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Thursday, June 5, 2025, saw the presentation of an insightful talk, “Visualising Rituals in Gandhara” by Dr. Ashwini Lakshminarayanan, which inaugurated The Gandhāra Corpora Project Lecture Series organized by GCBS’s Prof. Charles DiSimone.

In her lecture, Dr. Lakshminarayanan presented her ongoing research on Gandharan Buddhist imagery, highlighting a shift in scholarly focus from purely art historical approaches—such as examining Greco-Roman influences—to exploring the social context of these artifacts. Central to her work is the GRAVE (Gandharan Relic rituals And Veneration Explored) database, which she built using the software Tropy, which allows her to tag images and conduct statistical analysis. Her current research centers on the pedestals of statues, particularly those depicting donors. By examining kinship ties and the monastic or lay status of these figures, she revealed patterns in donor representation. Noting generic stylistic features and occasional discrepancies between inscriptions and images, she proposed that the images were likely produced in advance, with inscriptions added later by those wishing to dedicate them. The lecture concluded with a lively discussion on topics such as the relationship between pedestals and the main image, the depiction of fire offering rituals, and the broader ritual functions of pedestal scenes.

We are very happy to announce the publication of a new issue of the “Newsletter of the Database of Medieval Chinese texts (DMCT)” (ISSN: 2952-8534), a collaborative project of the Department of Languages and Cultures / GCBS, Ghent University, and the Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts (DILA)! The newsletter can be downloaded from the frontpage of the DMCT. or by the link Newsletter of the Database of Medieval Chinese texts_2025.05 .
The current issue includes research papers and reports. Here is an overview of the contents:
1: Message from the editor-in-chief (p. 1-4)
2: Featured research paper “The Interpretation and Lexicographical Compilation of Idioms in Chán Buddhist Literature”, by Zeng Chen (p. 4-10)
3: Report by project Co-director Lin Ching-hui 林靜慧 (DILA) (p. 11)
4: Introduction to DMCT in Chinese by 林靜慧 and 洪振洲 (DILA) (p. 11-23)
5: Introduction to newly marked-up manuscript texts 寫卷說明2022&2023 by 林靜慧 (p. 23-31)
6: News from our members: contributions by Laurent Van Cutsem and Liang Litian (p. 32-34)
7: Poster session (p. 34-37)
8: Newly funded projects (p. 38-40)
9: Internship report by Wu Taoyu 吴韬玉, featuring an edition of the earliest dated Dunhuang manuscript, a rendering of the Ten Recitations Prātimokṣa sūtra based on Ms. Or.8210/S.797r (p. 39-52)
10: News from our partners, with contributions by Manuel Sassmann concerning our new collaboration with Buddhist Stone Sutras in China project (Heidelberg Academy of Science), a paper by Marcus Bingenheimer on encoding Buddhist texts using DNA, and a thorough introduction to the Thesaurus Linguae Sericae (TLS) database by Christian Wittern (p. 52-59)
11: MA thesis reports, introducing a selection of recent MA theses, “Words with Alternative Pronunciations in Modern Chinese and the Reading Traditions of Pre-modern Chinese Poetry” by Wu Taoyu, “A Study of Popular Character Forms (súzì 俗字) in the Dūnhuáng Manuscripts of Sōushén jì 搜神记” by Yang Yuting, and “A Study of Proper Names in the Chinese translations of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya Saṃghabheda-vastu” by Zhang Longyu (p. 59-65)
12: Publications and lectures (selection) (p. 66-67)
WE WISH YOU ALL A PLEASANT READING EXPERIENCE!

We are delighted to share that two researchers will be joining the Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies in the fall having both been awarded prestigious FWO Junior Postdoctoral Fellowships in the 2025 competition under the supervision of Professor Charles DiSimone. Congratulations to Dr. Xiaoming Hou and Dr. Kikee Bhutia! We are excited to welcome them into our research group in the Fall.

