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FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON 15
study. This is how a professional
scholar learns and practices:
through continual study for
prolonged periods, systematically
and meticulously. The second type
are those who merely study for the
purpose of practice. This group
seeks a more skillful means of
practice, and benefit by reading the
works of great masters and scholars.
Masters who are experts in a
particular tradition, sect, sutra,
or practice from whom we can
deeply learn about their methods
of practice include “The Great
As there are many Buddhist texts, very good resources for general
including commentaries and education. For those who want Treatise on the Stages of the
sub-commentaries, which texts to more deeply investigate the Path to Enlightenment” (Lamrim
should we study first in order theories, writings, such as those Chenmo) by Je Tsongkhapa, “The
to provide us a good foundation from Ven. Master Yinshun in Taiwan, Way to Buddhahood” by Ven. Master
for us to understand the Dharma are invaluable. He was a rigorous Yinshun, works by Ajahn Chah from
better? Buddhist scholar monk master in the Theravāda tradition, and Thich
Nhat Hanh from Vietnam.
Chinese Buddhism and his works
The current available information are thorough. Although he has
Of course, we do not need a vast
on Buddhism is voluminous passed away, the influence of his
knowledge for the purpose of
nowadays. My recommendation works remains in contemporary
practice. What we need is a deep
is to start with reading the Buddhism. In Western Buddhism,
and holistic understanding of a
biographies and literature on there is a Buddhist scholar monk
system of practice to become an
great figures in Buddhism, which named Bhikkhu Bodhi in the
outstanding Buddhist, and is the
includes the great monk masters United States, another is Bhikkhu
reason why studying one particular
and great lay practitioners in Analayo in Germany; their works
sect, tradition, sūtra, or treatise is an
ancient Indian Buddhism, Chinese are influential and important
appropriate starting point.
Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism. resources in both English and
Their biographies and literature Chinese Buddhism. Of course,
Though there is only one
are a very good starting point for there are invaluable contributions
historical Buddha, yet the
quickly learning the scriptures from Japanese Buddhism as well,
teachings that appear in the
where their ideology originated, with significant works by Japanese
Theravāda, Mahāyāna and
their application of theory, and scholars such as Kogen Mizuno and
Vajrayāna texts do not seem to be
the features of their method of Taiken Kimura.
similar. Why is this so?
practice. We can also learn from
the stories of these great people Based on these Buddhist scholar
There are three major Buddhist
how they developed their fine and studies, we can group Buddhist
traditions in the world nowadays.
noble virtues, and strengthened scholars into two types. The first
First is the Buddhist Tradition
their conviction. Biographies and type are those who have been
of the Pāli Language and Indian
literature are important—yet studying for a long time and want to
Culture—inherited by the South
easy-to-read—inspiration, and are continue to refine and deepen their
