Shortage of competent teachers puts Buddhism on hold: Kalon Tripa

Wednesday, 23 May 2007, 2:53 p.m.

Kalon Tripa addressing the workshop, with Kalon Tsering Phuntsok (Photo: Sangay Kep)

Dharamshala: Some 32 teachers
and scholars from across India have converged here at the hall of
Gangkyi cafeteria for a three-day workshop by the Department of
Religion and Culture, beginning yesterday.

The panel of resource persons of the workshop included such
scholars as Geshe Lhakdor, Geshe Dorjee Damdul, Mr. Duk Tsering and
Acharya Phurbu Thakchoe.

In his introductory address, Kalon for Religion and Culture
Tsering Phuntsok said that our ability to retain, nourish and promote
Buddhism hinges upon a rigorous and holistic system of religious
studies, which in turn will enhance the competency of our teachers in
the three traditional fields of expertise–teaching, debating and
composition.

(Photo: Sangay Kep)

“We must safeguard the relevance of Buddhism in the
21st century,” he told scholar-teachers well versed in a wide variety
of languages–Tibetan, English, Hindi, Chinese, etc.

He further said that such workshops also help in thrashing out
new avenues for realizing the vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for
entire humanity.

Speaking as the chief guest, Kalon Tripa Samdhong Rinpoche
underlined that the objectives of such workshops, which will be held at
regular intervals, with increasing participation of scholars, are
significant for not only the resolution of Tibetan issue, but also to
benefit entire humanity.

(Photo: Sangay Kep)

Kalon Tripa said that the whole corpus of esoteric and
exoteric teachings of the Buddha sustained in Tibet through an unbroken
chain of transmission from the Great Nalanda University is declining
fast to the verge of extinction.

However, on the brighter side, the Buddhist teachings in
general, particularly Tibetan Buddhism, are today experiencing an
unprecedented renaissance, especially after His Holiness the Dalai
Lama, followed by various prominent spiritual leaders of Tibet, took
refuge in exile, Kalon Tripa said.

Tibetans must take pride in the fact that the global popularity
of Buddhism is due largely to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Kalon Tripa
said, adding that at a time when too many people are interested in
Buddhism, it is a pity we have too few teachers.

Regardless of whether the Tibet issue remained unresolved, we
must develop the capacity to retain, nourish and promote our religion
and culture for indefinitely, he added.

Despite the profusion of dharma centers in almost every nook
and corner of the world–some of which may have been vulnerable to the
manipulation of opportunistic forces hostile to Buddhism–Kalon Tripa
lamented that well-qualified religious teachers are still a rarity.

If we failed to address this problem, it will go down in
history as a gross dereliction of our bounden-duties, Kalon Tripa
warned.