Annual One-Day Conference 2025

Saturday 28 June 2025

Khalili Theatre, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

Programme

09.30: Arrivals

09.50: Welcome and Notices

10.00–11.00: Keynote Address | Professor Erica Baffelli (University of Manchester): Buddhism at the Margins: Crisis, Community, and Vulnerabilities. Chair: TBA

11.00–11.30: Coffee/Tea

11.30–12.30: Postgraduate Panel 1. Chair: Carlos Garcia-Jane

  • TANG Renru Xiaoqi (Lancaster University): Cases Analysis: China’s Judicial Treatment of Crimes Committed by Buddhist Monastics.
  • Alexander Clarkson (Lancaster University): Navigating Identity and Religious Belonging: The Role of Buddhism in the Kalmyk and Buryat Diaspora in the UK.
  • Tian Chen (University of Oxford): Transcultural Buddhism and Visual Culture in the Early Ming Court: An Examination of the Vajra Wisdom Tantra: True Meditation of Inner Mudra for the Sudden Realization of the Illusory Dharmadhatu.

12.30–13.30: Lunch

13.30–14.30: AGM of the UK Association for Buddhist Studies

14.30–15.30: Postgraduate Panel 2. Chair: Carlos Garcia-Jane

  • Cyprien Basso (University of Oxford): Buddhist Modernism in Post-Secular France: New trajectories.
  • Dobdon Maksarov (SOAS, University of London): On the authorship of early duira (bsdus grwa) literature.
  • Yajun Wang (SOAS, University of London): Ageing in Buddhist China: an analysis of Dharma-driven elderly care initiatives in contemporary China.

15.30–15.45: Coffee/Tea

15.45 – 17.15: Panel: The Future of Buddhist Classical Languages in UK Higher Education. Convened by Professor Naomi Appleton and Dr Upali Sraman (University of Edinburgh). Panelists: Professor Naomi Appleton (University of Edinburgh); Dr Victor D’Avella (University of Oxford); Dr Gregory Scott (University of Manchester); Dr Nicholas Swann (University of South Wales).

17.15: Conclusion

REGISTRATION

1. Email [email protected] indicating your name, email address, institution if relevant and which registration category you have selected.

2. Pay the relevant registration fee with a credit/debit card or Paypal account: use the Paypal “Donate” button below–you do not need a Paypal account. If you wish not use Paypal, email as above to request alternative payment details. Payment may be made by bank transfer or sterling UK cheque in addition to Paypal or credit/debit card as above.

Registration Fee for UKABS 2025 Conference

(Includes coffee and sandwich buffet lunch. Please notify in advance any allergies, medical conditions, etc, when registering).

UKABS members: £35 (£25 students/monastic members/retired)

Non-UKABS members: £45 (£35 students/monastic members/retired)

Abstracts

TANG Renru Xiaoqi (Lancaster University): Cases Analysis: China’s Judicial Treatment of Crimes Committed by Buddhist Monastics.

This year, in 2024, Professor Liu Cuilan published a book titled as Buddhism in Court: Religion, Law, and Jurisdiction in China, in which she discussed the case of Xue Cheng (an influential monk and the former president of the Buddhist Association of China) as well as the similar situations in Chinese history, and proposed that China’s legal treatment of Buddhist monastics is different from that of ordinary citizens. And she thinks that Buddhist monastics in China seem to enjoy a kind of religious privilege. However, based on my long-term research, I find it difficult to agree with her. On the contrary, I would argue that in contemporary times, China’s legal attitude towards Buddhist monastics is no different from that of ordinary citizens from all aspects (Whether it is civil or criminal, property or marriage, tort or crime). As for why Xue Cheng has not been punished by law, it is not because of his religious identity, but because of other considerations, such as: political and social stability, regional economy, international influence and diplomatic needs, etc. This kind of considerations also apply to other non-religious citizens with special political identities. I will analyse and prove this from a legal perspective, combining several legal cases (not only the case of Xue Cheng) in contemporary China.

Alexander Clarkson (Lancaster University): Navigating Identity and Religious Belonging: The Role of Buddhism in the Kalmyk and Buryat Diaspora in the UK.

