He’s one of those rare Buddhism scholars who has the linguistic training to decipher not just ancient texts but inscriptional and archaeological evidence as well. Well-versed in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Pali and Tibetan, Schopen probably knows more about classical Buddhism than the entire line of reincarnated Dalai Lamas, and it’s no wonder that his work has significantly altered the way other religions are studied.

via Lessons in Buddhism from an Iconoclastic Scholar, UCLA International Institute.