Have The Teachers Of Buddha Dhamma Understood The Subject?

All along we have taken for granted that those who know Buddha Dhamma best and can teach the subject are University professors and learned Bhikkus who were involved in writing school books to the nation.But,a highly disturbing article titled “How University Professors and Monks have destroyed the Buddha Dhamma and Sinhala Buddhist Nation”appeared at the web site The argument of the writer of this web site is that University professors and learned Bhikkus who were involved in writing school books to the nation do not understand the basics of Buddha Dhamma such as Nama-Rupa, and Vinnana in relation to the Panchakkhandha and Paticcasamuppada.
At the same web site is a book titled “Teachings Of The Buddha For The Inquiring Mind”(Revision 9) which in addition to explaining the Buddha Dhamma has shown side by side what the school books are,teaching instead, so that a clear comparison can be made. In the meantime we saw ,Professor Sumanapala Galmangoda,Director of the Post Graduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies,Kelaniya University saying on television(Sri Lanka Rupavahini) that there are various professionals like Doctors,Engineers,Scientists etc. who write books on Buddhism,but what they write cannot be accepted unless they are qualified in Buddhism.He even compared the situation to Doctors practicing engineering and engineers practicing medicine which they are not qualified to do. Does that mean that no person however well recognized in any field can make a valid comment on Buddha Dhamma like for example Albert Einstine ? Also it is Professor Galmagoda’s duty to spell out what exactly is the minimum qualification a person should have before what he writes on Buddhism can be accepted.
With regard to Engineers writing books on Buddhism, L. Jayasooriya the owner of the above mentioned web site has been writing extensively on the Buddha Dhamma and we have published several articles written by him in this paper. Not only that, we have published several articles written by other professionals such as Doctors, Journalists, Scientists etc. in this paper. According to professor Galmangoda those articles too are not acceptable as the writers are not qualified to write on Buddha Dhamma.
L. Jayasooriya has consistently been saying that the University professors and Monks who wrote school books on the Buddha Dhamma have not understood the basics of the subject and has given reasons why he says so whereas professor Galmangoda does not give any reasons why an Engineer is incompetent to write on the Buddha Dhamma. Under such circumstances the general public have a right to know from professor Galmangoda what prompted him to make such a strange statement through a popular state TV channel. Is that the attitude of other professors in Buddhism as well? Finally,we would like to request Professor Galmangoda to log on to L.Jayasooriya’s web site and read what he is saying and reply to his allegations against University Professors and monks involved in writing school books.

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3 comments on “Have The Teachers Of Buddha Dhamma Understood The Subject?”

R Chandrasoma on June 25, 2012 at 9:44 pm said:

In reality, Doctors, Engineers, Sciemtists etc. are better qualified to write and comment on Buddhism than Monks and Professors of Buddhism if they have made a devoted study of the subject. They bring an objective and inquiring mind in understanding Buddhism while Monks and Professors of Buddhism have closed minds and a confidence based on catechistic studies that faithfully repeat what their teachers rammed into their heads. There is an urgent need to have expositions of Buddhism by scholars outside the tradition – Mr. L Jayasuriya is in this class.
R Chandrasoma.

Ven. Dr. Mahinda Deegalle on June 29, 2012 at 9:09 am said:

Scholarship and Popular Books on Buddhism
This discussion is a useful one. The weight for the opinions of university professors and learned bhikkhus on the Buddha’s teaching is based on the assumption that they can read the original texts (e.g. Pali and other languages) and can understand a range of meanings embedded in the language and history of interpretation on the basis of commentaries and analysis that got accumulated around the teachings of the Buddha. This is one way of understanding the Buddha’s teaching in a holistic manner.

I do not think that any one get disqualified to write about Buddhism just because of one’s profession. As readers, however, we must understand their point of orientation and angles as well as their limitations associated with various biases and speciality. Of course, one should be careful not to write things in areas that one does not have any strength in that subject because that activity can mislead and abuse the reader. Nevertheless, they may contain some useful points of view in understanding the Buddha’s teachings and its practice in a variety of contexts.
Ven. Dr. Mahinda Deegalle

Vajiragnana Warnakulasuriya on June 30, 2012 at 6:21 am said:

James Bond the character Ian Fleming created has “oo7” as his qualification, this is his “License” to kill!
Do don’t forget when the bullet hits the subject is stone dead!
I am least qualified to take sides on this main subject. But what I am about to comment is on the confidence of the present day holders of a “doctorate” to utter any nonsense and getaway simply because they have earned this highest qualification on a specific field , this is what I call the “License” to talk nonsense. When they challenge each other it takes the intellectual level to that of a “Cat fight” that we describe two women fighting!
Here in Australia where I live, very often I hear such qualified “Dr’s (not medical) come on the community radio’s where Sri Lankan community listen and exhibit their utter ignorance. Say for instance a civil Engineer talks on “Nuclear fusion and stumbles unable to explain how the reaction takes place” naturally that’s not his field of expertise, the honourable action would have to be to refrain to talk on subjects one is not comfortable with. Then another who call himself a “rocket scientist” who dispelled rebirth once as nonsense, now talks with authority the presence of rebirth how he interviews “rebirthed” subject in Sri Lanka after hypnotizing. From his talks it appears there’s a big demand to be interviewed by him in Sri Lanka. Then recently I saw these erudite scientifically analyzing the core teachings of the Buddha “Patichcha Summupada”, and then another in the process one saw the missing link “Paramitha” in “Patichcha Summupada”.
I have also heard of Western science and …….
I have also heard that Buddha was born in Sri Lanka and presently “Maithree Buddha” is living there too! I have no idea who said these, but there it is.
So you see these “Unique” subjects provide laughter to “some” exhibiting their ignorance unashamedly, while the gullible worship very earth they tread on!!!