Sakya Center
Center Projects
Modern
Education:-
The Sakya Center has endeavored to provide modern education to
students along with the traditional studies of the monastic life. While the
current education system is of a monastic type with emphasis laid mainly on religious and spiritual training, it has
been felt that students at the Center should also have a formal modern education
up to the senior secondary school level. Currently some basic modern education
is provided, however, this project would see the curriculum expanded.
This education would prepare the monks with the ability to face
many challenges and an ever-changing environment. Knowledge of foreign languages
would prove to be useful in communicating with our visitors from India and
abroad. It would also help in dissemination of Buddhist teachings and
translations.
It is entirely up to the individual whether one continues being a
monk or not. For those monks
who have later chosen to live as a lay person it has sometimes involved
unnecessary hardship due to receiving a limited modem education.
At present, the monastery provides basic education in English,
Mathematics and Hindi. The administration wishes to introduce in its curriculum
other important educational courses and vocations such as computer education,
and printing and translation of texts, which could help greatly to expand the
knowledge and capability of Dharma students. The reprinting and translation of
religious texts is an area of growing need as the monumental spread of Dharma
brings in many new students from India and foreign countries. If these plans
materialize, students from the local and Tibetan population will also be welcome
to enroll into these courses.
Translation
Center
A translation center is another
project that the Sakya Center envisages for the future. With growing interest in
Tibetan Buddhism globally and the increase in the number of foreign students of
His Holiness and many other Sakyapa masters, it is imperative that translated
texts and commentaries are made available to them. For this a dedicated team of
intellectuals who are well versed, not only in different languages, but also in
the Buddhist texts and philosophy is needed. So to achieve such a state where
translated scripts for the benefit of all the people from different countries is
available, the Center wishes to set up a translation center. The monks would be
not only taught different languages, but also the art of translation, which
would then also benefit the visiting high lamas of the Sakyapa Order in
conveying their teachings easily and clearly. The availability of more
translated material will also cater to the needs of scholars and research
student who often face problems due to lack of reference materials.