Hard Cover Buddhist Art in Praise of the Divine 2003 by Dr Shashi Bala

Prof. Shashi Bala during her talk at the National Gallery in Bulgaria. Image courtesy of Todor Mitov

According to the eminent Indian scholar of Buddhist art and civilisation, Prof. Dr. Shashi Bala, "The treasure of Buddhist heritage in all forms has huge potential for gild, which people need to understand." During our coming together in India, we had an opportunity to talk over various aspects of Buddhist pedagogy and her experiences giving teachings in Russia and Bulgaria.

Prof. Shashi Bala explained that there are ii main approaches to the study of Buddhism: the highly academic and the spiritual. Her advice is that academics should specialize in a single area as Buddhism is such a vast field of study that one cannot promise to be an skillful in everything. In her ain career, Prof. Shashi Bala chose to focus on Buddhist iconography, working to preserve and promote Buddhist heritage as her duty and service to society. Regarding the spiritual approach, she observed that people who are very spiritual often have conditioned minds, which tin limit their perception of the Buddhadharma.

I was curious to know more about her experiences teaching in countries such as Russia and Republic of bulgaria, and was fortunate to be able to assistance during her program in Republic of bulgaria, translating some of her lectures for the Bulgarian audience.

Prof. Shashi Bala, left, with the author at the National Gallery in Republic of bulgaria. Prototype
courtesy of Dechko Stefanov

"I have been to Russia four times and I've always had a feeling that Russians are very spiritual, humble, and polite, and can empathize what is good or bad," Prof. Shashi Bala said of her experiences. "When we talk about values, they are very skillful receivers. The start time I attended a conference on Nicholas Roerich in Moscow, I was amazed by how many people were there. During my near recent visit, I was invited by the Section of the History of Art of Ural Federal Academy in Ekaterinburg to speak on Buddhist art. My lectures near manifestations of buddhas and bodhisattvas, the symbolism of mandalas, and so on, were very technical and intended mainly for PhD students and professors, not for people without a background in Buddhist philosophy and fine art. Simply the lecture hall was total, with more than 80 people from dissimilar departments in Ekaterinburg, and even from Moscow. It was really amazing how they understood such complicated topics.

Prof. Shashi Bala so related an inspiring moment when a senior professor entered the hall in which she was speaking, and she felt every bit if the seven colors of the rainbow had filled the unabridged space, a manifestation of the "center-to-heart feelings of friendliness between Russians and Indians, and the effulgence of Buddhism wherever it goes, in whatever way and class."

Participants of the briefing "In the Mirror of Dharma: Indian Culture through the Ages" at Sofia University. Image courtesy of the author

Asked whether she had sensed a revival of Buddhism in Russia, Prof. Shashi Bala's reply was a definite aye, which she underscored with her perception of the spiritual needs of Russian people: "I think people in Russian federation experience that they need something that is not material and is beyond materialism. They demand peace of mind, peace to live together, peace with nature, harmony with the creation, because so much has been destroyed and exploited."

In March 2016, Prof. Shashi Bala visited Bulgaria for the first time to participate in a briefing titled "In the Mirror of Dharma: Indian Culture Through the Ages." Her intriguing talk, "Transcendence in Life: the Inner Dimension of Dharma," touched deeply the international audience there, and in turn, Prof. Shashi Bala was fascinated past how many people attended the conference, and their sincere interest.

During her visit, Prof. Shashi Bala also delivered lectures on "The Assimilation of Siva and Vedic Deities in Japanese Buddhist Art" at the National Gallery of Bulgaria, and "The Life and Legacy of Atisha" at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski." Both talks were welcomed with swell interest and many questions. "People in Bulgaria are interested to learn more than and more nearly Buddhism," Prof. Shashi Bala observed. Inspired by the positive reception she received, she added, "They are very warm, cooperative, and ready to commutation ideas near such topics."

Prof. Shashi Bala with Rajesh Kumar Sachdeva, the previous administrator of India to Bulgaria, during her talk at the National Gallery in Bulgaria. Image courtesy of Todor Mitov

I asked Prof. Shashi Bala what could be washed to improve the field of Buddhist studies in general, and she explained the different levels of studying, researching, and teaching Buddhism: at the uppermost level are the Buddhist scholars, followed past students. Next, at the tertiary level, are public places such as galleries, which are intended for the public at large. Occupying the innermost level are the increasingly powerful social media. The almost important affair, she noted, is to share the knowledge at each of the dissimilar levels while working with dedication and a proper mental attitude.

"Everyone wants peace and happiness, and is looking for a path in life, but without the proper cognition, nobody can follow the path," she explained. "I would non say that the right path is macerated, but to some extent it has faded in India and in many other countries. The most important matter is creating value for society and that one works with a sense of dedication, and not for selfish interests—for proper name, fame, or money. Information technology all comes from the mind and the mental dispositions that in Republic of india we phone callsanskara. If yoursanskaraare purified, y'all can do it, and people will help you."

Lecture by Prof. Shashi Bala at Sofia Universiy. Image courtesy of the author

At the stop of our talk, during the bulldoze from Prof. Shashi Bala's home in Ghaziabad to her function in New Delhi, she emphasized that the fundamental message of Buddhism, in her view, was transcendence.

"Transcendence in life is related to the good and bad qualities in our listen, which correspond to the six levels of beingness, known as the Six Realms ofsamsara," Prof. Shashi Bala explained. "As human beings, nosotros all have qualities of hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals, and the question is what the percentage is. Being human, nosotros tin can also aspire to become divine by transcending the lower levels and think higher. We tin attain enlightenment or gain wisdom, but the principal idea is that we must call back higher and and so we will experience the feelings of sacrifice, dearest, kindness, and all the positive qualities that are needed in this world. Whenever the Dharma declines, bad qualities overpower the mind. To overcome them, we should take refuge in the Dharma and follow the Path. This is the value organisation that gives ability to the listen and inspire us on ways to be expert to others."

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Presentation of Prof. Dr. Shashibala, National Gallery in Bulgaria

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Source: https://www.buddhistdoor.net/features/education-for-enlightenment-an-interview-with-prof-shashi-bala-part-two/

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