Xiaonan Li and Lingfeng Tan
The 2024 Khyentse Foundation Award for Outstanding PhD Dissertation in Buddhist Studies for Asia is shared by two female scholars. Xiaonan Li of the School of Foreign Languages, Peking University, and Lingfeng Tan of the Buddha-Dharma Centre of Hong Kong were unanimously selected by the KF Dissertation Award Asia Committee as the winners of this year’s award for their PhD dissertations. The committee deemed both dissertations excellent and decided to award both scholars the prize.
Xiaonan’s dissertation, “Sanskrit and Tibetan Grammatical Literature: On the Vicissitudes of Nāmakāyādi or Ming gi tshogs la sogs pa,” based on primary sources in Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese, investigates how the concept of “nāma- (words), pada- (sentence), and vyañjana-kāya (collection of syllables)” in the Indic Abhidharma literature and the Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra developed into the linguistic theory of tshogs gsum (“three collections”) in Tibetan grammatical texts between the 9th and 18th centuries. Using the methodology of contact linguistics, Xiaonan examines the emergence, formation, maturation, and eventual enculturation of Tibetan linguistic theories concerning tshogs gsum. Her dissertation attempts to show how Buddhist scriptures and Sanskrit grammar influenced the formation of Tibetan linguistic theories, as well as how Tibetan linguists used various textual materials to refine and develop the theory of tshogs gsum.
Lingfeng expressed her gratitude to all the committee members: “This recognition means a lot to me and gives me the confidence to continue pursuing my research interests,” she said. She also thanked her supervisor, Venerable Professor KL Dhammajoti, for his guidance and support throughout her doctoral studies. “I firmly believe that Buddhism can help individuals gain a better comprehension of life and the world, provided they possess a proper understanding of the Buddhist teachings,” she added. “Inspired by Khyentse Foundation, I have come to understand that dedicating myself to Buddhist studies as a lifelong career is my way of contributing to the preservation and promotion of the Buddha’s wisdom.”