we are the busiest persons in the world. Everybody down to the tiny
insect work for their survival, there is nothing unique or special about that. Do we live
just for that, i.e earning our livelihood or earning money. Is this our sole objective in our
life? In the Buddhist text, it is said that human lives are very precious, then are not we
spending it in solely earning money? Do we not have to do anything creative in our lives.
Even if some of us do come out of a closed box, we end up in the mesh of either of the
above two distortions because of lack of proper Buddhist education. Now is it not the
time to wake up and see through the their deception? We are now being led by others
while we like a servant succumb to them and their ideas without analysing it. Why so?
because we don't study ourselves, and let alone practice what we have learnt but make
earning livelihood the sole end of our lives, don't we? With all these questions in mind,
we have come up with new empowering program for all of us so that we can move ahead
in the society in the field of Buddhism, we can do something for the society through
Buddhism and we don't just listen to others lecture about Buddhism, instead we can also
stage our presentation and let others listen to what we say about Buddhism and there is a
golden opportunity to learn as much about Buddhism (any field of Buddhism) as possible
and put it to practice.

Solution: Study Buddhism as much as possible and let others know about our
learning

The main part of the program is preparing of a schalarly writeup or article. For that we
give several topics to everybody interested about Buddhist philosophy, Buddhist
Literature, Buddhist Art and Architecture, Culture and so on from the original sources
Pali, Sanskrit, Tibetan and Chinese and the secondary English, Nepali, Newari sources
and so on. A person who wants to carry out academic research about one of the topics in

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the above genre may study as much books as possible in the 15 days alloted and may take
interviews with the scholars or may acquire information from the Internet as well. Then
he or she may prepare an academic article or writeup on the topic and give a lecture or
presentation about that in the classroom in front of many listeners or participants using
Whiteboard and Boardmarker (In other words, then he becomes a teachers while the
listeners become students.)

Last Remark

I hope you understand our mission and this is just a beginning. This has an inconceivable
benefit which we need not stress here. Some of the benefits may be: 1. We will be able to
have a writing habit. 2. We will be able to speak in the mass with confidence. 3. We can
come out of the closed box or boundary of inferiority complex and our status quo (like
Oh, I am very busy, I don't have time today. or These are not my fields, what to do, we
have to earn our living, and don't have time for all this.). 4. We can visit the foreign
countries to participate in the conference about Buddhism there. 5. It also helps to write
our thesis or Phd thesis. These are just a few benefits. Now it is a ripe time to analyse
ourselves, motivate ourselves. We don't need to impose on you, you have to see for
yourself whether this approach is suitable for you or all of us or not. Only then we can
leap forward. But we have to keep in our mind this powerful message of Śākyamuni
Buddha, our root teacher who says that this life is very transient and rare. If we don't do
something now and spend it as we have been from the previous lives, then there will not
be any opportunity to even repent or regret. So let us not waste our lives idly saying we
are busy now. All are busy now. Ven. Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche says this sentence "we
are busy" is just a lame excuse to keep ourselves away from the dharma and study.
Everybody has enough time but because they are not interested, they say, they are busy.
We have time for the picnic, get together, feasting and everything, but for the dharma
practice and study which make us self-sufficient in the society and free from any kind of
suffering in this life and another, finally up to attaining Buddhahood, sadly we don't have
time. How foolish we are and how unaware we are? Śāntideva in his Bodhicaryāvatāra
says: "The Lord of Death (yamarāja) doesn't wait for whether we have finished our
project or not, he just snatches away our lifeforce anytime." So it is a time to be awake
from our sleep and learn about Buddhism and put it to practice. I hope everybody
understands what I am saying. So we have established Dharmacakra Academic Center to
conduct the extensive Buddhist studies. Given below are some of the topics (quite a many
indeed) that we can choose for our Buddhist study. You can also come up with a new
topics on your own and carry out an academic research on it then give a nice presentation
in the classroom.

