Why
in Oxford?
A short
answer is because Oxford needs a Theravada Buddhist centre.
Oxford
is known for its world-class learning tradition. Oxford
University is “the oldest English-speaking university
in the world”, with a “claim to nine centuries
of continuous existence”. Apart from its excellent
position in teaching and research in humanities and sciences,
Oxford university has also been, for then last few decades,
a leading institution in Buddhist studies. It has produced
a few dozens of PhD degree holders in Buddhist studies for
the past forty years. (For detail see www.ox.ac.uk)
To maintain
and promote further the academic study of Buddhism, recently
the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies (OCBS) has been founded
by Professor Richard Gombrich. “The aim is to study
Buddhist thought, culture, literature, history and practice
in any period and any part of the world. …. The Centre
will work to counter the modern tendency for religious culture
to be marginalized, or to become the preserve of fundamentalists,
by facilitating deeper study of Buddhist traditions at the
highest academic level, as well as at levels accessible
to the widest possible community.” (See also www.ocbs.org)
Oxford
is also home to the Pail Text Society, founded in 1881 by
Prof. T.W. Rhys Davids "to foster and promote the study
of Pali texts ". “The society publishes Pali
texts in roman characters, translations in English and ancillary
works including dictionaries, concordance, books for students
of Pali and a journal.” (For more see www.palitext.com)
In fact,
it was the excellent learning tradition of Oxford University
and its record in Buddhist academic study that attracted
Venerable Dhammasami to Oxford in 2000. (Until then, he
was in London.) Half way to his doctoral study, he found
out that Oxford is in real need of a Theravada Buddhist
centre, and accordingly set up the Oxford Centre Buddhist
Studies. Venerable Dhammasami wishes to foster a close interaction
between the academic study of Buddhism and the ordained
order of monks, believing each will grow and benefit by
learning from the other.
And, there are established
Asian communities resident in Oxfordshire who would like
a meeting place and spiritual centre where they can continue
their cultural traditions of attending a monastery, celebrating
festival days, and learning the Dhamma from ordained monks.
|
