Buddhism in Motion

Catalog description

This advanced seminar examines Buddhism as it moves across the edges of China. Telling histories of Buddhism in motion will challenge us to reimagine the encounters between the Indian Buddhist religion and native Chinese cultures. After reviewing foundational works in the field, including theories of cultural translation, we engage recent studies of Chinese Buddhism that focus on interstices, borders, and contact zones; examine sources for the study of Chinese Buddhism from cross-cultural perspectives, including objects, emigrants, medicine, and bathing practices; and practice critical thinking about how we talk about Chinese Buddhism when the object of study is in motion.