Modes of Interreligious Engagement: Buddhism and other Religious Traditions in Medieval China

7 November 2013

Photo:

The central focus of the symposium are the prevalent patterns of interreligious interaction and engagement in medieval China, especially between Buddhism and other religious traditions. By exploring the varied manners in which individuals and institutions responded to religious diversity, within the continuously evolving milieus of medieval China, the presenters will explore a range of facets of social and religious life, including the mutual borrowings among diverse religions, the sharing of common symbols and vocabularies, the points of tension or conflict, and the construction of multifaceted religious identities.

[ 07.11.2013, 18:15 h ]
Pattern of Interreligious Interaction in Tang China - Keynote lecture
Mario Poceski, University of Florida

[ 11.11.2013, 18:00 h ]
Die Dynamik zwischen Bewusstsein und Realität (Tendrel) − Mit Impulsen für den Dialog mit anderen Religionen und Weltanschauungen
Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, Universität Sanchi

[ 13.11.2013, 18:15 h ]
Shifting Fortunes and Misfortunes of Buddhism in Modern China
Mario Poceski, University of Florida

In cooperation with the Konfuzius Institut, Hamburg

The lecture will explore the turbulent history of Buddhism in modern China, in relation to the main historical events and sociopolitical development that shaped China’s often frustrating attempts to come to term with modernity. In term of historical chronology, it will start with the varied Buddhist responses to the collapse of the old imperial order and the Republican revolution of 1911, and end with the ongoing revival of Buddhism in mainland China and Taiwan. Among the topic covered will be the notable attempts to revive Buddhism during Republican period (1911-1949), which included several different approaches that still exert influence on the contemporary development of Buddhism. Some Buddhist leaders, represented by Xuyun (1840–1959), the best-known Chan master of the era, and Hongyi (1880–1942), a noted monk, artist, and poet, advocated return to central elements of traditional Buddhism, such as meditative practice and observance of monastic discipline. In contrast, other Buddhist leaders took a distinctly reformist approach, as they tried to radically reorganize Buddhism in strikingly modern terms. For them the continuing relevance of Buddhism hinged on its ability to adjust and successfully meet the challenges posed by modernity, with its emphasis on science, technology, and rationality. The most famous reformist monk from this period is Taixu (1890–1947), who is credited with the creation of a novel form of the tradition, popularly known as “humanistic Buddhism.” Also covered will be the negative impacts of the persecution that Buddhism suffered during the violent Cultural Revolution, the revival of Buddhist institutions, pilgrimage sites, and popular practices during the last several decades, the intersections of religion and politics, and the current globalization of Buddhism.

Mario Poceski, an associate professor of Buddhist studies and Chinese religions at the Religion Department, University of Florida, received a PhD in East Asian Languages and Cultures, with specialization in Buddhist studies, from the University of California, Los Angeles (2000). He has spent extended periods as a visiting researcher at Komazawa University (Japan), Stanford University, the National University of Singapore, and the University of Hamburg (Germany), and has received several prestigious fellowships, including an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship. Poceski’s most recent books are Ordinary Mind as the Way: The Hongzhou School and the Growth of Chan Buddhism (Oxford 2007), Introducing Chinese Religions (Routledge2009), and The Wiley Blackwell Companion to East and Inner Asian Buddhism (Blackwell 2014). His publications also include two other books and numerous articles and chapters on various aspects of Buddhist studies. Presently he is working on a new book provisionally titled “The Records of Mazu Daoyi (709–788) and the Making of Classical Chan Literature.”