I think it is a good initiative overall but i don't like the curriculum.
𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬
1. Central Focus – Literature and meditation techniques preserved under the Theravāda tradition.
a. Tipiṭaka (canon),
b. Aṭṭhakathā (commentaries),
c. Tīkā (sub-commentaries),
d. Treatises complied by well-renowned Buddhist scholars, and
e. Meditation techniques introduced in the literature and also by celebrated Buddhist masters.
2. Peripheral Focus – Secondary focus is the branches of secular knowledge such as psychology, philosophy and information about other Buddhist sects (Mahayana etc.) and diverse religions and cultures. And attention is also given in developing benign talents such as preaching, literal and social skills that are crucial to achieve aforesaid goals.
https://www.facebook.com/International. ... Theravada/
All the bolded stuff is not the word of the Buddha but the the work of outsiders, words of disciples, and I don't see any time being dedicated to developing critical analysis worthy of a Vibhajjavadin [One who analyzes].
How about teaching people to cross-reference commentaries with texts known to be true [canon] rather than uncritically expanding the canon by thousands of pages? Id say why not but i leave it here.
As it says:
Literature and meditation techniques preserved under the Theravāda tradition
If someone wants to be a "Traditional Theravadin of the 21st century", well trained in bombast & the words of disciples, words of outsiders, then by all means, this looks like the perfect course.
"Monks, there are these two assemblies. Which two? The assembly trained in bombast and not in cross-questioning, and the assembly trained in cross-questioning and not in bombast.
"And which is the assembly trained in bombast and not in cross-questioning?
"There is the case where in any assembly when the discourses of the Tathagata — deep, deep in their meaning, transcendent, connected with emptiness — are recited, the monks don't listen, don't lend ear, don't set their hearts on knowing them; don't regard them as worth grasping or mastering. But when discourses that are literary works — the works of poets, artful in sound, artful in expression, the work of outsiders, words of disciples — are recited, they listen, they lend ear, they set their hearts on knowing them; they regard them as worth grasping & mastering. Yet when they have mastered that Dhamma, they don't cross-question one another about it, don't dissect: 'How is this? What is the meaning of this?' They don't make open what isn't open, don't make plain what isn't plain, don't dispel doubt on its various doubtful points. This is called an assembly trained in bombast, not in cross-questioning.
"And which is the assembly trained in cross-questioning and not in bombast?
"There is the case where in any assembly when discourses that are literary works — the works of poets, artful in sound, artful in rhetoric, the work of outsiders, words of disciples — are recited, the monks don't listen, don't lend ear, don't set their hearts on knowing them; don't regard them as worth grasping or mastering. But when the discourses of the Tathagata — deep, deep in their meaning, transcendent, connected with emptiness — are recited, they listen, they lend ear, they set their hearts on knowing them; they regard them as worth grasping & mastering. And when they have mastered that Dhamma, they cross-question one another about it and dissect it: 'How is this? What is the meaning of this?' They make open what isn't open, make plain what isn't plain, dispel doubt on its various doubtful points. This is called an assembly trained in cross-questioning and not in bombast."
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .than.html
However if one wants to train in cross-reference according to the Four Mahapadesa, then It's probably not the place to go
imho
“Mendicants, what are the four great references?
Take a mendicant who says: ‘Reverend, I have heard and learned this in the presence of the Buddha: this is the teaching, this is the monastic law, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’ You should neither approve nor dismiss that mendicant’s statement. Instead, you should carefully memorize those words and phrases, then check if they’re included in the discourses and found in the monastic law. If they’re not included in the discourses and found in the monastic law, you should draw the conclusion: ‘Clearly this is not the word of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. It has been incorrectly memorized by that mendicant.’ And so you should reject it.
Take another mendicant who says: ‘Reverend, I have heard and learned this in the presence of the Buddha: this is the teaching, this is the monastic law, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’ You should neither approve nor dismiss that mendicant’s statement. Instead, you should carefully memorize those words and phrases, then check if they’re included in the discourses and found in the monastic law. If they are included in the discourses and found in the monastic law, you should draw the conclusion: ‘Clearly this is the word of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. It has been correctly memorized by that mendicant.’ You should remember it. This is the first great reference.
