miércoles, 29 de abril de 2015



Australasian Association of Buddhist Studies (AABS)
Dear list members,

Our next seminar will be at 6:00-7:30pm on Wednesday May 6 in Room S325 of the John Woolley Building, University of Sydney.

We hope you can attend.

Kind regards,
AABS Executive


What is 'Essential Buddhism'? The Winnowed Canon in South Asia

The question of how a person should think and act to promote their self-awakening lies at the heart of Buddhism. The literature on a Buddhist's 'duty', their dharma, is, however, dauntingly large and varied. There is no single set of texts authoritative for all followers of Buddhism, although attempts are constantly made to conceive or promote a sanctioned corpus, a 'canon'. All essentializations of Buddhism were famously rejected by Nāgārjuna; but his own tradition, codified in the Sanskrit language, barely survives today. Why has so little of the Sanskritic corpus, once dominant in South Asia, been transmitted? This seminar focuses on an overlooked moment in the final days of Buddhism in India, when the last monasteries dispatched their libraries across the Himalayas. It explores, using hitherto unstudied material, an almost unthinkable scenario: that most of the 'canon' was deliberately thrown out. All works on the vinaya, which perpetuated the collapsing institution of celibate monasticism, were eliminated in this period. In their place, a mini-canon of scripture suitable for tantric Buddhist householders was propagated, which has defined the surviving Sanskritic tradition up to the present.

Iain Sinclair (M. A.) specialises in the history, literature and art of South Asian Buddhism. He has studied the Sanskritic and Himalayan traditions of Buddhism for several years in Nepal, Hamburg and at Monash University. Recently he edited a peer-reviewed collection of articles in honour of Michael Allen, the distinguished Sydney-based anthropologist.



Centro Cultural e Informativo de la Embajada del Japón en la Argentina

Estimados Exbecarios

Se encuentra abierta la convocatoria para cubrir el cargo de Coordinador en Relaciones Internacionales (CIR) en el JET Programme.
Es un único cupo que tiene la Argentina dentro de este programa y sería para desempeñar labores en la oficina internacional de Saitama.
Los requisitos son: ser argentino, menor de 40 años (puede haber excepciones), egresado universitario, con excelente manejo de castellano, inglés y japonés.
Al interesado, le agradeceré contestar a este mail antes del lunes 27 de abril.
Pueden llamar también.
Si conocen a alguna persona interesada, también les agradeceré el contacto.
Espero sus comentarios.
Saludos.

Noemí Murakami
Centro Cultural e Informativo de la
Embajada del Japón en la Argentina
Bouchard 547, piso 15, CABA, Argentina
Tel: (+54-11)4318-8240


UCLA Asia Institute



UCLA Asia Institute invites you to two events cosponsored with Asia Society Southern California:



In conversation with author James Bradley

Wednesday, April 29, 2015
6:00–8:00 p.m.
Charles E. Young Research Library Conference Room (11360)



ABOUT THE BOOK

From the bestselling author of Flags of our Fathers, Flyboys, and The Imperial Cruise, a spellbinding history of turbulent U.S.-China relations from the 19th century to World War II and Mao’s ascent.

In each of his books, James Bradley has exposed the hidden truths behind America’s engagement in Asia. Now comes his most engrossing work yet. Beginning in the 1850s, Bradley introduces us to the prominent Americans who made their fortunes in the China opium trade. As they—good Christians all—profitably addicted millions, American missionaries arrived, promising salvation for those who adopted Western ways.

And that was just the beginning.

From drug dealer Warren Delano to his grandson Franklin Delano Roosevelt, from the port of Hong Kong to the towers of Princeton University, from the era of Appomattox to the age of the A-Bomb, The China Mirage explores a difficult century that defines U.S.-Chinese relations to this day.

Moderated by R. Bin Wong, Distinguished Professor of History and Director of the Asia Institute at UCLA.

EVENT DETAILS
·         6:00 Registration/Reception
·         6:30 Program
·         7:30 Book signing

Copies of Bradley’s Book The China Mirage will be available for purchase.

Registration required to attend. Donation of $15 suggested.



