In conjunction with The Nalanda Trail exhibition at the Asian Civilisations Museum, there’s going to be a conference on Buddhist interactions and practices in Southeast Asia and Asia. Check out our special feature on the Nalanda exhibition here.
Buddhism in India, China and Southeast Asia — Interaction and Practice
19 – 20 Jan 2008
9.00 a.m to 6.00 p.m.
Ngee Ann Auditorium, Asian Civilisations Museum
The two-day conference will focus on the spread of Buddhism with special reference to the role of Nalanda as a centre of learning, in conjunction with the exhibition titled — On the Nalanda Trail: Buddhism in India, China and Southeast Asia. Through this conference, interconnections between India, China and Southeast Asia will be explored and re-examined. Papers highlight new findings or interpretations of Buddhist art, architecture, history and literature in India, Central Asia, China and Southeast Asia. A part of the conference will be devoted to examining aspects of Buddhist way of life including worship and monasticism in various countries of Asia. Topics such as the multidimensional and multicultural significance of Amaravati, Nalanda and Srivijaya; the iconography of paintings at Kizil and Xinjiang in Central Asial; and the Chinese assimilation of Avalokiteshvara into Guanyin will be discussed.
Contemporary discussion on new reading of Siyuki (Xiyouji) and Samuel Beal’s translation of Xuanzang’s journal, women’s role in the Theravada Buddhism and the importance of Vipassana in contemporary Buddhist practice will be explored. The conference will cover different focal perceptions from ancient history, archaeology to art and living practice, offering a wide spectrum of reference points on the trail of Buddhism in Asia. The conference will boast with a line-up of both internationally and locally renowned scholars who have led the way in related research and education.
Find booking information at the Asian Civilisations Museum website.
Related Books:
– Buddhist Art: Form & Meaning by P. Pal
– Reading Buddhist Art by M. McArthur
– The Buddhist World of Southeast Asia (Suny Series in Religion) by D. K. Swearer