Dr. Hou joins us from UC Berkeley with the project: Visualizing Doctrine: A Study of Exegetical Diagrams in Medieval Chinese Buddhism (8^th–10^th Centuries)

 Abstract:

This research project investigates the technical and pedagogical practices of medieval Chinese Buddhism by focusing on exegetical diagrams preserved in Dunhuang from the 8th to 10th centuries. Known both as fenmen tu 分門圖 (“diagram of gate-division”) and kewen 科文 (“text of analytical division”), these diagrams exemplify the liminal nature of this unique genre, which bridges the boundaries between image and text. Flourishing in medieval China and persisting into modern Buddhist practice, these diagrams provide critical insights into the epistemological foundations of Chinese Buddhist scholasticism. The study addresses three key questions: (1) What are the defining features and functions of these diagrams, and how do they facilitate knowledge organization? (2) How were they produced, transmitted, and utilized in their manuscript contexts, and what do these practices reveal about their pedagogical roles? (3) What do these diagrams disclose about the social and institutional networks of their producers and users? The project also situates Buddhist exegetical diagrams within the broader Chinese tu 圖 tradition, comparing them with diagrams from non-Buddhist traditions to analyze their divergences as scholastic tools. By exploring these diagrams as technical devices for knowledge transmission, this research shifts scholarly focus from doctrinal content to the technical savoir-faire underpinning intellectual traditions.

Dr. Bhutia joins us from the University of Tartu with the project: Local Deities, Natural Disaster, and Ritual Waste in Vernacular Buddhist Practices in the Himalayas

Abstract:

This project examines the intersection of local religious practices, environmental policies, and waste management in Sikkim, with a particular emphasis on the influence of Buddhist rituals and beliefs on the community’s approach to sustainability. Despite its relatively small geographic size, Sikkim has emerged as a leader in environmental initiatives, including the prohibition of plastic and the promotion of eco-friendly practices. However, traditional rituals, such as the tying of prayer flags and the use of synthetic materials in religious offerings, pose significant challenges to environmental conservation. This research investigates the roles of local deities, vernacular Buddhist practices, and monastic institutions in waste management, analyzing how religious concepts are integrated into environmental policies. Utilizing ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, and archival research, this study will explore how communities navigate the complexities of modernization and tradition, thereby contributing to academic discussions on waste, religion, and sustainability in the Himalayas. The project aims to produce scholarly articles, presentations, and public outreach materials, thereby fostering both academic and social engagement.

On May 15, 2025, the King of the Belgians received a special royal gift from the King of Thailand: a beautifully bound edition of the Pali Tipitaka, the foundational scripture of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. The gift symbolizes the long-standing friendship and cultural ties between Thailand and Belgium, and highlights the importance of interreligious dialogue and mutual respect. This meaningful gesture reflects the shared value both countries place on preserving and honoring religious heritage. Head of the Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies Prof. Dr. Ann Heirman attended the ceremony.

On Tuesday, May 6, 2025, a captivating lecture titled “Everything You Didn’t Know You Ever Wanted to Know about Buddhist Manuscript Cultures in Greater Gandhāra” was delivered by GCBS’s Prof. Charles DiSimone as part of our Permanent Training in Buddhist Studies lecture series. The lecture explored the fascinating manuscript cultures of Greater Gandhāra, an area that once served as a thriving center of Buddhist activity and flourished well into the first millennium CE. This region, which spans modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India, was a pivotal crossroads for the development of Buddhist thought and practices.

One of the key insights shared in the lecture was the use of birch bark, rather than paper, as the primary medium for Buddhist manuscripts in Gandhāra. Birch bark, a durable and flexible material, was ideal for preserving the intricate texts that would define the Buddhist literary heritage of the region.

The lecture shed light on the unique artistic elements found in these manuscripts, particularly the use of arsenic pigments and floral embellishments to highlight rubrics. It also emphasized the use of Bamiyan type I and Bamiyan type II scripts for recording Mahāyāna and Śrāvakayāna texts respectively.

Throughout the lecture, Prof. DiSimone emphasized the importance of several major manuscript discoveries that have enriched our understanding of Buddhist manuscript cultures. These include notable finds in locations such as Gilgit, Bamyan, and Mes Aynak. At the same time, he cautioned against using the cashes found there for making overall statements about the Buddhist tradition of the region, as they represent only a small portion of what originally circulated there. In the final part of the lecture, Prof. DeSimone introduced the recent excavations of in Mes Anyak and the work for digitalization of manusctipts his team carries out within the framework of his ERC project “Corpora in Greater Gandhāra. Tracing the development of Buddhist textuality and Gilgit/Bamiyan manuscript networks in the first millennium of the common era”.

As part of the Permanent Training in Buddhist Studies lecture series, Prof. Jin Kyoung Choi (Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies) delivered a talk titled “Buddhist Material Culture in East Asian Tea Tradition: The Way of Tea, the Art of Tea, and Tea Ceremony” on Tuesday, 29 April 2025, at the Faculty Library of Arts and Philosophy, Ghent University.

