рдЪीрди рд╕ंрд╕्рдХृрдд рд╕िрдЦा рд░рд╣ा рд╣ै рдЕрдкрдиे рдмрдЪ्рдЪों рдХो॥ Sanskrit summer camp attracts China's intellectuals.
рдЪीрди рд╕ंрд╕्рдХृрдд рд╕िрдЦा рд░рд╣ा рд╣ै рдЕрдкрдиे рдмрдЪ्рдЪों рдХो॥ Sanskrit summer camp attracts China's intellectuals.
Buddhist chants were performed at
the opening ceremony of the Sanskrit summer camp. (Photo by Xiang Xiang) HANGZHOU,
Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- A group of 60 Chinese intellectuals have enrolled at the
Hangzhou Buddhism Institute for a free summer camp to study Sanskrit, an
ancient Indian language. The trainees were selected from more than 300
candidates and cover a broad sphere of professions, including yoga instructors,
mechanical designers, performers, hotel management and environmental protection
personnel. Their study over the next six days will focus on reading and writing
Sanskrit. The language has very complicated grammar. For the present tense alone,
the inflection of one verb can have 72 alterations, according Li Wei, an
instructor who holds a doctorate in Indology from the University of Mainz,
Germany. Many of the trainees have been required to work overtime beforehand to
get the six days off, some used their annual vacation while others working
night-shifts to save the day for study.
Trainee He Min, who graduated
with an economics degree from Renmin University of China in Beijing and now
works as a yoga practitioner in Hangzhou, says the chance was "too
precious" to pass up. "Sanskrit is a common language used by yoga
practitioners across the world. Though many yoga textbooks are written in
English, the postures we practice remain named in Sanskrit and the chants are
also in Sanskrit," said the 39-year-old who practices yoga two or three
hours a day. Teaching herself Sanskrit for almost three years, she said she was
"still a rookie" due to the lack of professional instruction. Another
trainee Pan Long, a PHD in mechanical design and automation with Zhejiang
University, joined the summer camp hoping to better understand Buddhist
scriptures written in Sanskrit. "In my spare time, I often read classical
literature and Buddhist works such as the Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra,
but do not understand them well. This summer camp gives me a chance to live a different
life and provides a getaway from everyday stress," the 27-year-old said. Before
the trainees arrived, volunteers from an ongoing Sanskrit class organized by
the institute designed a T-shirt and a flag decorated with Sanskrit for
participants. Trainees wearing special T-shirtdecorated with Sanskritwhile
watching tea ceremony. (Photo by Xiang Xiang) Since March, more than 100
students have regularly attended the two-hour class held twice a week at the
Institute.
The lecture is also free, but
currently in recess due to summer break. To help the 60 trainees learn as much
as possible, Li Wei said a dozen students from the regular class volunteered to
be teaching assistants. They will help teach pronunciation and handwriting. "Although
the summer camp is only week-long, I hope all participants grasp basic reading
and writing, while those who aspire to learn further can also get the
assistance they need," said Li. Trainee Zhang Can, 25, said she was
inspired after the first day on Monday. She said the instructor clearly
outlined the differences between Mandarin and Sanskrit, making study much
easier. "My goal for the summer camp is to speak and write correctly and
use Sanskrit dictionaries properly. Therefore, in the future I can try teaching
myself and consult with the instructor when necessary," she said. Chinese
schools began Sanskrit classes in the late 1940s.
But the discipline has developed
slowly due to the lack of proper textbooks and a teacher shortage. Gang Xiao,
deputy chief of the Hangzhou Buddhism Institute, said the purpose of holding
the free summer camp was to meet growing public interests in Sanskrit and
facilitate the disciplinary development of the language. A flag decorated with
Sanskrit was shown at the opening ceremony. (Photo by Xiang Xiang) "Through
public education and future international academic exchanges, we are hoping to
turn Hangzhou into a center of Sanskrit study and exchanges," he said. Having
studied Sanskrit and Indology for 14 years in Germany, Li Wei said despite its
slow academic progresses in Sanskrit, China has a rich history in Sanskrit
study. "The earliest Sanskrit study in China began at temples, with clergy
of different generations spending more than 1,000 years translating Sanskrit
Buddhist scripture," said he. Amid all the alien words in modern Chinese,
Sanskrit ranks the second biggest source only next to English. The amount of
words from Sanskrit is twice as much as that from French, he added. "The
influence of Sanskrit upon the Chinese culture is so subtle that few people
realize it,"said Li.
Zu Guang, a master with the
Hangzhou Buddhism Institute and a doctorate in philosophy from the the Sri
Lanka International Buddhist Academy, regarded the growing interest among
Chinese intellectuals in Sanskrit "a good phenomenon". "Quite a
number of people used to think making more money as the way to live a better
life. Now, they would rather devote their spare time to the study of an ancient
language as well as ancient culture, that is exhilarating," she said. ==================== ==================== SEE
FULL REPORT :- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/sanskrit-summer-camp-attracts-60-intellectuals-in-china/articleshow/48528264.cms
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