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PROVISIONAL TOPICS FOR THE BUDDHIST STUDY:
(Following are just some of the topics. You can choose any Buddhist topic you like and
do academic study on it.)

1. The Life of the Buddha : A Study on the twelve principle deeds of Sakyamuni
Buddha.
2. The Life of Ananda or Bhiksuni Sangha and Ananda's role in establishing it.
3. The Life of Sariputra
4. The Life of Maudgalyana
5. A Study on Theragatha and Therigatha
6. A Study on the Buddhist Nuns from the Buddha's period.
7. Major disciples of the Buddha
8. King Asoka and Expansion of Buddhism
9. King Milind and His contribution to the promotion and spread of Buddhism in
India and abroad
10. King Harsavardhan and His contribution to the spread of Buddhism
11. Contribution of Pala rulers to the promotion and spread of Buddhism in India and
abroad.
12. The Buddhist Councils
13. Four Noble Truths
14. Four Noble Truths and Pratityasamutpada: A Study on the interconnection
between these two.
15. A study on the Arhat and Bodhisattva Ideal.
16. A Study on the three vehicles of Buddhism: Sravaka, Pratyeka, Mahayana
(paramita and Vajrayana)
17. Twelvefold Link of Dependent Origination in the wheel of life.
18. A study on Three Universal Characteristics of Buddhism: 1. Impermanence, 2.
Suffering and 3. Egolessness.
19. A Brief Study on Five Aggregates (Pancaskandha)
20. A Critical study on Karma and its effects
21. A study on 10 perfections from Sanskrit Mahayana and Pali Sources.
22. A study on Six Perfection as the Prasthana Bodhicitta.
23. Four Mind Changing Practice: A study
24. A study on the role of monasticism in Buddhism.
25. Nibbana and Buddhahood: A study
26. A Study on the Bodhisattva Path or Mahayana.
27. A Study on Skillful means of Bodhisattva
28. Samatha and Vipasyana Meditation
29. A study on the four philosophical schools

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30. A Vaibhasika Philosophy
31. Sautrantika Philosophy
32. Yogacara Philosophy
33. Madhyamika Philosophy
34. Three Dharmacakra Pravartana by Sakyamuni Buddha
35. A critical study on the Eight Heavy Dharma (Astagarudharma) for Bhiksuni
Sangha: its pros and cons
36. The rise of Mahayana and Vajrayana.
37. The teaching of Buddhanature
38. Three Bodies of Buddha, Nirmanakaya, Dharmakaya and Sambhogakaya
39. Generation of Bodhicitta
40. A Critical Study on Lojong (Mind Training Practices) as taught by Atisa
Dipankarasrijnana
41. A Critical Study of Lamrim (Stages of the Path) as taught by Atisa
Dipankarasrijnana and Tsongkhapa
42. A critical study on Alayavijnana, Klistamanovijnana and Pravrritivijnana
43. A Critical study on Three Natures, Parikalpita, Paratantra and Parinispanna.
44. A brief study on Digha Nikaya.
45. A textual study of Milindapanna.
46. A textual study of Mulamadhyamakakarika
47. A textual study of Visuddhimagga
48. A textual study of Buddhavamsa
49. A textual study of Mahavagga
50. A textual study of Majjima nikaya
51. A textual study of Dhammapada
52. A study on Paritrana and its efficacies
53. A textual study of Visvanatarajataka from Jatakamala
54. A textual study of Abhidharmakosa
55. A textual study of Vijnaptimatratasiddhi
56. A Study of Lankavatara Sutra
57. A Study of Saddharmapundarika Sutra
58. A Study of Gandavyuha Sutra
59. A Study of Samadhiraja Sutra
60. A Study of Lalitavistara Sutra
61. A Study of Suvarnaprabhasa Sutra
62. A Study of Prajnaparamita Sutra
63. A Study of Dasabhumika Sutra
64. A Study of Vimalakirtinirdesa Sutra
65. A Study of Aparimitayu Sutra

