{"id":27037,"date":"2023-11-08T16:46:44","date_gmt":"2023-11-08T08:46:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/?p=27037"},"modified":"2023-11-08T20:16:37","modified_gmt":"2023-11-08T12:16:37","slug":"ruminating-on-the-fass-distinguished-lecture-series-in-buddhist-studies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/news\/2023\/11\/08\/ruminating-on-the-fass-distinguished-lecture-series-in-buddhist-studies\/","title":{"rendered":"Ruminating on the FASS Distinguished Lecture Series in Buddhist Studies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t<p><strong>IN BRIEF | 10 min read<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Starting last year in 2022, faculty members, students, and the general public have been benefiting from insightful and intriguing lectures delivered by distinguished professors in Buddhist Studies as part of the annual FASS Distinguished Lecture Series in Buddhist Studies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<article>\n<figure id=\"attachment_27039\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27039\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image1-31-1024x388.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"388\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-27039\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Close to 150 guests attended the 2023 distinguished lecture.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>How might all the gold and glimmer interact or complement your experience in Buddhist monasteries – spaces of quietude, meditation, and reflection? Or what might birds, bats, and beasts share in common with Buddhist monks?<\/p>\n<p>Following an endowment established through the generous donation of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum to NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) in 2021, faculty members, students, and the general public now enjoy insightful and intriguing lectures delivered by distinguished professors in Buddhist Studies at the annual <a href=\"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/fass-distinguished-lecture-series-in-buddhist-studies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FASS Distinguished Lecture Series in Buddhist Studies<\/a>, organized by the FASS Research Division. As both a secular and interdisciplinary field, Buddhist Studies at NUS aspires to further both scholarly and public understanding of Buddhist traditions.<\/p>\n<p>Bolstering this support of Buddhist Studies initiative here in FASS was another <a href=\"https:\/\/news.nus.edu.sg\/nus-faculty-of-arts-and-social-sciences-establishes-buddhist-studies-scholarships-and-fellowships-with-gift-from-foo-hai-chan-monastery\/\">gift<\/a> from Foo Hai Ch’an Monastery, formally presented on 28 June 2022. This donation seeks to support a faculty fellowship and <a href=\"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/prospective-students\/graduate\/research\/scholarships\/foohai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">graduate scholarships<\/a> in Buddhist Studies, which have been rolled out in August 2023. Advancing the growth of this initiative too is the recent launch of Mee Toh Foundation Visiting Professorship in Buddhist Studies, following the foundation’s <a href=\"https:\/\/news.nus.edu.sg\/nus-faculty-of-arts-and-social-sciences-establishes-buddhist-studies-visiting-professorship-to-foster-interdisciplinary-research-in-buddhist-studies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gift<\/a> last month. This professorship further augments FASS’ Buddhist Studies capacity to foster deep and diverse perspectives into Buddhist history, philosophy, art, and literature.<\/p>\n<p>On 14 October 2022, eminent scholar Professor Justin McDaniel from University of Pennsylvania delivered the inaugural <a href=\"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/news\/2022\/10\/28\/distinguished-lecture-hypnotic-ecologies-and-thin-description-in-the-study-of-southeast-asian-buddhist-art\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lecture<\/a>, entitled “Hypnotic Ecologies and Thin Description in the Study of Southeast Asian Buddhist Art.” Through offering a surface reading of Southeast Asian Buddhists interacting with Buddhist material culture, Prof McDaniel ponders over the ornate and the opulent in monastic spaces. The arguably excessive material culture that permeates these compounds, alongside stimulators of other senses, renders its forest of objects, ornaments, and designs simultaneously seen yet hidden: They cohesively construct an immense, profuse visual experience yet concurrently, each item, each detail remains in the dark, alone in its Buddhist expression of representing and teaching the dharma.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_27040\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27040\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image2-33-1024x683.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-27040\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Prof. Justin McDaniel’s lecture on Buddhist art, beauty, and the spatial experience.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Exactly a year later on 13 October 2023, esteemed scholar Professor James Robson from Harvard University gave a lecture, titled “Buddhism, Birds, Beasts, and ‘Bat Monks’: Defining and Defying Categories Through Analogical Thinking in East Asian Buddhism.” Between popular culture of contemporary times and Buddhist texts in days of old, Prof Robson traces the recurring motif of bats, birds, beasts in describing humans who conduct themselves or exist within the liminal space between “monks” and “laity.” In so doing, his lecture calls to question the taxonomic implications of studying both humans and animals, delving into the curious parallels between specific animal qualities and behaviors, especially those of bats, and humans with unique characteristics.