Thursday, March 28, 2024 11am to 12:20pm
About this Event
3651 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90089
#Korea, Korean, Buddhism, ReligionThursday, March 28, 2024 | 11:00AM-12:20PM | ZHS 252 | RSVP
The status of Buddhism as a traditional religion has undergone many changes in the modern era, both institutionally and culturally. Recent history reveals a greater tension than ever before. Following the remarkably improved economic situation of the 1970s, the religious community also grew with the increasingly prosperous social foundations. The previously under-resourced bhikṣuṇī community gained new vitality in this process, resulting in a dramatic improvement in its material well-being. Individual bhikṣuṇī were able to participate in activities that were previously unimaginable, such as receiving higher education, earning doctorates and professorships, and establishing mega temples. Their social visibility increased accordingly.
This lecture will showcase the practice of contemporary Korean bhikṣuṇī, providing a preliminary overview of this lesser-known community of religious women. It will cover aspects of their monastic life beginning with the ordination ceremony, and discuss the current challenges and future tasks of the Korean bhikṣuṇī sangha. Ultimately, the talk hopes to shed more light on the role of women in Korean Buddhism and how they continue to shape the history of the tradition.
Eun Su Cho (趙恩秀, Ph.D., Buddhist Studies, University of California, Berkeley) is professor emeritus of Buddhist philosophy in the Department of Philosophy at Seoul National University, South Korea. Currently a visiting professor at Yale University (2023-2024), her area of interests are East Asian Buddhism, Korean philosophy, and gender in Buddhism. Her publications include the monograph Language and Meaning: Buddhist Interpretations of "The Buddha's Word" in Indian and East Asian Perspectives, journal articles such as Repentance as a Bodhisattva Practice: Wonhyo on Guilt and Moral Responsibility," and an edited volume, Korean Buddhist Nuns and Laywomen. Most recently, she has published a book entitled Buddhism, Modernity, and the Discovery of Women (in Korean) on Buddhist women during the modern period, which was selected as an Outstanding Book by the National Academy of Sciences in Korea in 2023.
This event is organized by the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures and is sponsored by USC's School of Religion, the Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religions and Culture, the Korean Heritage Library, and the East Asian Studies Center.
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