Although Buddhism has a long history in Myanmar, when it comes to monastic education, the opportunities are quite limited. This is especially true for monks interested in undertaking advanced studies in Buddhism; even if such students show much aptitude, extremely limited financial resources make it exceedingly difficult for them to continue with their studies.
For this reason, in 2005 the GFLP established a scholarship to help such students pursue advanced degrees in India and Sri Lanka. In 2007 five monks received scholarships, and in 2008 the number of recipients rose to eight. The scholarship program is intended to not only help monks study abroad, but also to encourage the preservation of cultural traditions and the development of wisdom.
|
