Feb. 27, 2021, The Dalai Lama Chair for Indic Studies, MIT-WPU, Pune
Ven. Geshe Lhakdor delivered a lecture, virtually, “Introduction to Nalanda Tradition: It’s Relevance Today” for the Dalai Lama Chair for Indic Studies, Maharashtra Institute of Technology World Peace University, Pune. The Dalai Lama Chair for Indic Studies has been established in partnership with the Foundation. The event was attended by Rev. Prof. Dr. Vishwanath D. Karad, Founder and Director, MIT-WPU and the university’s faculty members and students. Rajiv Mehrotra, the Foundation’s Secretary/Trustee, moderated the Q&A.
In his lecture, Geshe outlined a succinct overview of the scope of the evolving discipline, Nalanda Studies. He strongly emphasised His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s efforts towards promoting an understanding of the field as being a larger area of study as opposed to being restricted to Buddhism and Buddhist Studies, and urged the interested scholar-community to adopt a secular approach. His lecture highlighted critical inquiry and dialogic methodologies as the basis of knowledge acquisition and their use within the Nalanda tradition.
He emphasised that ultimately the purpose of understanding the Nalanda tradition or acquiring any knowledge is to find long-lasting happiness and peace. Nalanda tradition emphasizes the flourishing of humankind through inner value development.