This rich and insightful lecture traced the historical and cultural evolution of the tea ceremony across East Asia, unfolding in five compelling chapters. Prof. Jin began at the spiritual heart of China’s tea culture: Jingshan Temple 径山寺 in Hangzhou, which is widely recognized as the birthplace of the formal tea ceremony. The lecture then took us across the sea to Japan, where Chinese tea culture took on a new life. During the Northern Song dynasty, powdered tea (Ch. mǒchá; J. macha 抹茶) was brought to Japan by monks and evolved into the world-renowned Japanese tea ceremony. Known as chadō 茶道—the Way of Tea—it became deeply embedded in Zen Buddhist practice and Japanese aesthetics. Turning back to the Sinosphere, the focus shifted to gongfucha 功夫茶, the high-skill brewing method that originated in the Chaozhou region of Guangdong. This practice was carried to Taiwan, where it took root and evolved. Oolong tea, in particular, became Taiwan’s most celebrated varietal.

An especially intriguing part of the lecture explored how modern Chinese and Taiwanese societies are negotiating the cultural legacies of tea. The term chadō is rarely used in contemporary China or Taiwan due to its strong association with Japanese tea tradition. Instead, Taiwan promotes chayi 茶艺(art of tea), emphasizing artistic expression and cultural refinement, while mainland China has been working to revive the ancient Song-style powdered tea ceremony as a distinct national heritage. The lecture also shed light on Korea’s distinct tea practices, charye and darye. 

After the Easter break, we resumed our Reading Group activities. For the remainder of the term, we will focus on Ming and Qing dynasties local gazetteers (方志) of the Chongqing area and the historical information they provide on the Buddhist temples of the city.

Our Joint Phd student Siqi Tang (Chongqing and Ghent Universities) presents the materials and will guide the reading. In the first meeting, she gave a very thorough introduction to the various types of gazetteers, how to find and use gazetteers databases, in addition to introducing us to this genre of historical records.

We are delighted to welcome Lin Wushi to the Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies as a joint PhD student under the supervision of Professor Bart Dessein (Ghent University) and Professor Weijen Teng (Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts). His research interests include the history of Buddhist thought, with a particular emphasis on Chinese Buddhism and Chan Buddhism.

In his doctoral project, titled “Comprehending Everything as Oneself: The No-Self Doctrine of Zibo Zhenke in Ming Dynasty Buddhism,” Wushi explores the significance, characteristics, and hermeneutics of the no-self doctrine (Skt. anātman; Ch. 無我) in late Ming Buddhism. Focusing on the influential monk Zibo Zhenke (紫柏真可, 1543–1604), his research reveals how the Chinese understanding of no-self diverges from the primarily ontological concerns of Indian Buddhism, taking instead an epistemological orientation. Zibo’s interpretation of no-self as a cognitive model of non-duality between subject and object is further examined as a response to contemporary intellectual trends such as Yangmingism (陽明學) and the dynamic interactions among Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism in the late Ming period.

As part of the Permanent Training in Buddhist Studies lecture series, Prof. Osmund Bopeararchchi (University of Lens) delivered a talk titled “Greek gods in Gandhāran Buddhist art: How are images copied and reinterpreted” on Tuesday, 22 April 2025, at the Faculty Library of Arts and Philosophy, Ghent University.

Prof. Bopearachchi opened his lecture by outlining the historical context of the Gandhāra region, a unique cultural crossroads shaped by the Greek presence north of the Hindu Kush mountains following Alexander the Great’s conquests. He then explored how Greek motifs were incorporated into Gandhāran Buddhist art, demonstrating the influence through elements such as realistic facial expressions, Corinthian columns, Hellenistic furniture, clothing, and ornamentation. These were contrasted with artistic representations found in production centers south of the Hindu Kush, highlighting regional stylistic differences.

The lecture then turned to the presence of Greek deities in Gandhāran art. Among them was Tyche (Fortuna), the goddess of success, who often appeared as the genius loci—the protective spirit of a city. Another significant example was Heracles, who was reinterpreted as Vajrapāṇi, the protector of the Buddha, typically shown wielding a thunderbolt in place of his traditional club.

The talk concluded with a discussion on the Dionysian cult of viticulture and wine consumption. Prof. Bopearachchi shared his recent research identifying scenes of joyful wine-drinkers not merely as bacchic revelry, but as representations of gandharvas—celestial musicians and dancers from the demigod realm in Buddhist cosmology.