Dear Vidya Samvad friends,
As part of yet another lokvidya emancipatory knowledge initiative, I have started a Yahoo group to focus on Pali text studies and basic education in Buddhism, and was wondering if any members in this Vidya Samvad group may know any Indians, espeically erudite Bihari babus, and UP bhaiyas, who may hold a commanding knowledge of Pali, Pali texts, Buddhist texts, and the oral traditions of the Indian Gangetic valley of 7th century BC - 12 th century AD.
Pali Buddhist Studies - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/palisamaj/
My recent research shows that Biharis and in fact most Indians, are not in the least interested in Pali studies, and neither feel a need to acquire some basic expertise in Pali and oral traditions of India, before Buddhism died out in India.
Indians like myself have been trying to come out of my slumber and my fascination for sterile Western knowledge pursuits and self replicating research, as we struggle to find our knowledge priorities, education and social engagement strategies.
Please do feel free to forward this invitation to any Buddhist or Pali scholars, from the Asian sub continent or Westerners who may be based in Asian countries like Burma, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Tibet, Dharamshala, Sarnath, and use Indian languages in normal epistemic conversations, in an attempt to create the genuinely creative Indian thought traditions.
I would also love to meet up with any students doing PhD theses in Pali or Buddhist studies in Theravada, Mahayana or Bon traditions of Buddhism.
