Course Description

Visual art has long played a central role in conveying Buddhist teachings. As Buddhism spread across Asia, symbolic art forms emerged to enrich rituals, meditation practices, and spiritual growth. The transmission of Buddhism to China during the Eastern Han dynasty not only reshaped Chinese spirituality but also profoundly influenced the country’s cultural and artistic development. This course explores the historical origins, evolution, and cultural impact of Chinese Buddhist art. Through the analysis of artifacts discovered along Silk Road routes, we explore how the spread and adaptation of Buddhism are reflected in these cultural treasures. By examining religious monuments, artifacts, sculptures, and paintings, we trace the interactions between ancient material cultures—Greco-Roman, Persian, Indian, Central Asian, and Chinese—and their contributions to the development of Buddhist artistic expression.

The course is divided into two parts: Part 1 (Lectures 1-6) focuses on Indo-Chinese cultural exchange through six key themes, while Part 2 examines China’s influence on Buddhist art across Asia, including South Asia, Southeast Asia, Japan, Korea, and Tibet. Designed to foster a dynamic learning experience, the course encourages students to explore the connections between Buddhist art, mindfulness, and cross-cultural exchange. Students will learn to apply traditional aesthetics to modern life and reflect on their role in spiritual practice and mindful living.

[A half-day compulsory field trip will be arranged during Reading Week.]

Course Learning Outcomes

On completing the course, students will be able to:

1. Critical Perspective on Cultural Interconnectedness: Students will analyze and articulate the complexities of Buddhist art across different cultures, demonstrating a critical understanding of how cultural practices and beliefs influence one another in a globalized world.
2. Cultural Appreciation and Sensitivity: Students will reflect on their own cultural backgrounds while developing an appreciation for the rich diversity of Buddhist art forms, fostering respect for cultural differences and interrelatedness.
3. Intellectual Skills Development: Students will enhance key intellectual skills such as critical thinking, research, and analysis by engaging with complex texts and artworks, preparing them for further disciplinary studies and informed discussions.
4. Integration of Mindfulness in Daily Life: Students will explore the application of mindfulness principles derived from Buddhist art in their daily lives, promoting personal well-being and encouraging thoughtful engagement with community issues.

Offer Semester and Day of Teaching

Second semester (Wed)

Buddhist Elements in Early Chinese Art 

• Huntington, S. L. (1990). Early Buddhist art and the theory of aniconism. Art Journal, 49(4). 401-408.
• Wu, H. (1986). Buddhist elements in early Chinese art (2nd and 3rd centuries AD). Artibus Asiae, 47(3/4), 263-352. 

From Buddhist Stupa to Chinese Pagoda 

• Kim, Y. -J. (2024). From Stūpa to Pagoda: Re-Examining the Sinification and Transformation of Buddhist Monuments from Indian Origins. Religions, 15(6), 640.
• Leidy, D. P. (2008). The Art of Buddhism: An Introduction to Its History & Meaning (1st ed.). Boston: Shambhala. [Chap. 1]

The Space of Living and Performing Ritual 

• Howard, A. F. (2015). On “Art in the Dark” and Meditation in Central Asian Buddhist Caves. The Eastern Buddhist New Series, 46(2), 19-39.
• Sharf, R. (2013). Art in the dark: the ritual context of Buddhist caves in Western China. Art of merit: studies in Buddhist art and its conservation, 38-65. 

Chinese Painting and Narrative Story Telling 

• Dehejia, V. (1990). On modes of visual narration in early Buddhist art. The Art Bulletin, 72(3), 374-392.
• March, B. A. (1927). Note on Perspective in Chinese Painting. The China Journal VII, 2, 69–72.
• Murray, J. K. (1995). Buddhism and early narrative illustration in China. Archives of Asian Art, 48, 17-31. 

Chinese Sculpture and Stone Steles 

• Wong, D. C. (2004). Chinese Steles: Pre-Buddhist and Buddhist Use of a Symbolic Form. University of Hawai’i Press. [Chaps. 1 & 3]
• Zwalf, W. (Ed.). (1985). Buddhism–Art and Faith. New York: Macmillan. [Chap. 3]

The Art of Buddhist Writing Culture 

• Galambos, I. (2020). Dunhuang Manuscript Culture: End of the First Millennium (Vol. 22). Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. [Introduction]
• Rong, X., & Valerie, H. (1999). The nature of the Dunhuang library cave and the reasons for its sealing. Cahiers d’Extrême-Asie, 11(1), 247-275.
• Whitfield, S. (2007). The Dunhuang manuscripts: from cave to computer. Books in Numbers. Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of the Harvard-Yenching Library. Cambridge, Massachusetts. [pp. 113-140]

Southeast Asian Buddhist Expressions 

• Fisher, R. E. (1993). Buddhist Art and Architecture. New York: Thames and Hudson. [Chap. 4]
• Foucher, A., Thomas, L. A., & Thomas, F. W. (1917). The beginnings of Buddhist art and other essays in Indian and Central-Asian archaeology. London: Humphrey Milford. [Chap. 7]

Sri Lanka: A Tapestry of Buddhist Heritage 

• Fisher, R. E. (1993). Buddhist Art and Architecture. New York: Thames and Hudson. [Chap. 1]
• Zwalf, W. (Ed.). (1985). Buddhism–Art and Faith. New York: Macmillan. [Chap. 9]

Korean Art: Tradition and Transformation 

• Fisher, R. E. (1993). Buddhist Art and Architecture. New York: Thames and Hudson. [Chap. 3]
• Harrell, M. (1995). Sokkuram: Buddhist monument and political statement in Korea. World archaeology, 27(2), 318-335.
• Zwalf, W. (Ed.). (1985). Buddhism–Art and Faith. New York: Macmillan. [Chaps. 15 & 16]

Japanese Art: Tradition and Beyond Representation 

• Holcombe, C. (1999). Trade-Buddhism: Maritime trade, immigration, and the Buddhist landfall in early Japan. Journal of the American Oriental Society: 280-292.
• Leidy, D. P. (2008). The Art of Buddhism: An Introduction to Its History & Meaning (1st ed.). Boston: Shambhala. [Chap. 5] 

Tibetan Buddhist Art: A Spiritual Odyssey 

• Leidy, D. P. (2008). The Art of Buddhism: An Introduction to Its History & Meaning (1st ed.). Boston: Shambhala. [Chap. 7]
• Zwalf, W. (Ed.). (1985). Buddhism–Art and Faith. New York: Macmillan. [Chap. 7]

The Spirit of Enlightenment: Artistic Dialogues in Buddhist Heritages 

• Kenderdine, S. (2013). “Pure Land”: Inhabiting the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang. Curator: The Museum Journal, 56(2), 199-218.
• Leidy, D. P. (2008). The Art of Buddhism: An Introduction to Its History & Meaning (1st ed.). Boston: Shambhala. [Chap. 15]