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College and Department of Buddhist Studies, FGU
On the afternoon of June 12, Professor Jack Meng-Tat Chia from the National University of Singapore delivered a special lecture at the Department of Buddhist Studies, titled From Diasporic Dharma to Voices of Southeast Asian Buddhism: Tracing the History of "South China Sea Buddhism." The event was attended by over twenty faculty members and students, including Professors Cheng Wei-yi and Lin Hsin-yi, and was met with great enthusiasm.
Professor Chia began by introducing the research framework of his work Monks in Motion, highlighting how previous scholarship on Southeast Asian Buddhism has often focused on the Theravāda traditions of the Indochinese Peninsula, while neglecting the role of maritime routes in the transmission of Buddhism. He emphasized the transnational and transregional movements of Buddhist monastics and their religious engagements within both Chinese and non-Chinese communities across Southeast Asia, as well as the profound impact these movements had on the survival and transformation of Buddhism in postcolonial nation-states.
Building on this foundation, Professor Chia proposed the theoretical concept of a "South China Sea Buddhist Network," using the mid-20th-century examples of Venerable Chuk Mor of Malaysia, Venerable Yen Pei of Singapore, and Venerable Ashin Jinarakkhita of Indonesia. He illustrated how Chinese Buddhism took on distinct Southeast Asian characteristics through the intersection of monastic migration and Chinese diasporic communities.
The lecture then turned to the development of Buddhism in Singapore. As a multicultural and multireligious society, Singapore is home to diverse Buddhist traditions. Professor Chia focused on Chinese Buddhist practices to exemplify the coexistence and interaction of multiple lineages within the local context.
In conclusion, Professor Chia encouraged young scholars in the audience to move beyond the dichotomy of "Chinese Buddhism" versus "Southeast Asian Buddhism" and to explore the complex interactions between Chinese communities and Southeast Asian Buddhism. He called for more reflective and in-depth research into the pluralistic nature of Buddhism in the region.
Professor Chia began by introducing the research framework of his work Monks in Motion, highlighting how previous scholarship on Southeast Asian Buddhism has often focused on the Theravāda traditions of the Indochinese Peninsula, while neglecting the role of maritime routes in the transmission of Buddhism. He emphasized the transnational and transregional movements of Buddhist monastics and their religious engagements within both Chinese and non-Chinese communities across Southeast Asia, as well as the profound impact these movements had on the survival and transformation of Buddhism in postcolonial nation-states.
Building on this foundation, Professor Chia proposed the theoretical concept of a "South China Sea Buddhist Network," using the mid-20th-century examples of Venerable Chuk Mor of Malaysia, Venerable Yen Pei of Singapore, and Venerable Ashin Jinarakkhita of Indonesia. He illustrated how Chinese Buddhism took on distinct Southeast Asian characteristics through the intersection of monastic migration and Chinese diasporic communities.
The lecture then turned to the development of Buddhism in Singapore. As a multicultural and multireligious society, Singapore is home to diverse Buddhist traditions. Professor Chia focused on Chinese Buddhist practices to exemplify the coexistence and interaction of multiple lineages within the local context.
In conclusion, Professor Chia encouraged young scholars in the audience to move beyond the dichotomy of "Chinese Buddhism" versus "Southeast Asian Buddhism" and to explore the complex interactions between Chinese communities and Southeast Asian Buddhism. He called for more reflective and in-depth research into the pluralistic nature of Buddhism in the region.