2021 Reading Mahāyāna Scripture Conference

[Aṣṭasāhasrikāprajnāparamitā. MS. Sanskrit a.7 (R), Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford]

2021 Reading Mahāyāna Scripture Conference

The Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford, with generous support from Glorisun Charitable Foundation, is pleased to welcome you all to our conference ‘Reading Mahāyāna Scripture’ on 25-26th September 2021 at St Anne’s College, Oxford. We are thankful for your patience in such unstable pandemic conditions and are grateful for your participation, whether in-person or online.

The last century of Mahāyāna Buddhism research tended to focus on origins and history, the translation of key texts, and mapping the broad field of its religious content. While these themes are by no means exhausted and much fruitful scholarship continues to this day, such background work provides a foundation upon which further studies of Mahāyāna literature can proceed. A key element of this is the ways in which the reading of such scripture has and does take place. We thus decided that the focus for the conference should be papers related to the reading of Mahāyāna sūtra, śāstra and other literature in Sanskrit, Chinese, Tibetan and any other classical and modern languages.

We are delighted that our keynote and sixteen paper presentations cover a rich range of scholarship that spans the ancient, medieval, and modern, across five different languages, and spanning most of Asia. There are papers that touch upon critical issues in contemporary scholarship, questions on the very ways in which we define key terms in the field, detailed examinations of new manuscripts, challenging perspectives on well-studied texts, studies in scriptural accessibility for modern lay audiences, practices associated with texts, examinations of the relationship between scripture and institutions, insights into how Buddhist literature has influenced secular culture, and the ways in which classical and modern commentators have gone about their task. We are particularly honoured to have Professor Paul Harrison, of Stanford University, as our keynote speaker, with the topic: ‘Mahāyāna Sūtras: Reading As, Reading For, Reading Into’.

If before, during, or after the conference you have any questions or need of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact myself, the graduate student staff, or contact us via email at oubuddhism2@gmail.com.

Matthew Orsborn
Faculty of Oriental Studies
University of Oxford

Register at: ‘Reading Mahāyāna Scripture’ Conference 2021 (google.com)

Day 1: September 25, 2021

Day 2: September 26, 2021

Any related correspondence or queries should be directed to:
oubuddhism@gmail.com

See original event link here: https://bit.ly/3thgPbt

Download the event poster and event programme

September 25-26, 2021 | Oxford University

CALL FOR PAPERS – Deadline May 29, 2021

The Faculty of Oriental Studies, Oxford University, with support from Glorisun Charitable Foundation, is pleased to invite scholars to submit paper titles and abstracts to the forthcoming conference on ‘Reading Mahāyāna Scripture,’ to be held on September 25th-26th, 2021. Our Keynote Speaker will be Prof. Paul Harrison, George Edwin Burnell Professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University.The last century of Mahāyāna Buddhism research tended to focus on its origins and history, the translation of key texts, and mapping the broad field of its religious content. While these themes are by no means exhausted and much fruitful scholarship continues to this day, such background work provides a foundation upon which further studies of Mahāyāna literature can proceed. A key element of this is the ways in which the reading of such scripture has and does take place. We therefore welcome submissions of paper proposals related to the reading of Mahāyāna sūtra, śāstra and other literature in Sanskrit, Chinese, Tibetan and any other classical and modern languages. This includes but is not limited to the following broad categories:

• Practice-oriented and scholarly modes of recitation, reading and study
• Orality, language and rhetoric of the texts
• Philological and text-historical readings
• Critical editing and translation as close reading
• Reader reception and reading communities

Scholars at all stages of their careers as well as graduate students are welcome and encouraged to make submissions. We are presently planning on using a hybrid format of both in-person and online paper presentations pending on conditions at the time. An option for remote online presentation will remain open whatever the circumstances. Subsidies for travel and accommodation will be available.

Paper titles and abstracts no longer than 400 words should be submitted by May 29th 2021, via this online form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd6DWDNHuMxRQAcyhh5WCoDlNAswipb…