Upcoming Workshop at the Numata Center: “Buddhist Miracles – Narrative Literature in Life and Memory” (April 4–5, 2025)

12 March 2025

Photo: Udayana Image at Seiryoji, Kyoto. Taken from Hurvitz 1956, 5.

We are delighted to announce a two-day in-person workshop hosted by the Numata Center for Buddhist Studies at the Asia-Africa Institute, University of Hamburg, entitled: “Buddhist Miracles: Narrative Literature in Life and Memory”, to be held on April 4–5, 2025.

This intimate academic gathering brings together international scholars to explore the role of the miraculous in Buddhist traditions across Asia, including India, Tibet, China, and Japan. The focus will lie on the interplay between narrative literature, material culture, and religious communities, examining how miracles have been represented, recorded, and remembered through storytelling and ritual.

The workshop will feature presentations on miracle tales, divination practices, and the broader religious cultures in which these narratives took shape. Speakers include researchers from Hamburg, Aarhus, Zurich, Oxford, and beyond.

Venue: Akademischer Senat, Universität Hamburg
Dates & Times:

Friday, April 4: 13:00–17:00
Saturday, April 5: 10:00–17:00
This event is supported by the BDK (Numata Foundation) and is open to members of the Asia-Africa Institute, the Center for the Study of Manuscript Cultures, and invited guests.

More details are found on our events page.