The Challenge of Academia
Having only received traditional scholastic teachings on the dharma, I had a challenging experience studying at RYI in the beginning. Before coming to RYI I have received numerous teachings from different lamas, khenpos and rinpoches, always in the traditional way, sitting in a low position in a temple and receiving the instructions and teachings as the nectar that will guide you to liberation. Thus, when I first came into a classroom with a western Buddhist scholar talking about Buddhism from an etic perspective, I was basically shocked and puzzled. Initially, I thought it was interesting to look at the whole picture of Buddhism from another perspective than the one I was familiar with. However, I also had to write academic papers with my own opinions on the different subjects we were studying in class; and to express my thoughts in English, which is not my native language. This was even more challenging, since I had never written an academic paper before. Therefore, I felt l...