Ten Theses on Buddhist Studies

1. Buddhism neither belongs to Asians nor White people. Buddhism is a universal religion. 

2. Anglophone academia does not have a monopoly on the academic study of Buddhism. It is important to bridge the divide between Eastern and Western scholarship.

3. One of the ways to bridge the academic and linguistic divide is through language acquisition. We should continue to advocate for funding to support language training. 

4. No topic should be considered too insignificant or trivial. 

5. The field needs to welcome new ways of studying Buddhism, especially as a lived religion.

6. Gender and racial minorities continue to be underrepresented in the field of Buddhist Studies. More can be done to promote gender and racial equality.

7. Show your support to colleagues working on controversial and sensitive topics in Buddhist Studies.

8. There’s a lot of competition for limited Buddhist Studies positions and funding. But remember to see your colleagues as friends and collaborators, not competitors.

9. Tenured and senior scholars should show more compassion and support for junior scholars and graduate students. A little kindness goes a long way. 

10. There’s a need for more book and article prizes to recognize excellent scholarship in Buddhist Studies.