Dynamic Leaders, Striving Economies and America’s Choice
A conversation among three global thinkers about the new, strong leaders in Asia

Thursday, April 30, 2015
5:30–7:00 p.m.
120 South Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012


The latest event in Asia Society Southern California’s Forecast Asia series features a conversation among three global thinkers about the new, strong leaders in Asia – India’s Narendra Modi, Japan’s Shinzo Abe, China’s Xi Jinping and Indonesia’s Joko Widodo. Join Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer; Mitchell R. Julis, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of Canyon Partners; and Nicolas Berggruen, Chairman of the Berggruen Institute on Governance, to get their insights on what these leaders’ economic plans herald for growth and regional stability and how America should engage them. Bremmer’s latest book, Superpower: Three Choices for America’s Role in the World, will be available for purchase at the event.

PROGRAM AGENDA
  • 4:30–5:30 p.m.: Registration/Refreshments
  • 5:30–7:00 p.m.: Discussion and Q&A

REGISTRATION
·         $50 Asia Society Members and Supporting Organizations (includes UCLA affiliates)
·         $75 General
·         Special Rate $100 to become an Asia Society Member and receive discounts for future events

ADVANCE TICKET PURCHASE REQUIRED

Click here to register. (Deadline: April 29, 2015)

Co-sponsored by USC Dornsife East Asian Studies Center, USC Center on Public Diplomacy, and USC US-China Institute.




Revista Cátedra China


Queridos lectores: tras el éxito de la Gala de los Premios Cátedra China 2014, nos complace publicar un nuevo número de la Revista Cátedra China dedicado por completo a la Gala. Esperamos que sea de vuestro agrado. 


Éxito de los
I Premios Catedra China

El 14 de abril, tuvo lugar en el Hotel Intercontinental de Madrid la Gala de entrega de los I Premios Cátedra China, donde unas 150 personas tanto de instituciones públicas como de empresas privadas y del Claustro de la Cátedra celebramos la entrega de los Premios.

El acto fue inaugurado por el Embajador de España y Presidente de honor de la Cátedra, D. Eugenio Bregolat, junto con el Presidente de Cátedra China D. Marcelo Muñoz en un ambiente cordial, incluso entrañable.

El éxito del acto nos lleva a editar un número especial de la revista dedicado por completo a los premiados la Gala y su repercusión en medios que puedes leer aquí 



 
 
 

 
 
Casa Asia
 
Debates populares en:
 
 
 


 
 
REgina García Pérez
 
 
 
 
 
-El 29 de abril se cumplen diez años del histórico encuentro entre Hu Jintao y Lien Chan que abrió...
 
 

Política taiwanesa: TAIWAN HEBDO nº 17
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

Asian Currents Tumbl

The following article has been posted to the Asian Currents Tumblr:


The proposed arrangements for electing Hong Kong’s leader in 2017 have drawn protests from pro-democracy parties and activists—but there may be some consolations for the democrats.

You can now follow Asian Currents on Twitter at #asiancurrents.




lunes, 27 de abril de 2015


Asia Society Policy Institute
Upcoming Events

Luncheon and Conversation with Dr. Akihiko Tanaka


Wednesday, April 29, 2015
12:00-2:00 PM ET
Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue (at East 70th Street)

Click here for more information and to register »

The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is one of the largest and most influential providers of official development assistance in the world, and the Japanese government’s flagship institution for fostering economic and social growth in developing countries. What does the world have to learn from the aid policies and practices of this large-scale aid organization? And how will JICA respond to changes in the global development agenda? Join JICA President Akihiko Tanaka for a discussion of his organization’s role in Asia and the world and how he plans to tackle development challenges going forward.

Luncheon and Conversation with Madame Cui Yuying and the Hon. Kevin Rudd


Monday, May 4, 2015
12:00-1:30 PM ET
Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue (at East 70th Street)

Click here for more information and to register »

The Asia Society Policy Institute is pleased to welcome Madame Cui Yuying, Vice Minister of the State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China, for a keynote speech on the reforms undertaken by President Xi Jinping and their implications for the U.S.-China relationship. Vice Minister Cui’s speech will be followed by remarks from Asia Society Policy Institute President Kevin Rudd, whose new report U.S.-China: 21 The Future of U.S.-China Relations Under Xi Jinping presents his analysis of the U.S.-China relationship and a strategic framework for its development over the coming decade.


