Discussing Dāna: A One-Day Symposium on Buddhist Charity

Date
May 3, 2014, 9:00 am6:00 pm
Location
Lewis Library 138

Details

Event Description

Funding provided by the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation, Princeton University Center for the Study of Religion, and Princeton University East Asian Studies Program

Registration: https://csr.princeton.edu/buddhistcharity/

May 3, Saturday, 9:00 am-6:00 pm. Place: Lewis Library 138

Discussing Dāna: A One-Day Symposium on Buddhist Charity

Charity (Sanskrit: dāna, derived from the same Indo-European root as Latin: dōnum, gift) is the most fundamental of all Buddhist virtues, and rituals of donation are important throughout Buddhism. In one of the most commonly performed rites in the Buddhist world, the memorializing of one’s ancestors, the devotee offers purified thoughts or makes a concrete donation to the Buddhist Order and assigns the benefit of the act to the deceased. Beyond ritual, giving goods and sacrificing oneself play a large role in Buddhist philosophy and mythology. Cultivating generosity is part of many articulations of the Buddhist path. Whether cast as a contradictory ideal unattainable even by exceptional beings like Buddhas-to-be or as an everyday form of training, dāna is central to many Buddhist cultures.

This day-long symposium is intended to help develop thinking about dāna from a variety of disciplines, including Buddhist studies, history, ethics, philosophy, ritual studies, and anthropology. Scholars will make short presentations (10 minutes) based on their previously published work and, through discussion throughout the day, consider a range of perspectives. The day’s conversations may be simulcast or disseminated via the web.

Funding provided by the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation, Princeton University Center for the Study of Religion, and Princeton University East Asian Studies Program.