|
BDG Postcard #1: 23 November 2021
By Raymond Lam
Welcome to the first issue of BDG Postcard! In this newsletter, we will be highlighting important Buddhist Studies conferences and events around the world, along with scholars that are contributing to shaping Buddhism's future discourse. We will also discuss authors and publications the BDG team has been reading and reviewing.
I am privileged to include a special foreword for this first issue from my friend, Dr. Laura Lettere. Laura was the only recipient of the American Council of Learned Societies’ (ACLS) Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2020. She is working on a monograph based on her PhD, which analyses the Chinese translation of the Buddhacarita. She is currently postdoctoral researcher at the University of Naples L’Orientale, Europe’s oldest Sinology institution. In her message, she shares a reflection on what Buddhist Studies has meant to her personally, as well as its broader significance and future.
Foreword by Dr. Laura Lettere
I recently found in my parents’ house a booklet of Umberto Eco’s short articles. This was the kind of publication that typically comes with the Sunday newspaper. The theme of the anthology was how reading the classics can improve our lives. Eco’s main point was expressed through a smart metaphor: reading the classics is a journey to our roots, not because we are nostalgic about the past, but rather because we are haunted by the feeling of having sprouted from something we do not fully understand. Eco made an interesting comparison between the readers of classic works and American-born citizens of European ancestry that still feel the urge to travel back to Europe to find their roots.
I asked myself how this line of thought may apply to Buddhist Studies – the answers are many. Speaking about my personal experience, a chain of causes and effects first brought me to study Mandarin Chinese, my motivation being fueled by a promise of some remunerative, yet vague future job overseas. Then I was led astray and lured to the study of Sanskrit, and then Buddhism, and finally, Chinese Buddhism.
With the forced stasis imposed on us by the pandemic in mind, I thought about the last thirteen years. I realized that my study of the transmission of the Buddha's biographies from India to China was the path that brought me to a closer understanding of Chinese culture. That, in turn, led me on a fortunate trip across Asia – from workshops to conferences, from seminars to field trips – that gifted me with the company of scholars, young and old, from every corner of the world. Some of the scholars I met were practicing Buddhists, while others used to be practitioners or had spent a good part of their lives in Buddhist communities. Some adopted what I call “the physician approach,” which meant applying the work of Buddhist Studies without being affected by Buddhism as a religion. They were more motivated by their passion for Buddhist history, art, literature, texts, or linguistics and philology.
I observed that many of us started as “physicians,” until the teachings we studied began to weave themselves into our own lives. We scholars became students, finding in Buddhism answers to our existential questions, and even solace for life’s inevitable downfalls and disappointments.
It is sad that most of these wonderful opportunities for personal and academic growth have now moved online. Fortunately, the perks of stimulating interaction among young scholars have not diminished. Online conferences mean less interaction and fewer chances to travel, but this also means a lighter carbon footprint and the possibility to reach a larger audience around the world – especially among early career academics and students with fewer travel opportunities.
Each person I met during my journey was devoted to the polishing of a "tile" in the mosaic of Buddhist Studies. Over the years, seeing each tile helped me to gradually abandon the illusion that I can attain an abstract, complete picture of the discipline. My goals are more modest now: a larger, more accurate picture is enough for me.
More importantly, friendship and shared experiences have acquired a new, special significance. We now see the importance of supporting a global network of cultural exchange and enhancing the prospects of younger students. These are the best ways to nurture friendship and understanding among scholars of different generations and backgrounds. I believe this newsletter will be a new tile in this precious picture.
Dr. Laura Lettere
November 2021 |
