Stepping out with a degree in Buddhist Leadership and humanity
As the Kandy Perahera parades the city’s streets in all its glory and pageantry, about 8 kilometres away in Pallekelle, at another ‘novel project’ of the revered Dalada Maligawa, there is subdued excitement as both academic staff and students prepare for a different kind of achievement.
On August 20, graduates, 29 in all both local and foreign, in cap and gown will celebrate their convocation and be the holders of a Degree in Buddhist Leadership in English. Three Master’s holders from America, Russia and Vietnam and 178 who have secured Diplomas will also join them on stage.
Pix by Indika Handuwala
They will be the first batch to pass out from the Sri Lanka International Buddhist Academy (SIBA), the higher education institute of the Dalada Maligawa, with the main focus of imparting Buddhist Studies in English. Silently but steadily, on a sprawling campus nestling amidst mist-mantled mountains with the music of bird-call in the background, several batches of religious and lay students pore over their books.
But books are only part of what they learn, with many interactive sessions, group work and even journeys out of the campus to learn to practise what they imbibe in the lecture halls. SIBA has been nurtured on part of 26 acres of land of the Temple of the Tooth, where there is also the ‘atuwa’ around which the ritual of the aluth sahal mangalyaya is performed (offering of the first and best yield from the Maligawa’s paddylands to the Maligawa itself) while further away under the shade of trees, a few elephants sway in leisure.
SIBA, having as its ‘supreme advisors’ the Mahanayake of the Malwatte Chapter, Most Venerable Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangalabhidana Maha Nayaka Thera and the Mahanayake of the Asgiriya Chapter, Most Venerable Udugama Sri Ratanapala Buddharakkithabhidana Maha Nayaka Thera, saw the light of day on July 23, 2009, registering its first batch of students to the degree programme. SIBA’s Founder and Chairman of its Board of Directors is the Chief Lay Custodian of the Dalada Maligawa, Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela.
This international Buddhist university, says Rector Dr. Upali M. Sedere is a first in the country and abroad, that offers degrees linked to Theravada Buddhism in English. Buddhist Studies and Buddhist Leadership, comparative religion and philosophy are taught here while there are also Diploma and Certificate Courses in Pali, Sanskrit, Sutta Reading, Dhamma Preaching, Buddhist Counselling, Oriental and Foreign Languages, English and IT.
Explaining why SIBA was set up, he says that at both the Pali and Buddhist Universities in Anuradhapura and Homagama, the language of instruction is Sinhala. “We are working in English,” he says, adding that SIBA is also private, while the other two are state-run and come under the University Grants Commission (UGC).
It was mooted by the Diyawadana Nilame. “He wanted an institute to teach Theravada Buddhism in English, with accessibility by anyone from any country. Many such institutions based in other countries teach courses in the language of that country, preventing foreign students from joining up,” says Dr. Sedere, pointing out that they launched the courses in affiliation with foreign institutes, but a year ago, SIBA was granted degree-awarding status by the UGC.
SIBA is affiliated to the Mahachulalongkornraja vidyalaya University, the International Buddhist College and the Dhammachai Institute in Thailand, the Virginia Polytechnic University and the West Chester University in America and the University of Hamburg in Germany.
Based on the strong foundation that ‘wisdom is the light of the world’, SIBA hopes to build up leadership training on the Buddhist principles of pluralism, democracy, peace, tolerance, gentleness, equality, loving kindness and compassion. With all the professors and lecturers who are part of SIBA making detailed presentations to the Sunday Times team on a recent visit there, the commitment and dedication are obvious.
The proof that SIBA, a liberal arts education institution, is doing things right comes from the fact that there are 10 applications for Ph.Ds in Buddhist Studies which will start end-September. For needy students education here is free while fees are levied from those who can afford to pay.
Among SIBA’s other objectives are the implementation of research projects on texts, history, thought and practice of all forms and periods of Buddhism; projects on writing textbooks and supplementary reading material for the university curricula on Buddhist and related subjects; and the development of a standard teaching, learning and research environment.
Since taking over the steering of SIBA in March this year, Dr. Sedere has strengthened the undergraduate programme by recruiting five professors and the post-graduate programme with eight Ph.D holders. Seeing the need for a good collection of research papers but the library being limited, SIBA is set to launch an e-library.
Getting down to the nitty-gritty of teaching techniques, he is quick to point out that while book-learning is important, the other aspects that SIBA develops in its students are the essential skills of empathy, sympathy and kindness. “Buddhism has to be practised,” he reiterates, adding that they take the students to the ayurveda hospital, the prisons, orphanages and homes for the elderly. This is the mix of theoretical and practical knowledge imparted under this programme.
In a monastic and eco-friendly environment, lay students, monks and nuns from Sri Lanka and countries such as Nepal, Myanmar, India, Korea, China, Mongolia, Bhutan, Uganda and America move from class to class. Peace and tranquillity are the order of the day.
The flagship of SIBA is the Special Degree in Buddhist Leadership under the Department of Buddhist Studies and the Sunday Times gets a glimpse of the ‘happenings’ there. The art of preaching the Dhamma is underway. Four monks, two nuns, a young man and woman are giving eye and ear to a video – a sermon by one of their classmates after which constructive comments follow.
In another class, monks, nuns and lay youth, divided into small groups debate and discuss how to teach – investigating the Buddhist methods of education. The group comprising Subodhani Ratnayake from Udu Dumbara, Ruwanthi Nanayakkara from Kundasale and Dhil Bhadra from Nepal is discussing the value of a particular teaching method. One points out that you do not want your students to fall asleep, as the others nod in agreement. They talk about the virtues of visualization, question-asking and story-telling, as we leave.
Slightly away from the classrooms, the digitizing of the Pali Tripitika based on the ola–leaf manuscripts is being diligently carried out.
With more plans on the table at SIBA to introduce a two-year Associate Degree in IT and Media to allow the Diplomates to get into a degree programme, so that jobs would be easier to find, the vision is to become a “ladder for higher learning”.
E-learning programmes leading to the Diploma in Buddhist Counselling and Psychology and also Buddhist Ecology are to be launched this month. Being unique, the next rung is how Buddhism may be applied to global issues in conflict resolution, stresses Dr. Sedere.
As the first batch leaves the portals of SIBA, they are not only armed with degrees but also humanity.
For more information see: www.siba.lk
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