Take another mendicant who says: ‘In such-and-such monastery lives a Saṅgha with seniors and leaders. I’ve heard and learned this in the presence of that Saṅgha: this is the teaching, this is the monastic law, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’ You should neither approve nor dismiss that mendicant’s statement. Instead, you should carefully memorize those words and phrases, then check if they’re included in the discourses or found in the monastic law. If they’re not included in the discourses or found in the monastic law, you should draw the conclusion: ‘Clearly this is not the word of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. It has been incorrectly memorized by that Saṅgha.’ And so you should reject it.
Take another mendicant who says: ‘In such-and-such monastery lives a Saṅgha with seniors and leaders. I’ve heard and learned this in the presence of that Saṅgha: this is the teaching, this is the monastic law, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’ You should neither approve nor dismiss that mendicant’s statement. Instead, you should carefully memorize those words and phrases, then check if they’re included in the discourses or found in the monastic law. If they are included in the discourses and found in the monastic law, you should draw the conclusion: ‘Clearly this is the word of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. It has been correctly memorized by that Saṅgha.’ You should remember it. This is the second great reference.
Take another mendicant who says: ‘In such-and-such monastery there are several senior mendicants who are very learned, knowledgeable in the scriptures, who remember the teachings, the monastic law, and the outlines. I’ve heard and learned this in the presence of those senior mendicants: this is the teaching, this is the monastic law, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’ You should neither approve nor dismiss that mendicant’s statement. Instead, you should carefully memorize those words and phrases, then check if they’re included in the discourses or found in the monastic law. If they’re not included in the discourses or found in the monastic law, you should draw the conclusion: ‘Clearly this is not the word of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. It has been incorrectly memorized by those senior mendicants.’ And so you should reject it.
Take another mendicant who says: ‘In such-and-such monastery there are several senior mendicants who are very learned, knowledgeable in the scriptures, who remember the teachings, the monastic law, and the outlines. I’ve heard and learned this in the presence of those senior mendicants: this is the teaching, this is the monastic law, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’ You should neither approve nor dismiss that mendicant’s statement. Instead, you should carefully memorize those words and phrases, then check if they’re included in the discourses and found in the monastic law. If they are included in the discourses and found in the monastic law, you should draw the conclusion: ‘Clearly this is the word of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. It has been correctly memorized by those senior mendicants.’ You should remember it. This is the third great reference.
Take another mendicant who says: ‘In such-and-such monastery there is a single senior mendicant who is very learned and knowledgeable in the scriptures, who has memorized the teachings, the monastic law, and the outlines. I’ve heard and learned this in the presence of that senior mendicant: this is the teaching, this is the monastic law, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’ You should neither approve nor dismiss that mendicant’s statement. Instead, you should carefully memorize those words and phrases, then check if they’re included in the discourses and found in the monastic law. If they’re not included in the discourses or found in the monastic law, you should draw the conclusion: ‘Clearly this is not the word of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. It has been incorrectly memorized by that senior mendicant.’ And so you should reject it.
Take another mendicant who says: ‘In such-and-such monastery there is a single senior mendicant who is very learned and knowledgeable in the scriptures, who has memorized the teachings, the monastic law, and the outlines. I’ve heard and learned this in the presence of that senior mendicant: this is the teaching, this is the monastic law, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’ You should neither approve nor dismiss that mendicant’s statement. Instead, you should carefully memorize those words and phrases, then check if they’re included in the discourses and found in the monastic law. If they are included in the discourses and found in the monastic law, you should draw the conclusion: ‘Clearly this is the word of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. It has been correctly memorized by that senior mendicant.’ You should remember it. This is the fourth great reference.
These are the four great references.”
I also don't like the "advertising" with promise of Nibbana.
capacitating the Buddhist monk who is capable in:
- 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗶𝗿𝘃𝗮̄𝗻̣𝗮
- 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 (𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗶𝘁𝘆) 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗶𝗿𝘃𝗮̄𝗻̣𝗮
This comes of as a marketing initiative.
Similarly some Theravada traditions will hand brochures to people looking to ordain saying 'it takes a few years to attain Nibbana' (so i've seen with my own eyes), that in a tradition where the Mahaguru will order extermination of insects to preserve a lifeless building (so i've heard)...