  




New York:
725 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10021
Washington, D.C.:
1526 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

Copyright © 2015 Asia Society, All rights reserved.



Summer Program

Summer Program> Summer Sanskrit Language Intensives at CBS in Kathmandu, June 10 - August 8 [discussion]

Dear List Members,

Summer Sanskrit is once again being offered at Kathmandu University - Centre for Buddhist Studies at Rangjung Yeshe Institute. After offering Beginning Sanskrit for seven years, we are happy to announce the addition of an Intermediate-level Sanskrit course this summer.

The new Intermediate Sanskrit course offers a unique opportunity to learn Sanskrit while working as a class to translate sections of an important Buddhist text, Bhāvanākrama (The Process of Meditation) by Kamalaśīla.  The text was written at the request of the Tibetan Dharma King, Trisong Detsen, following the great debate at Samye, c. 794 CE. In addition to the translation work, students will discuss the text's historical and philosophical context, focusing on the idea of meditation and related concepts at the time of the establishment of Buddhism in Tibet. The instructor, Dr. Martin Adam, is presently revising an earlier translation of this work for publication. Dr. Adam studied Sanskrit at institutions in India, Switzerland and Canada before completing his PhD at McGill University in 2003. He is presently developing and teaching courses in Sanskrit for the Religious Studies Program at the University of Victoria, Canada.
The Beginning Sanskrit course will be taught again this year by Joseph LaRose. In this course, students learn all of the common elements of Sanskrit grammar, made easier by the variety of pedagogical tools the course employs as well as dozens of Joseph’s own resources that he has developed over his years of teaching. Students who complete this course will be well prepared for the next level of Sanskrit. Joseph has been teaching Sanskrit at McMaster University in Canada since 2009. Joseph's own study of Sanskrit began more than twenty years ago in Canada, and since then it has taken him to the United States and Europe. Currently, Joseph is a PhD student at McMaster University writing a dissertation on Indian Buddhist monasticism in the early Common Era. There is nothing he likes more than sharing his extensive knowledge of Sanskrit with the next generation of eager Sanskritists!
The courses also include instruction from a Sanskrit-speaking paṇḍita, Dr. Kashinath Nyaupane, who teaches in accord with traditional methods of Sanskrit learning, introducing both spoken Sanskrit and Sanskrit prosody, via the memorization of important and common Sanskrit meters. Both courses are held at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery, just a few minutes’ walk from the Great Stupa of Boudhanath in the Kathmandu Valley.
For more information, visit:  http://www.ryi.org/summer-intensives

Sincerely,
Joanne Larson
Director of Programs
Kathmandu University
Centre for Buddhist Studies
at Rangjung Yeshe Institute

www.ryi.org

SAI "Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund Heidelberg"

Dear Friends and Colleagues, 

In response to the disastrous earthquake that struck Nepal and the neighboring countries on 25 April, we approach you with the humble request to help and support one of our initiatives. 
The SAI has just set up a temporary “Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund Heidelberg” for this purpose. We appreciate if you spread the word about our initiative, if you find it convincing.

What is this Relief Fund about?

Based on our longtime experience in Nepal, we want to provide both instant help and help with a long-­
-term perspective.  
Since the earthquake, there have been numerous aftershocks, and even another earthquake just a few hours ago. People across the country, in the cities and the countryside, lack medical help, there are talks about contaminated groundwater in wells, and the human and cultural aftermaths only surface now, and will over the next weeks and months. Increasingly, some help and expertise reaches the sites of disaster.  
Since the 1960s, the South Asia Institute has several research activities spread across different disciplines and themes, among which are earthquakes, urbanization, ritual and textual studies, and history. Our branch office, established in 1987, is based in Sanepa, Patan, a part of Kathmandu, and run by Nadine Plachta, M.A. She is one guarantee for the funds to arrive safely. All our contacts are personal. 
1. Support groups in need for instant help  
In this light, we realize how important it is to instantly contribute to the relief ofhuman suffering. One of our friends Pushpa Basnet (CNN 2012 hero), is running a children’s home called ‘early Childhood Development Center’ in Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu. The residential home that was being newly built for the children and teenagers, was badly damaged in the context of the earthquake and right now, the children are put in a plastic greenhouse (photo).  

