Book Culture in Buddhism and Beyond lecture given by Max Deeg (Cardiff University).
Towards the end of the 19th century, the excavation of the Mahābodhi complex at Bodhgayā (Bihar, India) at the place of the Buddha’s enlightenment brought to light a handful of Chinese inscriptions from the early Song period which not only underline the importance of Bodhgayā in the Buddhist oikumene of that time and beyond but also highlight the continuous interest of Chinese Buddhists in the most sacred place of Buddhism in the medieval period. Although not manuscripts in the strict sense, these “manu-inscripts” raise some interesting problems concerning their production (in India) and their function in situ. This talk will introduce the inscriptions (including one “discovered” in 2024) and their special function and status in the last period of Sino-Indian Buddhist connections.
Max Deeg is Chair in Buddhist Studies at the School of History, Archaeology and Religion, Cardiff University. His research interest lies in the history and spread of Buddhism from India to East Asia, particularly China and in the function of narratives in Buddhist contexts. At present, he is preparing a translation and commentary of Xuanzang’s (600/602-664) “Record of the Western Region of the Great Tang” (Datang Xiyu ji). Deeg is also one of the PIs on research project in Bihar that attempts to trace the “Xuanzang Trail”, the archaeological sites (including Bodhgayā) in the ancient Buddhist heartland referred to in Xuanzang’s Record.
| Contact |
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| Dr Noga Ganany: ng462@cam.ac.uk |