The Traveler

Issue date: 10/13/08 Section: Lifestyles

Media Credit: Veronica Pucci Houbin Liu, a professor in the History Department at Renmin University of China speaks about Buddhism and history.

Two Chinese professors, Huaiyu Chen and Houbin Liu, delivered a presentation on Buddhist rituals Thursday in Holcombe Hall. The collaborative lectures, titled "Medieval Prayers for the Lantern Ritual from Dunhuang" and "Holidays and Festivals in the Tang and Song China," are the first series for the academic year presented by the Asian Studies program.

The lantern ritual in Buddhism is one of many rituals in world religions, said Chen, who began the lecture. He also lists Diwali or Dipavali in Hinduism, Hanukkah in Judaism and the Shangyuan Festival in Daoism as some common worldwide ritual festivities.

Buddhism is an indigenous tradition and is one of the most influential religions in the world, said Chen at the lecture. "About 70,000 people identify themselves as Buddhists, [and this demographic] includes Asian immigrants and Americans.

Buddha is the center of the religion and was the first person to achieve enlightenment. His name, means "the enlightened one," and he did not plan to found a religion, but sought to seek the truth in the world to end suffering, Chen said.

Buddhism practices began in India and it evolved as it spread through Central Asia, East Asia and Southeast Asia, he said.

Chen discussed the caves of Dunhuang, which was discovered in the 19th century, throughout his presentation, describing it as very special.

"[Dunhuang] is an oasis city located in the Silk Road," Chen said. "Scholars found more than 50,000 manuscripts in the caves that belonged to a monastery."

Chen compared the caves to an art museum. More than 100 caves were found to have preserved art and paintings on the wall. Throughout the presentation, Chen showed photos of the caves and its arts, including a splendid sculpture of a Bodhisattva, a person who shows compassion for others.

Prayers were also an important factor in ritual services, which included calendrical celebrations such as the New Year and the birthday of the Buddha to ceremonies for the complete construction of a temple or for a government office inauguration to the Lantern Festival, Chen said.

The Lantern Festival features a tree of lanterns celebrating the Chinese New Year. The lantern ritual in Dunhuang was held by a local governor or was hosted by a lantern ritual society for the merit of the local people. It was usually held in the first lunar year. The festival recalls a historical memory in which Buddha suffered to save sentient beings by burning his body like a lamp, Chen said.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools