The XXth International Association of Buddhist Studies (IABS) Congress was held from 10–15 August at Germany’s Leipzig University. The congress featured some 450 presentations across 48 panels and 24 sections, with participants representing more than 30 countries, demonstrating the global and dynamic nature of Buddhism and Buddhist studies today. Hosted by the Faculty of History, Art, and Area Studies, the event was co-sponsored by the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation and Khyentse Foundation. I was fortunate to be able to speak on one of the two panels focused on Pali Literature in the Second Millennium in South and Southeast Asia. My presentation was featured in the panel on South Asia, titled “The Agartara: Analysing Its Historical Context, Style, and Significance.”

As a presenter, I found the congress to be a highly enriching experience and an ideal platform for exploring the spirit of innovation, engagement, and collaboration found among my fellow scholars and researchers. The event also highlighted the enduring relevance and vitality of scholarly activities dedicated to promoting academic scholarship about Buddhism worldwide.

IABS was founded in 1976, following a small meeting convened by two prominent historians of ancient India, Prof. Arthur Llewellyn Basham (1914–86) and Awadh Kishore Narain (1925–2013). The need for such an organization emerged in the mid-1970s among scholars of Buddhist studies who were seeking an international academic body dedicated to the pursuit and advancement of the field. In response to this need, the first IABS conference was held from 15–17 September 1978, under the auspices of Columbia University. Since then, 19 IABS congresses have taken place in various locations across South, Southeast, and East Asia, as well as in Europe and North America.

The XXth IABS Congress held significant meaning in light of recent years, as noted by Prof. Dr. Jowita Kramer, chair of the Planning Committee for the congress and head of the Institute for South and Central Asian Studies at Leipzig. In her welcome address, Prof. Dr. Kramer noted: “What makes this occasion particularly special is that it brings together our community for the 20th time—a testament to the enduring relevance and vitality of our scholarly network—and, for the first time, here in Germany.” (Welcome Address, XXth Congress of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, 3)

Kramer expressed pride in not only Leipzig’s connection to Buddhism, but also in Germany’s broader engagement with Buddhism. She noted that Germany’s encounter with Buddhism began in the 19th century, as part of a broader European interest in Eastern cultures and philosophies during the spread of colonial empires across Asia. Buddhist studies arose from this context of imperialism but also cross-cultural exchange. Leipzig played a significant role in this development of Buddhist studies. In 1841, Indology was established as an independent academic discipline, making the city one of the first hubs for the study of Asian culture in Germany. This laid the groundwork for a flourishing field of Buddhist studies not only at Leipzig University but within the local community: the Buddhist Missionary Society was founded in Leipzig by Karl Seidenstucker in 1903, marking the first Buddhist organization in Germany.

The congress served as an ideal platform for scholars to exchange research and knowledge by presenting papers on various disciplines related to Buddhist Studies. During the congress, scholars delivered presentations across different sections on a vast range of topics, including:

• Tantric Buddhism;
• Buddhist Literature;
• Vinaya Studies;
• Mahayana Buddhism;
• Abhidhamma Studies;
• Yogacara Buddhism;
• Tibetan Buddhism;
• Manuscripts;
• Codicology;
• Epigraphy;
• Global Buddhism;
• Buddhist Art and Architecture;
• Early Buddhism;
• Buddhism and Society;
• Buddhist Hermeneutics;
• Scholasticism;
• Commentarial Techniques;
• Buddhist Studies and Digital Humanities;
• Buddhism and Ritual Practices;
• East Asian Buddhism;
• Epistemology and Logic in Buddhism;
• Buddhism and Gender;
• Buddhism in the Himalayas;
• Southeast Asian Buddhism;
• Meditation Theories and Practices; and
• Buddhist Ethics.

Pali is a vast subject encompassing both canonical and non-canonical literature, including various texts from South and Southeast Asia. Therefore, IABS 2025 featured two panels dedicated to Pali literature. The first panel included presenters such as Jiaranai Vithidkul from Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University, Aleix Ruiz-Falques from Shan State Buddhist University in Myanmar and Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Eng Jin Ooi from International Buddhist College in Thailand, Yohei Shimizu from Osaka University of Tourism, Qiao Dai from the University of California, Berkeley, and Tony Scott from the University of Tokyo.

In the panel in which I participated, I shared the stage with Norihisa Baba from the University of Tokyo, Liyu Hua from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Upulvehere Dhammawasa from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Ujjwal Kumar from the University of Calcutta. My paper analysed the Agartara, a text of the Chakma Luri Buddhist community in Bangladesh that was composed in the 14th century. I explored the historical context, stylistic features, and significance of the Agartara, as well as examining the religious practices of the Luri community.

The Agartara is primarily a Buddhist text written in a language that combines elements of the Chakma script, which closely resembles the Shan script of Burma, along with influences from Pali and Sanskrit. The text is composed of 28 taras, or sections, which have become distorted over time due to repeated composition and copying.

Among the Chakma people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, there exists a small sect of Buddhists known as the Luri. This community upholds an integrated tradition that blends elements of Theravada Buddhism, tantric heritage, and local culture, leading to a distinct spiritual culture. The Luri community considers the Agartara to be the cornerstone of their religious observances. They assert a unique lineage, claiming to be descendants of Mahayana Buddhism, which they believe was established by the Buddha himself when he entrusted the Agartara to his son, Rahula.

In addition to the paper presentations, the IABS Congress featured a variety of events, including four mentoring sessions: “Writing Research Grants with Prof. James Benn,” “Transitioning to the Classroom with Prof. Amy Langenberg,” “Navigating the Academic Job Market with Prof. Stephanie Balkwill,” and “Publishing the Academic Monograph with Prof. Matthew King.”

Other sessions included:

• Research Funds from the Japan Foundation: Japan in Asia and Asia in Japan
• UK Association for Buddhist Studies Reception
• Building Resources for Buddhist Study and Practice: The Works of the Tsadra Foundation
• Moving Screening at the Grassi Museum: Craving the Divine–Buddhist Sculptors of Japan
• The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Global Mindfulness Roundtable
• European Regional Meeting
• Festschrift Reception for Professor Paul Harrison
• Khyentse Foundation Networking Event for PhD Students and Postdocs

The congress also welcomed various institutions and publishers, including Shambhala Publications, Dev Publishers, Biblia Imprints, Brill/de Gruyter, and International Buddhist Confederation, all of which contribute significantly to the advancement of Buddhist studies.

Excursions offered during the IABS Congress included guided tours of the Bach Museum Leipzig and St. Thomas Church, and the Botanical Garden of Leipzig University. There were also tours through the city with different themes, such as Jewish Life in Leipzig and Beyond, Leipzig and Colonial History, and the Leipzig Music Trail. The closing sessions of the congress featured a general assembly of the IABS, followed by a dinner and an entertaining music show.

I would like to express my appriciation to Prof. Ujjwal Kumar, head of the Department of Buddhist Studies at the University of Calcutta, India, and Dr. Tony Scott, Japan Foundation-Global Japan Studies Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia at the University of Tokyo, for inviting me to this important conference.

References

XXth Congress of the International Association of Buddhist Studies (Congress Booklet), Leipzig University.

See more

International Association of Buddhist Studies

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