Thank you for your lovely post, Piya,

I agree wholeheartedly: anthropologists have intentionally exploited
people--they were also used in the Vietnam War to locate people to
bomb. Western anthropology has, indeed, a VERY dirty history. But
then, because anthropologists are people, they are inevitably as
flawed and unenlightened as anyone else. I guess everyone,
anthropologists included (even the "bad" ones), are all trying their
best. May they have peace and kindness in their hearts/minds.

I have in fact been ruminating a great deal over why I do what I do.
Because cultivating peace in myself and the world is very important to
me, maybe the most important thing to me, I care about the purpose and
the results of my work. I focused my Master's thesis on resolving a
conflict in a local Thien sangha by providing a forum (through
interviews & fieldwork) in which people could speak without fear of
retribution and without being interrupted or increasing hostility, and
I'm pretty proud of the results (healing and forgiveness--what could
be more satisfying?). My PhD work with the Sri Lankan American sangha
focuses on the problem of how to best support the sangha (both lay and
monastic) so it can grow & take root here and benefit people. I've
studied a number of American Buddhist communities facing similar
problems of attrition, and I'd like to provide information to the
Lankan American sangha that it can use to address the problem of
adapting to a new cultural context without "assimilating" the Dhamma
too much.

So I'd like to think there's a place for people like me, a Buddh-ish
anthropologist, in the work of compassion, too! Like you say, studying
for studying's sake can be very harsh, egotistical, and deluded, and I
try my best to avoid it. But the truth is that I am not particularly
"impressive," as you put it. I'm just some silly, deluded being doing
her best! :P

With much metta, and much silliness,
Natalie

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, "Piya Tan" <dharmafarer@...> wrote:
>
> Natalie,
>
> Decades back I had a great interest in anthropology and sociology of
> religion, which
> benefitted me in understanding the social working of religion.
>
> How do anthropologists better the lives of those whom they study? I
was once
> told
> that anthopology was introduced by the British colonialists to study the
> minds and
> ways of the natives so that they can be better controlled and
manipulated
> (in a sort
> of behaviorist manner).
>
> Sadly many of the anthopologists I have met have not impressed me.
They look
> at
> us simply as data or specimen for a good thesis or book, and earn
their pay
> package.
>
> There was one of them attached to the National University of
Singapore, who
> after
> receiving a complete CD of my works, simply said goodbye to me
without even
> a
> chance for some discussion. I think he was doing some field work in
Myanmar.
>
> Do anthopologists still look at their subject from a third-person
viewpoint
> like in the
> colonial days?
>
> Please take my comments as from someone who passionately believes
education
> is
> e-ducere, bringing the good out of people.
>
> With metta,
>
> Piya
>
>
> On Jan 31, 2008 12:22 AM, natalie_indeed <natalie_indeed@...> wrote:
>
> > Thank you so much Nina! Everything was clarified by your comments,
> > except for a few lingering questions that I hope you don't mind if
I ask:
> >
> > If I were to translate "taking" as a present participle in this
> > sentence instead of a gerund, would "maala.m haranta.m" have been
correct?
> >
> > Also, I still don't really understand why the feminine singular
> > nominative was used (saalaa) rather than the singular accusative
> > [saala.m], which is what I would expect when going to a place.
> >
> > Here's the sentence again: "maala.m aadaaya yena saalaa ten'
> > upasa.mkamimsu."
> >
> > I realize now that yena and tena are used quite differently in Pali
> > than in Sanskrit! Poo.
> >
> > Piya, yes, I'm glad that Pali study is available to those who want to
> > study the Dhamma. I myself am a PhD student in anthropology/religious
> > studies who studies Buddhism in the U.S., particularly among Sri
> > Lankan Americans. I actually have to pass a Pali language competency
> > exam, so I'm pretty motivated to understand the minutia of Pali
> > grammar, even if I stink at it!
> >
> > Thank you again, and wishing you happiness,
> > Natalie
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
> --
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>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>