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66. A Study of Gunakarandavyuha Sutra
67. A Study of Arya anityata nama Mahayana Sutra
68. A Study of Arya Pratityasamutpada Nama Manayana Sutra
69. A Study of Bhaisajyaguruvaiduryaprabharaja Sutra
70. A Study of Sukhavativyuha Sutra
71. A Study of Arthaviniscaya Sutra
72. A Study of Madhyamakavatara
73. A Study of Samdhinirmocanasutra
74. A Study of Mahaparinirvana Sutra
75. A Study of Prasannapada
76. A Study of Bodhicaryavatara
77. A Study of Five Texts of Maitreya :
a. Abhisamayalankara
b. Dharmadharmatavibhanga
c. Madhyantavibhaga
d. Uttaratantra
e. Mahayanasutralankara
78. A study on the origin of Buddhist Art and its style.
79. Introduction to Nepalese Buddhist Sculptures: 1. Stone images, 2. Metal images,
3. Wood crafts
80. A study on the Paubha painting
81. A study on the Vihara architecture with reference to Hiranyavarna Mahavihara
and others if any.
82. A study on the Stupa architecture with reference to Baudhastupa and others if any.
83. A study on the temple architecture with reference to the Pagoda type temples of
Sankhu and others if any.
84. A study on the origin and evolutionary history of Buddhist iconography
85. The Iconographic description of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and others.
86. Concept of Triratna in Buddhism of Nepal Mandala
87. A study on the Vihara and Bahi and the Sangha tradition of Nepal Mandala
88. A study on the Acaluiyegu of the Kathmandu valley.
89. A study on the Buddhist Religious Practices of Nepal Mandala
90. A study on the Buddhist Life Cycle Rituals of the Nepal Mandala
91. A study on the Prominent Buddhist Masters and scholars of Nepal Mandala.
92. A study on the Pre-Buddhist cultural religion of Tibet
93. Introduction to Buddhism in Tibet. 1) Srong btsan Gampo, 2. Bhrikuti, Wenchen
Kongjo and Sila manju.
94. Early Transmission of Buddhism in Tibet
95. The Nyingma tradition

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96. Later Transmission of Buddhism in Tibet: A role of Atisa Dipankara srijnana
97. Kadampa Tradition
98. Kagyupa Tradition
99. Sakyapa Tradition
100. Gelugpa Tradition
101. A life of Padmasambhava
102. Thonmi sambhota and the Tibetan Script
103. Three Dharmarajas: Songtsen Gampo, Thisong Deutsen and Ralpacan
104. Life of Milarepa
105. Life of Tsongkhapa
106. Life of Nagarjuna
107. Life of Aryadeva
108. Life of Asanga
109. Life of Vasubandhu
110. Life of Dignana
111. Life of Dharmakirti
112. Life of Santideva and Bodhicaryavatara
113. Chandrakirti and Madhyamakavatara
114. Vasubandhu and Abhidharmakosa
115. A brief introduction to Nine Vaipulya Sutras of Nepal
116. A Textual study on Svayambhu Purana
117. Life of Sakyapandita
118. Five Patriarches of Sakyapa tradition
119. Paltrul Rinpoche and a textual study on Kunsang Lamey shelung
120. A Critical study on Madhyamaka philosophy: its branches, and Tibetan way of
understanding it : Rangtong, Shentong
121. A study on Shedra, Dubdra, Lama, tulku, Dapa (Gelong and Getsul), ani,
ngagpa
122. A study on the history of Sangha and its later development
123. A study on the Buddhism in Srilanka
124. A Study on the Buddhism in Thailand
125. A study on the Buddhism in Myanmar
126. A study on the Buddhism in Vietnam
127. A study on Buddhism in China
128. A study on Buddhism in Tibet
129. A study on Buddhism in Mongolia
130. A study on Buddhism in Korea
131. A study on Buddhism in Japan
132. A study on Buddhism in Laos

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133. A study on Buddhism in Indonesia
134. A Study on Buddhism in Cambodia
135. A study on Buddhism in America
136. A study on Buddhism in England.