As we decline, conjugate and translate Pali, we must never lose sight of
its purpose: to understand, live and be liberated by the Buddha Dharma.
We are very fortunate today to have professional scholars who have
contributed greatly to advancements in Pali Studies, and are also well
paid for it in monetary terms and honours. However such contributions
remain scholarly where they regards themselves only as scholars.
In 2000 with the publication of "Buddhist Theology" ed by Roger Jackson
& John Makransky (Curzon), a new breed of scholars, who are also
practitioners, boldly declare their profession as also a vocation (as a
calling). (As I understand it, the older meaning of profession is
actually what we today understand as vocation.)
No matter who expert a scholar may be, he is like an armchair explorer
who merely studies and writes papers about ancient, rare and wonderful
maps that lead to lost cities. Or at best they studiously spy on these
cities with their binoculors and telecopes from high and afar without
ever going down into the cities themselves.
It is also important to remember that there is another even more vital
line of transmission of the Dharma, beyond the Pali, Sanskrit, etc. That
is the living transmission of the meditative experience: find a good
teacher, learn from him directly, taste a bit of the Dharma at least,
and the Pali becomes so clear.
No wonder those forest monks (Ajahn Chah's pupils) pick up Pali so fast
and so expertly, or as some scholars might remark, "intuitively".
Let us be proud citizens of this ancient eternal city.