The Kalmyk and Buryat diaspora communities in the UK represent unique case studies of Buddhism’s role in shaping identity and social belonging outside traditional Buddhist-majority regions. While these groups share historical, linguistic, and religious ties, their migration experiences and cultural adaptation in the UK remain largely unexplored. This research presents a study of how Kalmyk and Buryat diaspora members construct and negotiate their Buddhist identity within the broader context of migration, transnational ties, and cultural preservation. Based on participant observation, home visits, and life history interviews, this study examines the ways in which Buddhism functions as a cultural and spiritual framework for community cohesion. It explores how Buddhist practices are maintained and transmitted across generations, the significance of religious spaces in diaspora settings, and the extent to which Buddhism serves as a guiding principle for navigating everyday life. Additionally, the research considers how Buddhist ethics and narratives influence perspectives on social engagement, diaspora consciousness, and identity formation in a multicultural environment. The study also pays attention to generational differences, assessing whether younger diaspora members maintain, reinterpret, or distance themselves from traditional Buddhist practices. While previous studies have explored Kalmyk and Buryat Buddhist traditions in Russia, Mongolia, and the United States, little attention has been given to their evolving practices in the UK. By embedding within the diaspora and documenting their lived experiences, this study contributes to broader discussions on Buddhism’s role in contemporary diaspora settings and the adaptation of Buddhist traditions in new cultural contexts. It also provides insight into how Buddhist worldviews interact with secular and multicultural influences in a Western setting, shaping the ongoing transformation of religious identity among diasporic communities.

Tian Chen (University of Oxford): Transcultural Buddhism and Visual Culture in the Early Ming Court: An Examination of the Vajra Wisdom Tantra: True Meditation of Inner Mudra for the Sudden Realization of the Illusory Dharmadhatu.

 This study examines the syncretism of Buddhist traditions during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), focusing on the role of Tibetan Buddhism in the imperial court. Central to this
research is a detailed analysis of the Vajra Wisdom Tantra: True Meditation of Inner Mudra for the Sudden Realization of the Illusory Dharmadhātu 真禅内印顿证虚凝法界金刚智经, a richly illuminated three-volume manuscript dated to 1428 and preserved in the National Palace Museum, Taipei. The manuscript’s tantric orientation is evident through its emphasis on deity worship, internal visualizations, and mantra recitation, featuring Tibetan deities, Dali Buddhist iconography, and Daoist talismans. This study explores how the manuscript reflects religious syncretism, blending Tibetan Buddhism with traditions from the Dali Kingdom and Daoism. The research situates the Vajra Wisdom Tantra within the broader context of the early Ming court’s transcultural Buddhist culture, highlighting its role in legitimizing imperial authority. Commissioned by the Xuande Emperor, the manuscript served political strategies to assert control over the Dali region, patronize Dali Buddhist monks, and project the emperor as a bodhisattva with esoteric power. The text’s artistic synthesis demonstrates the predominance of Tibetan tantric visual language, aligning with the Ming dynasty’s ideological goals of the “Union of the Three Teachings.” The study proposes that the Vajra Wisdom Tantra is a copy of an earlier Dali text, indicating significant religious and diplomatic exchanges between Dali and the Ming court. It  contextualizes the deity King Wuxian within Dali Tantric literature and highlights the manuscript’s distinct talismanic culture. Artistic analysis reveals a Tibeto-Chinese synthesis in its illuminations, showing influences from Yuan workshop practices. The manuscript’s legacy extended into the Qing dynasty, illustrating its enduring influence on imperial tantric manuscripts and its role in Sino-Tibetan religious and artistic exchanges. Ultimately, the Vajra Wisdom Tantra exemplifies how Ming emperors adapted Tibetan styles to reinforce their authority and guide readers through this consciously syncretic text.

Cyprien Basso (University of Oxford): Buddhist Modernism in Post-Secular France: New trajectories.

This paper examines emerging forms of Buddhist modernism in France, an understudied aspect of Western Buddhist modernities, where research has primarily focused on English-speaking communities in Britain and the USA. This ethnographic study addresses this gap by exploring the Buddhist retreats organized by Reso, the largest meditation school in the French-speaking world. Founded in 2006 by French philosopher Fabrice Midal, Reso is a rapidly growing community that offers workshops, retreats, and courses at the intersection of meditation, art, philosophy, and Buddhism. Secular Buddhist movements in the West are often characterized by an emphasis on individualism, rationalism, and therapeutics, privileging meditation and pragmatic interpretations of early Buddhist teachings while rejecting practices deemed irrational, dogmatic, or superstitious. Rituals such as text recitation, chanting, and devotional acts are frequently dismissed as ‘cultural attachments’ in favour of a supposedly universal, scientific, and timeless essence of Buddhism. However, in Reso’s case, initiations, rituals, and liturgies play a central role in retreats designed to offer an ‘experiential and existential discovery of Buddhist thought, practice, and worldview’. Paradoxically, participants engage for instance in daily liturgical practices—invoking the protection of bodhisattvas, calling upon the powers of the Karma Kagyu lineage, and reciting the Four Reminders—while simultaneously framing their engagement as ‘secular’. This case complicates assumptions that secular Buddhism necessarily follows a trajectory of demystification and rationalization, instead revealing the fluidity of categories such as religious/secular and rational/supernatural in a post-secular age. I argue that Reso’s retreats exemplify an emerging form of Western Buddhism that seeks to address contemporary challenges and interrogations without succumbing to the pitfalls of spiritual consumerism characteristic of neoliberal societies.

