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.