Decline of Pali: conclusions from a pan-Theravada conference

Although it only deals with the question of the decline of Pali studies in
the West in passing, with its primary concern being the decline of Pali
studies in Asia, I thought the following excerpt would very much interest
the members of the list.  I have extract the portions pertaining to Pali
from the longer "Conclusions and Recommendations" of the conference.  This
is especially interesting as the attendance at the conference was primarily
Theravada monks --so it both describes the problem, and the perception of
the problem, among monks of South-East Asia.
E.M.
  ------------------
International Conference on Buddha Sasana in Theravada Countries 16 - 19
January 2003, Colombo
Ministers Closing Speech
Conclusions and Recommendations

[...] The importance of preserving the vast Buddhist scriptures along with
their commentaries cannot be over-emphasized. We are conscious that the Pali
Tipitaka which was written down in Sri Lanka and duly shared with nations of
South and South East Asia is irreplaceable treasure.

Concerns have been expressed about its preservation as well as its
circulation nationally and internationally. A grave danger has been
identified in the dwindling interest in Pali studies in countries where it
was a language of very great importance. It is gratifying that you
emphasized that a high level of expertise in Pali language is indispensable
for the proper understanding of Buddha Dhamma. It is true that we cannot
expect all citizens to be equally conversant of Pali. But a critical mass of
Pali scholars is essential to preserve the Tipitaka, its commentaries and
other important treatises. This is specially so because the authenticity of
the original text has to be preserved in translations and secondary
interpretations.

You have also expressed concerns over the distortion and misrepresentation
of Buddhist scriptures due to inaccurate translations. Two hundred years of
western scholarship has produced a vast literature of Buddhist Studies which
need to be reviewed, revised and corrected. We have collectively the
intellectual and material resources to undertake this important task. We
still have a high level of Pali scholarship in the countries of South and
South East Asia. What we need is action to ensure that more Pali scholars
are available for research and study. If we pool our resources we will lay
the foundation for the development of the Pariyatti Sasana.

[...]

Underlying all problems in this area is the inadequacy of attention paid to
Buddhist education. It is certainly disturbing that we do not have a well
established Buddhist educational system in the region. Apart from an
institutional base, we lack teachers, textbooks, manuals and learning
materials and, more so, the incentives for people to pursue Buddhist
education. This is a second area in which we look forward to collective
action through international cooperation.

[...]

Promotion of Pariyatti Sasana (the study and preservation of the Pali Canon)

The Conference being an occasion organized by the State of Sri Lanka in
order to commemorate the august event of the 250th anniversary of the
reintroduction of the higher ordination to Buddha Sasana in Sri Lanka and
the beginning thereby of the Siam Sect of the Sangha in Sri Lanka it was
felt that preservation, study and propagation of the Pali Canon is one of
the most important tasks before the Theravada Buddhist world in particular.
This is particularly because Theravada Buddhism cannot be separated from the
Pali Canon and Pali has been the universal religious language throughout the
Theravada countries.

The Conference noted that there are several very crucial issues to be
addressed in this regard.

One is that the study of Pali language is gradually given less and less
emphasis owing, mainly, to the overemphasis on job-oriented mode of
education. It was noted that in many Buddhist countries, Pali was taught as
a subject in normal school curriculum some time ago but it is no longer the
case. More than a problem of resources such as teachers and textbooks this
is a problem of attitudes. The conference recommends that Pali be a subject
in the school curriculum, under the study of Buddhism.

Pali has been an essential aspect in the monastic education. The traditional
education of Pali has been such that it was internationally spoken and also
used as the medium of instruction and communication. The ideal situation
should be to reach this level. In some Buddhist countries, however, it is
getting less and less attention as a result of Buddhist monks opting to
study secular subjects. This has to be addressed by changing the fundamental
characteristics of the monastic education. There must be ways and means for
those who wish to do higher studies in Pali to have that education wherever
the resources are available. The scholars in the Theravada countries, in
particular, should be able to share their resources in this field in this
connection some places should be reserved for Buddhist monks with necessary
prerequisites to study Pali and Buddhist studies without payment of fees.

The study of the Pali language has as its aim the study of the Pali Canon
and the associated literature. The most fundamental step in the practice and
the preservation of the Dhamma is to understand the Canon accurately. A
pressing issue resulting from the unsatisfactory state of the Pali knowledge
is that the Dhamma is not properly understood and hence, misinterpreted and
distorted, knowingly or otherwise. The Conference notes that, as a result,
not only the Dhamma itself is misunderstood but also the Buddhist point of
view on issues of importance is not properly presented or wrongly presented,
thereby doing tremendous harm to the Buddhasasana. In order to remedy this
situation it is necessary that studies in Pali and the Canon should be
developed both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Lack of accurate texts and translations is another issue needing to be
addressed urgently. Most of the existing texts and translations have been
done a long time ago, more than hundred years ago, in some cases. This is a
need to be addressed both nationally and internationally. Misinterpretations
and distortions within the Theravada tradition arise due to this. In an age
when not the traditional Buddhist scholars alone are engaged in research in
Buddhism it is of vital importance that editions and translations of texts
in international languages are reliably done.

Specific Proposals:

i Lobby the respective governments to introduce Pali into school curricula.
ii Reorganize the monastic education in such a way that a sound knowledge
of Pali is indispensable.
iii Organize a system of exchange of Pali scholars among the Buddhist
countries. Particular attention in this regard should be paid to countries
without adequate resources and facilities.
iv Set up an international committee of scholars and practitioners to
ensure
the reliability of texts and their translations.
v Initiate and assist in the projects for protecting, preserving and
cataloguing
the endangered Buddhist manuscripts.



--
A saying of the Buddha from http://metta.lk/
Get your Dhamma Books from http://books.metta.lk/
If aught should be done, let one do it. Let one promote it steadily, for
slack asceticism scatters dust all the more.
Random Dhammapada Verse 313