[Blog] A Report on the Buddhist Studies in Canada Round Table Discussion at the XVIIIth Congress of the International Association of Buddhist Studies

By Crystal Beaudoin The Buddhist Studies in Canada round table discussion was one of many exciting evening events that took place at the XVIIIth Congress of the International Association of Buddhist Studies. It took place on Tuesday, August 22nd, 2017, at the University of Toronto's Bahen Centre for Information Technology. Invited participants travelled from all …

[Blog] The Slash Between: Going Home as an Insider/ Outsider

By Rutika Gandhi Introduction For my thesis, I am looking at the revival of Buddhism in India in the context of modernism and globalization. Specifically, I am interested in the role that India’s government plays in branding, supporting and promoting Buddhist tourist and pilgrimage sites for economic development. Since there are various significant places connected …

[Blog] A Reflection on the “Bridging Divides in Buddhist Studies” Round Table at the XVIIIth Congress of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, August 21st 2017

By Crystal Beaudoin The International Association of Buddhist Studies 18th Congress began in earnest on Monday, August 21st 2017. After a day full of engaging panels, participants had the opportunity to attend an evening round table at the Royal Ontario Museum. This event, entitled "Bridging Divides in Buddhist Studies," featured a group of talented Buddhist …

[Blog] A Reflection on the Buddhism and Economics in Medieval and Early Modern China at the Buddhism and Business, Market and Merit Conference at the University of British Columbia (June 16th to 18th, 2017)

By Crystal Beaudoin From June 16th to June 18th 2017, I had the good fortune to attend a conference at the University of British Columbia (UBC), entitled "Buddhism and Business, Market and Merit: Intersections between Buddhism and Economics Past and Present." Sponsored by UBC Buddhist Studies Forum and the newly funded multi-year, international and interdisciplinary …

[Blog] 2017 Canadian Society for the Study of Religion Conference Reflection

By Rutika Gandhi Recently, I have been in contact with the manager of the Canadian Journal of Buddhist Studies. Since I was about to attend the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences 2017 meeting for the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion at Ryerson University in Toronto, from May 27th – 30th,  I …

[Blog] Hyecho’s Journey: A Reflection on the 2017 Inaugural Public Lecture by Professor Donald Lopez at the University of Toronto

By Crystal Beaudoin On the 17th of April, 2017, The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Centre for Buddhist Studies at the University of Toronto hosted its inaugural public lecture. The speaker was Professor Donald S. Lopez Jr., Arthur E. Link Distinguished University Professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies in the Department of Asian Languages …

[Blog] Like Children Lost in Limbo: Reflections on Dr. Jessica Main’s Talk at UBC

By Casey Collins On March 28, Dr. Jessica Main gave the final talk at UBC’s Colloquium on Religion, Literature, and the Arts, an interdisciplinary lunchtime lecture series planned by Dr. Anne Murphy and hosted by the Department of Asian Studies. The series included lectures by professors and undergraduate students whose research interests intersect with the …

[Blog] A Reflection on Dr. James Robson’s Public Lecture on Meditation, Mindfulness and Mental Health at Emmanuel College

By Crystal Beaudoin After reading the title of Dr. Robson's lecture, "A Crazy History of Buddhism: On Buddhist Mental Institutions and Meditation / Mindfulness," I anticipated a very interesting evening. Indeed, Dr. Robson did not disappoint his audience. Dr. Robson is the James C. Kralik and Yunli Lou Professor of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at …

[Blog] A Reflection on Dr. Cuilan Liu’s Visit to McMaster’s Religious Studies Department on December 15, 2016

By Crystal Beaudoin On December 15th of 2016, Religious Studies faculty and students welcomed Dr. Cuilan Liu to our department as a guest lecturer. Dr. Liu is an Assistant Professor of Buddhist Studies at Emmanuel College of Victoria University in the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on relationships between Buddhism and the State during …

[Blog] A Reflection on Dr. Lewis Lancaster’s Visit to Fo Guang Shan Temple on October 9th, 2016

By Crystal Beaudoin Walking through the forest on an autumn day, we appreciate the lovely red, yellow and orange colours of the leaves. We smell them and hear them under our feet as we hike along. Yet our encounters with the forest are very much akin to virtual reality. Our experiences of the colourful, fragrant …