Angela F. Howard, professor in the department of Art History at Rutgers University, presented her talk on "The Visual Language of Meditation: Kucha Caves in Sinkiang" on May 6th, 2010 as part of the Columbia University Buddhist Studies Seminar.
CBSS Podcast: Lori Meeks
Lori Meeks, assistant professor of Religion and East Asian Languages and Culture at the University of Southern California, presented her talk on "Changing Views of Women's Salvation: Tracing the Transformation of Gender Discourse in Premodern Japan" on March 29th, 2010 as part of the Columbia University Buddhist Studies Seminar. Meeks is the author of Hokkeji and the Reemergence of Female Monastic Orders in Premodern Japan, coming out later this year and published by the University of Hawai'i Press.
CBSS Podcast: Rebecca Nedostup
Rebecca Nedostup, associate professor in the Department of History, Boston College, presented her talk on "Buddhism and the Boundaries of 'Religion' as a Category of Modern Chinese Governance" on March 2nd, 2010 as part of the Columbia University Buddhist Studies Seminar. Prof. Nedostup is the author of the recently-published book Superstitious Regimes: Religion and the Politics of Chinese Modernity, published by the Harvard University Asia Center.
CBSS Podcast: Ute Hüsken
Ute Hüsken, Professor of Sanskrit at the University of Olso (Norway), presented her talk on "Global or Local or Both? On the Establishment of a Tibetan Nuns' Order" on December 3rd, 2009 as part of the Columbia University Buddhist Studies Seminar series. A handout that was distributed at the talk is available as a PDF download here.
CBSS Podcast: Michael Walsh
CBSS Podcast: Dominic Steavu
The Dalai Lama at the Beacon
Despite ongoing rain showers yesterday, the Beacon Theatre was filled to capacity to welcome the 14th Dalai Lama-Tenzin Gyatso to New York City. The event was organized by Tibet House (US) and was a teaching on the "Quintessence of Compassion," a topic illuminated in the opening chapter of Chandrakirti's Entry Into the Middle Way.
The teaching was originally intended to be two days, however, it was reduced to one on the cautionary advise of the Dalai Lama's medical team. (He has recently tapered back all his teachings after being hospitalized last August in Mumbai.) Nonetheless, the septuagenarian was in fine form — performing a well ordered exegesis that was both comprehensible and erudite.
As director of Tibet house, Columbia Professor Robert Thurman was master of ceremonies for the event. At the close of the teaching he performed the traditional offerings of gratitude in a manner that attested to his genuine reverence for the Dalai Lama. Uncharacteristically taciturn, Thurman's closing remarks were simply expressions of gratitude and full disclosure of the fiscal particulars (no monetary profit was garnered).
The chapter of Chandrakirti's text that the Dalai Lama taught was originally translated by the Venerable George Churinoff and subsequently edited by Annie Bien, Robert Thurman, and Tom Yarnall. The Tibetan edition was edited by Tenzin Gelek, Dr. Lozang Jamspal, and Tom Yarnall. The teaching itself was greatly enhanced by the stellar translation services of Thubten Jinpa.
Please note that Venerable George Churinoff will be leading a free follow-up class on the Dalai Lama's teaching this Thursday at 7pm at The Tibet Center (25 Washington Street, Suite 304, Brooklyn, NY 11201).
CBSS Podcast: Fredrick M. Smith
Fredrick M. Smith from the University of Iowa presented his talk on "Indian Buddhist Sociolinguistics and Buddhist Notions of Possession: A Fragment from the Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa" on April 30, 2009 as part of the Columbia University Buddhist Studies Seminar series.
CBSS Podcast: Jongmyung Kim
Jongmyung Kim from the Academy of Korean Studies, currently a visiting scholar at UCLA, presented his talk on "Buddhist World Heritage Properties in Korea: Thoughts and Significance" on April 16, 2009 as part of the Columbia University Buddhist Studies Seminar series.
