TalksLineup complete for this semester's Buddhist Studies Lecture Series

“Can a Buddhist Be a Fundamentalist? A Case Study From Medieval China.”

Abstract:
Despite Buddhism’s image as tolerant, ecumenical, rational, and non-dogmatic, events of the last few decades have made clear that there is such a thing as Buddhist fundamentalism. Modern Buddhist fundamentalism emerges most clearly in Theravada Buddhism, where it has become a potent political and religious force in Sri Lanka and Myanmar. However, the Mahayana Buddhism of East Asia has historically also harbored fundamentalist tendencies. Indeed, fundamentalist strains of Mahayana may in fact have played a crucial role in shaping the development of East Asian Buddhism. This talk focuses on an understudied episode in the history of Chinese Buddhism that demonstrates the appeal and concealed influence of scriptural fundamentalism in Mahayana Buddhism—namely, the rise and fall of the so-called Three Levels Movement (三階教) and its enigmatic founder, Xinxing 信行 (ca. 540–594 C.E.).

“Dreaming of Buddhahood—Measuring Bodhisattva Progress in Early Mahāyāna Buddhism.”

Abstract:
The gradual progress toward liberation—the path (mārga)—constitutes a central concern for large portions of Buddhist discourse. The bodhisattva path, intended for those who aspire to buddhahood, is commonly presented within a scheme of ten stages or bhūmis. While most scriptures on the ten bhūmis describe a bodhisattva’s progress in terms of his virtues, one unique sūtra—the *Svapnanirdeśa (lit. “Teaching on Dreams”)—instructs bodhisattvas how to determine their current developmental stage through 108 kinds of dreams. This presentation will approach the concept of the bodhisattva bhūmis in early Mahāyāna from the new perspective that the *Svapnanirdeśa provides.