Dobdon Maksarov (SOAS, University of London): On the authorship of early duira (bsdus grwa) literature.

Duira literature, a distinct genre within Tibetan Buddhist epistemology, serves as an introductory framework for monastic training in logic and valid cognition (pramāṇa). While the first duira text is traditionally attributed to Chapa Chökyi Sengé (1109–1169) and other scholars at Sangpu Neutok Monastery, the authorship of early duira literature remain subjects of scholarly debate. The origins of duira can be traced to the 12th century at Sangpu Neutok Monastery, where Chapa Chökyi Sengé and other scholars developed structured classifications of pramāṇa topics to facilitate monastic debate. At that time, duira appears to have been transmitted orally as a structured list of key epistemological subjects (brtsi bzhag) rather than as a fully developed text. This oral tradition persisted as teachers passed down lists of foundational subjects to students, who engaged in debates based on these topics. The earliest written duira appears to have been composed much later at Rato Monastery, a renowned center of expertise in duira studies. While Jamyang Chok Lha Odzer (1429–1500) is traditionally credited with compiling Rato Duira, it was not until the late 17th century, during the time of the Regent Sangye Gyatso (1653–1705), that duira was formally standardized in written form. At Rato Monastery, a group of scholars consolidated earlier classifications and expanded them into a systematic textbook format. This version became the foundation for later duira textbooks studied across Gelugpa monasteries. By examining Tibetan historical sources and the evolution of monastic curricula, this paper aims to provide a clearer understanding of the development of duira literature, its pedagogical role, and the complexity of its authorship attribution. This research contributes to broader discussions on the transmission and adaptation of Indian Buddhist epistemology within the Tibetan scholastic tradition.

Yajun Wang (SOAS, University of London): Ageing in Buddhist China: an analysis of Dharma-driven elderly care initiatives in contemporary China.

My research focuses on the development of Buddhist philanthropy in elderly and palliative care in the context of contemporary China’s rapidly ageing population. The current problem of an ageing population has become unprecedented, and demand for elderly-care services and funeral services has remarkably increased. Buddhist institutions have proven adept at addressing death-related problems and finding ways of providing elderly care in an ageing society. Based on extensive fieldwork in several Chinese provinces, my study examines the phenomenon of Buddhist nursing homes that are built by Buddhist institutions next to temples and which not only provide elderly care to residents but also carry out Buddhist practices to reduce residents’ pain from illness and help them generate good karma for a better afterlife. Buddhist elderly-care philanthropy, which resonates with the practice of ‘Humanistic Buddhism’, also reflects the essential Chinese culture of filial piety, and has been supported by the Chinese government. In order to thoroughly comprehend the practicalities of Buddhist elderly care in contemporary China, the project will conduct ethnographic case studies of one major Buddhist temple active in elderly-care and palliative care: Nanshan Jiang Temple in Hangzhou (杭州南山讲寺) to examine the transitional role of small Buddhist temple from religious function to providing social services, in relation to the social-political factors.

Panel: The Future of Buddhist Classical Languages in the UK Higher Education.

This 90-minute panel brings together scholars engaged in teaching Buddhist classical languages—Pali, Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese—across UK higher education institutions. Structured as an interactive conversation, each panellist will begin with 8-10 minutes of initial reflections, followed by an open discussion with audience members.

Key themes will include: the current state of Buddhist language education in the UK; strategies to expand student interest and accessibility; the role of technology in transforming language instruction; collaboration with both academic institutions and non-academic dharma centres; the potential for developing standardized curricula and national certification; and opportunities for innovative pedagogy, resource development, and funding. The session aims to generate a shared dialogue around the challenges and possibilities facing this vital area of study, fostering collaborative thinking about sustainable futures for these languages in higher education.

Call for Papers [NOW CLOSED]

UK Association for Buddhist Studies

 Annual Conference, SOAS, London, 28 June 2025

Call for Papers – Postgraduate Panel

Submission Deadline: 28 February 2025

Call for Papers

The UK Association for Buddhist Studies calls for submissions for the Postgraduate Panel at the next UKABS annual conference to be held at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London, Saturday 28 June 2025.

Please submit your proposal to the email below by 28 February 2025 with the following information:

  • Title
  • Abstract (250-300 words)
  • Author’s details, including name, affiliation, supervisor’s name, year and level of research, and email address

You do not need to present a polished final version of your work. If you are not yet at an advanced stage, you can present your current ideas and plans, with a view to gaining some feedback from more established Buddhist Studies scholars – a fantastic opportunity for graduate students.

Reasonable expenses within the UK will be funded.

Could academic staff please inform and encourage interested students to submit an abstract.

Best Wishes,

Carlos Garcia-Jane

PhD researcher, University of Edinburgh

Post-Graduate Representative, UKABS Committee

Contact: [email protected]