Sichuan, China. Jacquemay Dominique, Unsplash.
International Conference
Monks & Literati: Cultural Ideas and Lifestyle of Chinese Buddhism
August 12–13, 2023
Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery 蓮山雙林禪寺, Singapore
To commemorate Our 125th Anniversary, Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery will be hosting an International Conference on “Monastic & Literati: Cultural Ideas and Lifestyle of Chinese Buddhism” on the 12th and 13th August 2023.
The Guest Of Honour of the International Conference will be, Mr Chee Hong Tat (Acting Minister for Transport; Senior Minister of State for Finance; Adviser to Bishan-Toa Payoh Grassroots Organization). The Organisers are Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery (Singapore); Department of Chinese Studies of National University of Singapore; Institute for Ethnics and Religious Studies (IERS) of Tsinghua University (China); Buddhist Studies Forum of University of British Columbia (Canada).
The International Conference will be held over two days, with an exchange of ideas encompassing the following topic: “Monastic & Literati: Cultural Ideas and Lifestyle of Chinese Buddhism”, with references to the histories of the world, civilisation and Buddhism perspectives.
The purpose is to gain knowledge through understanding the spread of Buddhism within Asia, with the focus on correlations between Mahayanese Buddhism and Asian Chinese Culture. The invited delegates are academics and scholars from Singapore; East Asia; Europe and North America. The delegates will also be exchanging ideas on religious histories and asian civilisation histories.
(Event Details)
| Date | ： | 12 August 2023 (Saturday) & 13 August 2023 (Sunday) |
| Time | ： | 9am to 6pm |
| Venue | ： | Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery – Yuan Man Dian 184 Jalan Toa Payoh Singapore 319944 |
| Registration Fee | ： | $10 (Free for Local Students and Senior Citizens) |
| Official Language | ： | Mandarin & English |
| Dialogue Speakers | ： | Please to refer to event poster |
Everyone is welcome to attend the above conference. For more information please contact: Email: event@shuanglin.org, Contact Number: 6259 6924.
Visit Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery 蓮山雙林禪寺 website: www.shuanglin.sg
Call for Proposals [CLOSED]
This conference is hosted by Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery 蓮山雙林禪寺, Singapore, and co-hosted by Department of Chinese Studies of National University of Singapore, Institute for Ethics and Religious Studies (IERS) of Tsinghua University, China, and From the Ground Up: Buddhism and East Asian Religions project at the University of British Columbia (www.frogbear.org). The conference will take place from August 12 to 13, 2023 at Shuang Lin Monastery.
During the course of cross-cultural exchange between Indian Buddhism and Chinese culture, Buddhist monks played an important role in the development, propagation, and prosperity of Chinese culture in Asia. Buddhist monks not only creatively interpreted a system of beliefs and practices for Chinese Buddhism, but also actively transformed and innovated new social customs, reconciled relationship between Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism, and made remarkable historical contributions to the formation of Chinese Buddhist culture. Therefore, discussing “Monks and Literati: Cultural Ideas and Lifestyle of Chinese Buddhism” from the perspective of world history and Buddhist history is beneficial not only for unravelling the widespread dissemination of Sinicised Buddhism in Asia, but also for understanding the relationship between Chinese Buddhism and Han cultural circle, which has rich cultural meanings and contemporary values.
The subjects of investigation in this conference will include, but not limited to, the following:
- Internal and external learning: the cultural cultivation of Chinese Buddhist monks 內學與外學：漢傳佛教僧眾的文化修養；
- Classical ideas and textual traditions of Chinese Buddhism 漢傳佛教的經典觀念與文本傳統;
- Historical ideas and historical traditions of Chinese Buddhism 漢傳佛教的歷史觀念與史學傳統;
- Artistic ideas and life of Chinese Buddhism 漢傳佛教的藝術觀念與生活;
- The relationship between Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism in an Asian perspective 亞洲視野下的佛、儒、道三教關係；
- Chinese Buddhism and the formation of the Chinese cultural circle in Asia 漢傳佛教與亞洲漢文化圈的形成.
The committee welcomes any papers related to the conference theme. All associated costs, including room and board during the conference, will be covered by the host institutions. Depending on necessity and the availability of funding, some travel cost may also be covered. Please email proposals and CVs to frogbear.project@ubc.ca and guojing20@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn by April 14. Scholars confident of completing the draft papers by July 15 and finalising their papers by late November 2023 are welcome to apply.