  
left: Pushpa Basnet to the left, with the children from the home.
“ECDC is dedicated to helping the children of imprisoned parents in Nepal, many of whom were living inside the jails alongside their mothers. This is no place for children and we are committed to giving them the shelter and education needed to break the cycle of crime and poverty. ECDC's Butterfly home provides these children a safe and nurturing environment where they can spread their wings to discover a brighter future.” (ECDC website)
Since there are other organisations related to the support of people in need in the earthquake context, who might be in instant need of support, we appeal to your trust that we also take the liberty to donate to such recipients in case we hear of their urgent need. We will try to inform you about this, if you let us know that you would like to know. Our friends and colleagues at the site will ensure the clean and direct transfer of money.
2. Long-term reconstruction work needed
Along with the other royal palace squares in Bhaktapur and Kathmandu, Patan Darbar Square is part of UNESCO world heritage. It is a major attraction for international tourism, a crucial economic motor for the small country. But it is also a nodal point for the local cultural intangible and tangible heritage of the Kathmandu Valley’s rich and long history and religious traditions. Until today, the Patan Darbar Square is less a museum but a place for all, lived, loved and vibrant. People identify with it, it is a space where deities live(d), and humans mingle.
Based on our own research experience in Kathmandu, we are also aware of the importance of tangible and intangible heritage there, not only for tourism but for the ritual, social and cultural life of the local communities. Many conversations we have had in the last hours, with friends who survived, were marked by the relief to have been saved, along with most family members, but also by the worries about the collapsed temples, the deities who are now equally homeless as the humans.
This is why we want to collect money that will directly go towards the reconstruction of Patan DarbarSquare, one of the places where the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT.org) whose dedicated and professional team we know since decades is situated.
Cynical as it seems but the KVPT has been majorly involved in the preservation and reconstruction of many sites that now have collapsed.
“The Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT) was founded in 1991 with the mission to safeguard the extraordinary and threatened architectural heritage of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. The negative impact of today’s development pressures poses a threat not only to individual monuments but to the future of public space and urban life in the valley at large.
Over the past two decades, KVPT has saved over 50 historic buildings including temples, step-wells, monasteries, palaces, and homes, and has launched three major campaigns for preservation on an urban scale. KVPT collaborates with community groups, local and international specialists, educational institutions, and the Department of Archaeology of the Government of Nepal. Restoration and conservation operations have initiated key research and training programs, and the KVPT office in Patan Darbar Square has become a resource center for architecture and urbanism in Nepal.” (From KVPT.org)

  
We can grant reliability in how the money will be used towards restoration of the dilapidated structures.Since Nepal depends to a great extent on tourism, we must make sure that this central source of income is guaranteed as fast and professionally done as possible. But we also want to make sure that the rich local social and ritual life is restored, along with the hope thereof, since this will last many years. Moreover, we want to use our regional competence to help the Nepali people and their unique heritage. And we want you to know that you can trust that the money you donate is securely invested.
If you want to donate, please transfer it to
Vereinigung der Freunde und Förderer des Südasien-­-Instituts e.V.
Sparkasse Heidelberg
Stichwort/title: “Erdbeben Nepal”, or, if you want to specify your donation, add: “child
-help” or “longterm reconstruction”
IBAN: DE37 6725 0020 0001 3006 95
SWIFT
-BIC: SOLADES1HDB
A Spendenbescheinigung/donation receipt will be issued on request. If you let us know your email address, you will be regularly informed about our relief.
Heidelberg, 27. April 2015
Manik Bajracharya, Christiane Brosius, Martin Gieselmann, Niels Gutschow, Rajan Khatiwoda, Axel Michaels, Marcus Nüsser, Nadine Plachta