IN CONVERSATION...... -- by Jeffrey Po

With Professor Chandima Wijebandara, PhD (Lancaster), B.A. (Ceylon), Proficiency Cert. English (Cambridge), Dipl. Psych. Cnslng (University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka).

Jpo: Professor, good afternoon, can you describe your former assignment before you came to Singapore?

Prof: Before coming here, I was the former Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Faulty of Arts in the University of Sri Jayewardenepura in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Jpo: Is this your first assignment to teach in Singapore?

Prof: No, in fact I was first here in 1990 when I taught the ¡°Guide for Buddhism" course in the Buddhist Library. Subsequently, I came here almost every year during the November/December period for the same reason. About two years ago I was here to teach students attempting their B.A. and M.A. in Buddhist Studies in Mangala Vihara. This time I am teaching the PostGraduate Diploma and Diploma students in the Buddhist Library.

Jpo: I see that your charming wife Mallika is with you. Does she accompany you during your overseas assignments?

Prof: Well, only if the assignment is for a long period, especially when I am overseas on my sabbatical leave from the university.

Jpo: Mallika and how do you take to all these trips?

Mallika: Well, I enjoy them and really try to adapt. Prof. needs attention also.

Jpo: Prof., would you agree that the spread of Buddhism to the West had in the past been greatly hampered by the English language constraints and lack of Buddhist texts in English language?

Prof: Not so much if you consider that Buddhism had been rather well accepted by Western scholastic members because of the great works done by people such as Christmas Humphreys, Sangarakshita, Rhys Davids, Colonel Olcott and so forth. The spread of Buddhist information had been established in Europe some two hundred years ago and the Theravada traditions did make some headway. Well today, of course, Buddhism has reached the common people mainly through the mass media and internet and so on. Information concerning Buddhism is more readily accessible today to anyone looking for such information.

Jpo: How would you position Theravada style of Buddha dhamma when compared to Mahayana or Vajrayana style of Dhamma in the West?

Prof: Each has its own strength. However, the fundamental Dhamma is similar to all three traditions. The difference lay in the practice of the Dhamma and people's preference to the path, which they might wish to follow. As you know, Theravada style is more rational and intellectual. Its emphasis is more on study and using meditational techniques. Although other traditions also practice a good amount of meditation, Mahayana is more emphatic towards chanting and ceremonies and the Vajrayana style is more inclined towards ritualism and also chanting. So, it really depends upon the temperament of the followers.

Jpo: In your opinion, do you think that all the three traditions would eventually merge into a single cohesive entity?

Prof: Yes, I would think so but not in the near future. As you know, each tradition possesses distinctive features. However, with the passage of time and pressures, it may be necessary for Buddhists of the three traditions to consolidate. Whether this consolidation is tightly-knitted or loose depends upon the collective and common will of the leaders of the various Buddhist traditions and organizations. As you know, there are presently several international "World Buddhist Federations". They organize and hold conferences. During those conferences, they deliberate, discuss and debate and finally pass resolutions. But thereafter, implementations of those resolutions seemed lacking.

It is undoubted that Buddhism had created a major impact in the minds of the Westerners. In the Chicago conference held about 100 years ago in America, Japanese Buddhist scholars like Soyen Shaku, Buddhist thinkers representing the Theravada traditions like Anagarika Dharmapala offered lasting impressions to the Western scholastic circles. Today the Dalai Lama is doing a wonderful job. He is a well-balanced person and although he is Tibetan with Vajrayana training, still he represents the Buddhist world with unbiasness and in a fair manner. He is trying to bridge the gaps amongst the various Buddhist traditions.

Jpo: What can Buddhism do more for the people in the West who may find certain aspect of their spiritual lives missing or inadequate and for those in the east who have suddenly found economic wealth - a new "god of material acquisition and wealth"?

Prof: Buddhism must reach out to the common people. The Theravada tradition must be more representative and connect itself with the common masses. The other traditions are doing quite well in terms of the connectedness with the common people but more can be done in terms of Buddhist education. It will be excellent if Buddhists can have something like Oxfam (*1) so that it can bridge itself with community feelings and aspirations. There should be more networking amongst Buddhist organizations. The West can play a major role in this direction because their organizational methods especially in the business field can be adapted to be incorporated into Buddhist networking methodologies. See what Colonel Olcott, a Westerner achieved for Buddhism. He united the various Buddhist traditions with a single flag (see Pg 37). Rivalries amongst the various Buddhist traditions are not healthy. In fact, if these rivalries are not managed, then there is a danger that Buddhism can be misrepresented by many pseudo-Buddhist organizations claiming authenticity. As you know anyone can simply shave his head and don a robe and then claim to be Buddhist bhikkhu. What happens then?

Jpo: Which tradition in your opinion is popular in the West?

Prof: Today, the Vajrayana seems to be more popular in the West. The main reason is that it is a practice that comes from the heart and not from the brain. It is an easy substitute for Christianity, which stresses on the concept of love. It is easy for Christians to adapt.

Jpo: With abundance of Buddhist books easily available in the English language today, what will be your advice to the general readers and especially to novice Buddhist?

Prof: Well, basically there are two types of books. One contains Dhamma talks and advice that are addressed to the common people so that they can lead more positive lives. These are books viewed as "self-help books" or "self-improvement books". That's okay because they provide some sort of counselling to people. The other is the "doctrinal" type. Here the reader must be more discriminative and selective. Those books are academic and one has to be a little careful. It is always best to start with books with text based on "Early Buddhism" They include such authors as Edward Conze, A.K. Warder, Kalupahana that touch on "Indian Buddhism" and the popular "What the Buddha Taught" by Wapola Rahula. And of course, " The Buddhist Companion" by Jeffrey Po. Forget about Theravada, Mahayana or Vajrayana. Go back to early Buddhism to strengthen your intellectual base before adventuring into the academic battle field of sectarism pundits. Otherwise, you will get confused and distracted because Buddhism can be presented in multifarious and different ways. It is like a brilliant star with many ray points. Although Buddhism is a singular noun, it is, however, multidimensional.

Jpo: Thank you very much, Prof.

*1:A group of non-governmental organizations from three continents working worldwide to fight poverty and injustice.