Buddhist Studies: Past, Present, Future

Defining Buddhist Studies has become more difficult as disciplinary structures are being questioned for relevance and accountability. Where should Buddhism be studied in a time when the literature is filled with “obituaries” of established practices and institutions? How important is it for the field to become a clearly mapped knowledge “territory”? Is it possible to conceive of an approach between scholars that is collabora­tive and even interdependent? Can knowledge produced in the context of application within the digital realm be accepted? Is there information that will be suppressed in the ensuing debate? Will the future bring a broader system of quality control? Is this a moment of singularity where potentials are available to signal an era of creativity?

Dr. Lancaster is a professor emeritus in the Department of East Asian Languages at the University of California at Berkeley and has been an adjunct professor at UWest since 1992. He has served as the Chair of Buddhist Studies at UC Berke­ley and Editor of the Berkeley Buddhist Studies Series. Dr. Lancaster has published over 55 articles and reviews and has edit­ed or authored numerous books including Prajnaparamita and Related Systems, The Korean Buddhist Canon, Buddhist Scrip­tures, Early Ch’an in China and Tibet, and Assimilation of Buddhism in Korea.

This event is part of the Buddhist Studies Lecture Series sponsored by the UA College of Humanities, East Asian Studies, Religious Studies, School of International Languages, Literatures and Cultures and the Confluencenter.

The Union Kiva Room is located in northeast corner of the main floor level of the UA Student Union. A map to the room location can be found here: https://www.union.arizona.edu/infodesk/maps/SUMCMapHandout_15.pdf.

For more information, please contact Melissa Henshaw at melissahenshaw@email.arizona.edu  or (520) 621-0210.