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<p>After the thought-provoking Q&A sessions that followed their lectures, these distinguished speakers were each presented with a gift of appreciation. As an artist-scholar, I am thankful to Distinguished Lecture Series Convener, Dr. Jack Meng-Tat Chia (Department of History), for offering me the opportunity to conceptualize and create their gifts. For Prof McDaniel’s gift, given his research focus on Theravada Buddhism in mainland Southeast Asia, I consulted Prof Irving Johnson (Department of Southeast Asian Studies) for his expertise in Thai mural paintings when designing the artwork “Buddha, Bodhi, and his Benevolence.” Thereafter, I illustrated on a basswood plaque the benevolent Buddha in vitarka mudra sitting atop a bodhi tree, syncretizing styles from both Thai Rattanakosin murals and Byzantine frescoes using Thai acrylics and gold leaf. Vice Provost Prof Tulika Mitra later presented this completed artwork to Prof McDaniel.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_27042\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27042\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image4-37-1024x683.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-27042\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Prof James Robson’s lecture on Buddhism, “bat monks,” and beasts.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As for Prof Robson’s gift, considering his research interests in Buddhism in East Asia, I drew inspirations from the Chinese homonyms “<i>fu<\/i>” for both bats (<i>bianfu<\/i> \u8759\u8760) and blessings (<i>fuqi<\/i> \u798f\u6c23), and the five Chinese blessings (<i>wufu <\/i>\u4e94\u798f) of longevity, health, wealth, love of virtue, and a peaceful death. Incorporating these into my watercolor artwork “<i>Wu Fu Lin Men <\/i>\u4e94\u8760\u81e8\u9580” (The Arrival of Five Blessings), I portrayed Budai, affectionately known as the “Laughing Buddha,” with a Batman cowl alongside four variously sized bats in an East Asian painting style. NUS Trustee, Ambassador Professor Chan Heng Chee, subsequently presented this artwork to Prof Robson.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" loading='false' src=\"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image6-41.png\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<strong>FASS Distinguished Lecture Series in Buddhist Studies 2022<br \/>\n<\/strong>Presentation of Gift of Appreciation by Guest of Honour Vice Provost Tulika Mitra\n<img decoding=\"async\" loading='false' src=\"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image6-41.png\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" loading='false' src=\"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image7-43-e1699000771235.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<strong>FASS Distinguished Lecture Series in Buddhist Studies 2023<br \/>\n<\/strong>Presentation of Gift of Appreciation by Guest of Honor NUS Trustee, \u2028Ambassador Prof Chan Heng Chee\n<img decoding=\"async\" loading='false' src=\"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image7-43-e1699000771235.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" loading='false' src=\"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image8-45-e1699000897193.png\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<strong>FASS Distinguished Lecture Series in Buddhist Studies 2022<br \/>\n<\/strong>Dr Jack Meng-Tat Chia, Tan Guan Fan (artist of gift of appreciation), \u2028Prof. Justin McDaniel, and A\/P Irving Johnson.\n<img decoding=\"async\" loading='false' src=\"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image8-45-e1699000897193.png\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" loading='false' src=\"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image9-47-e1699001080522.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<strong>FASS Distinguished Lecture Series in Buddhist Studies 2023<br \/>\n<\/strong>Dr Sisi Wang, Ng Xiang Yun (MC), Prof James Robson, \u2028Dr Jack Meng-Tat Chia, and Tan Guan Fan (artist of gift of appreciation)\n<img decoding=\"async\" loading='false' src=\"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image9-47-e1699001080522.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\n<article>\nWith the professors, event crew, and guests pulling their weight to ensure activities prior to and during these two distinguished lectures run smoothly as planned, I must add that they have been nothing short of amazing. The distinguished lecturers have added further value to the two evenings with their insightful sharing, engaging our audience in both musing and deeper regard towards Buddhist Studies. As a student, I leave each annual edition of the FASS Distinguished Lecture Series in Buddhist Studies, feeling enriched and anticipating the next; So too will you, our future guests of this lecture series!\n<\/article>\n<article>\n<article>\n<hr \/>\n<\/article>\n<p><em>This story is by Tan Guan Fan, a post-graduate student of <a href=\"\/hist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NUS History<\/a><i>. Photography for 2022 event by Rachel Eng; photography for 2023 event by Coffee.<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On 14 October 2022, eminent scholar Professor Justin McDaniel from University of Pennsylvania delivered the inaugural lecture, entitled \u201cHypnotic Ecologies and Thin Description in the Study of Southeast Asian Buddhist Art.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":27039,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-visible"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27037"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27037"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27037\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27122,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27037\/revisions\/27122"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27037"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27037"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27037"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}