Buddhist Studies

“Buddhist Sacred Spaces and Images in South and Southeast Asia”

This course selectively introduces the Buddhist architecture and arts of South and Southeast Asia to shed light on key developments in Buddhist history, artistic expression, and practice over a thousand years and across various locales. We will learn to closely consider religious artworks, material remains, and architecture. Excerpts from edicts of the first ‘Buddhist’ emperor, stories from the Buddha's previous lives, inscriptions on architecture, and travelogues of Chinese pilgrims will provide access to the patrons, monastics, artists, and worshippers of the premodern Buddhist world. Blogs and news pieces will highlight how ancient Buddhist art is relevant in today’s world. The themes discussed will include aniconic imagery and the portrayal of the first images of the Buddha, patronage of Buddhist art, the symbolism of Buddhist architecture, pilgrimage, and others. Through this course, a complex picture of the development and spread of Buddhist ideas will emerge, which will highlight the creativity and diversity of the adherents of this religious tradition.