Early Adopters: Buddhist Attitudes to Technology

14/05/2008 - 16:00

14 May 2008
16.00 hrs

Lecture by Dr Andrew Glass (Asian Languages and Cultures, University of Washington, Seattle, USA). Numata Chairholder, Leiden University

The invention of any new technology presents established religions with a choice, whether to adopt it, oppose it, or ignore it. This lecture, will look the relationship between Buddhism and technology throughout history. The focus for this investigation will be mainly those technologies connected with the preservation and dissemination of texts. The readiness of the Buddhist tradition to incorporate new technologies finds support in Buddhist literature and is likely to have played a significant role in establishing Buddhism as one of the major religions of the modern world.

Venue
Gravensteen, Pieterskerkhof 6
Leiden, the Netherlands