THIS IS AN IN-PERSON EVENT AND WILL NOT BE LIVE STREAMING.
LECTURE ABSTRACT
Despite evidence that food storage and preparation occurred within early Indian Buddhist monasteries, there are indications of debates about the extent of monastic involvement in these activities. The Vinayas (monastic codes) contain several sets of prohibitions and limitations concerning cooking and related tasks. Many of these regulations appear impractical and occasionally contradictory. This talk interprets these rules within their social contexts and explains their reception in medieval China, arguing that they, serving as expressions of social attitudes and stances, reflect various practical concerns, including intra-communal hierarchy, the utilization of monastic labor, and the tension between monastic ideals and practicalities.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Yi (Allan) Ding is Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at DePaul University, specializing in Dunhuang Studies, Sino-Tibetan Buddhism, and Buddhist rituals. His forthcoming book, Observances, Feasts, and Scripts: The Varieties of Zhai in Chinese Buddhism from the Second to the Tenth Century, is slated for publication in 2026. Currently, he is engaged in a comparative study of Northern Chan texts from Dunhuang.
SPONSORSHIP
This event is co-sponsored with The Buddhist Studies Club at the University of Chicago.
PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEOGRAPHY
Please note that there may be photography taken during this educational event by the University of Chicago Center for East Asian Studies for archival and publicity purposes. By attending this event, participants are confirming their permission to be photographed and the University of Chicago’s right to use, distribute, copy, and edit the recordings in any form of media for non-commercial, educational purposes, and to grant rights to third parties to do any of the foregoing.
