Providing Tertiary Education in Buddhist Studies - An interview with Ven. Dr. Pategama Gnanarama Maha Thero, Principal of Buddhist & Pali College, Singapore -- By Jeffrey Po

The Buddhist and Pali College, Singapore, is the first tertiary institution to offer in-house English Buddhist Studies programmes to lay people in Singapore. To date, it has produced 233 Diploma holders, 126 Graduates and 39 Post Graduates including 2 Ph. D. degree holders and helped nurture some of Singapore's best own "home-grown" scholars like Dr. (Miss) Ng Yuen Yen, Miss. Sylvia Bay, Dr. Jenny Quek and Dr. Atula Foo serving in the local Buddhist community . Jeffrey meets up with its founding Principal, Ven. Dr. Pategama Gnanarama Maha Thero, to find out how the college is run.

Good afternoon, Bhante. Can you say something about yourself?

I have visited Singapore many times years ago but came again in 1994, at the invitation of the Tisarana Buddhist Association (TBA), to organise the Buddhist and Pali College here. Due to some reasons, the Singapore government did not approve the setting of this college in TBA's premises. However, since I have been invited, TBA contacted the late Ven. Mahaweera of Mangala Vihara and he agreed to have the college located in his temple. I was then assigned to Mangala Vihara and that was how we got started.

Was the college officially launched in 1994?

Yes. The first student intake for the Diploma programme was in 1994 and they sat for their examinations in 1996. The following year we started the Bachelor of Arts in Buddhist Studies. Following that, the 4 -year Honours programme was introduced and subsequently a Post Graduate programme. Today we have also introduced the Masters in Buddhist Studies programme and provide opportunities for those wishing to pursue their Doctoral degrees.

Where do you engage your lecturers from?

Since we have been running the above programmes for some time, we now possess a pool of graduates who are capable of delivering various topics related to Buddhist studies. In our college we now have 15 lecturers and 12 are graduates from our college.

Do you find students here experiencing difficulties in trying to grasp academic Buddhist studies?

Yes, originally, many students here have difficulties in the Pali language. However, this is something that they would have to learn because besides Sanskrit, Buddhist texts are written in Pali. Many students had to struggle with the grammar aspect. Anyway, they persevered and most of them managed to succeed.

Since the programmes have been initiated through the Buddhist & Pali University in Sri Lanka, there is bound to be some inclination towards Theravada expressions in the course contents. How is this resolved for students who may be Mahayana inclined?

There is no problem because in our course contents, there is one paper in the Bachelors degree level where the philosophy of Mahayana Buddhism is being taught and discussed. We have included topics like the inception of the various Buddhist schools that have developed after the second Buddhist Council. The university is very mindful of this and it tries to show Mahayana development from Theravada beginnings.

During the course of lectures, how would seemingly contradictory texts between Theravada and Mahayana teachings be resolved?

Actually there are no contradictions whatsoever. As you know the main teachings of the Buddha are identical - the Four Noble Truths, Dependent Origination, Anatta (Insubstantiality) and so on. Only the interpretations become different later on within the context of history.

Would you encourage students of Buddhist studies to commence their journey with information provided by Theravada traditions first?

Yes - in fact in our lectures, we also quote from Mahayana texts £­ not so much to find the differences but rather to offer substantiations of Theravada texts. The main teachings are the same although some of the ceremonies and ritualistic aspects may differ. At the Diploma level, we teach what is known as "Early Buddhism" and here we show how and why the various Buddhist sects arose and how they have been organised. As you know, the Pali Canon is the oldest Buddhist canon preserved in the Pali language and therefore what is recorded there can be considered as the earliest teachings of the Buddha.

In your opinion, as an educationist, would you like to see more Sri Lankan monks upgrade their level of the English language proficiency?

Yes - it is a MUST! In the West they should look further than just serving the Sri Lankan community there. Besides the usual religious practices, there is also the meditation part and this have attracted many westerners. In fact, in Australia, the Theravada tradition is very popular there.

If you possess the power to influence Buddhist education in Singapore - what would your recommendations be?

Well, I cannot be the Minister of Education here. Anyway, within the context of the Buddhist and Pali University, I will plan to revise the syllabus to suit the modern times. I have some new ideas and have suggested to them new subjects that can assist the way Buddhism can be interpreted in light of the modern world - such as modern vocabularies. At our Masters level, we have introduced a new subject called "Buddhism and Modern Social Problems". Also we can discuss topics related to "Consumerism" within the context of Buddhism.

Thank you very much, Bhante.

Ven. Dr.P.Gnanarama has been a lecturer of Buddhist Philosophy and Pali Language and a principal of Buddhist & Pali College in Panadura, Sri Lanka for many years before joining Ti-Sarana Buddhist Association in1993 as its resident monk and Chief Religious Advisor. He is a well-acclaimed Buddhist scholar in the academic world with many English and Sinhala publications to his credit. Last August he was conferred the Doctor of Literature Degree by the Buddhist & Pali University of Sri Lanka.