From Abhidhamma to Abhidharma: Early Buddhist Scholasticism in India, Central-Asia, and China

Dates: July 08 – 09, 2013
Venue: "Het Pand", Conference Centre of Ghent University, Onderbergen 1, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
Organizers: The Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies of Ghent University, Belgium, and Dharma Drum Buddhist College, Taiwan.
Conference Theme:
The conference focuses on the Indian origin of Buddhist philosophical systems as they were constructed through rational inquiry, as well as on the way these Indian systems developed in the Central-Asian and Chinese cultural contexts.
Conference Goal:
Although Abhidharma systems, i.e., early Buddhist philosophical systems as they originated in India and developed in Central-Asia and China, are the fundament of the philsophies of the different Buddhist schools in these different regions of the world, they are mostly studied from the angle of and in function of understanding one of these different developed schools. It is the aim of this conference to bring together different scholars in the field of Buddhist studies who either study the origin and development of Abhidharma systems, or the philosophical development of mature Buddhist schools. This will enable a developmental and comparative approach to understanding the value of Abhidharma systems.
Conference Fee:
There is no conference fee for paper presenters. In addition, presenters will receive free coffee breaks, two lunches, and one dinner.
For participants who do not present a paper, there is a 70 Euros conference fee, which covers meals and coffee breaks. Please contact Bart Dessein for Vegetarian meal.

Keynote speakers:

Johannes Bronkhorst (Université de Lausanne, Switzerland)
Bhikkhu K. L. Dhammajoti (University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong )

Presenters:

Lance Cousins (Oxford University, UK)abstract
Siglinde Dietz (University of Göttingen, Germany)abstract
Rupert Gethin (University of Bristol, UK) abstract
Weijen Teng (Dharma Drum Buddhist College, Taiwan) abstract
Tse-fu Kuan (Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan, Taiwan)abstract
Kin-tung Yit (National Sun Yat Sen University, Taiwan) abstract
Tamara Ditrich (Nan Tien Institute, Berkeley, Australia) abstract
Vered Lamm-Naon (Tel Aviv University, Israel)abstract
Marie-Hélène Gorisse (Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies)
Zhihua Yao (The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) abstract
Juan Wu (University of Tokyo, Japan)abstract
Tillo Detige (Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies)
Goran Kardaš (University of Zagreb, Croatia) abstract
Chen-kuo Lin (National Chengchi University, Taiwan)abstract
Ching Keng (National Chengchi University, Taiwan) abstract
Yao-ming Tsai (National Taiwan University, Taiwan)abstract
Jowita Kramer (University of Munich, Germany)abstract
Ann Heirman (UGent, Belgium)
Stefan Baums (University of Munich, Germany)abstract
Ingo Strauch (Université de Lausanne, Switzerland)abstract
Collett Cox (University of Washington, Seattle)abstract
Thomas Jülch (Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies)
Eric Greene (University of Bristol, UK)abstract
Max Deeg (University of Cardiff, UK)abstract
Robert Kritzer (Kyoto Notre Dame University Kyoto, Japan) and Elizabeth Kenney (Kansai Gaidai University, Osaka, Japan)abstract
Christophe Vielle (Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium)
Esler Dylan (Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium) abstract
Tatiana Ermakova (Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia)abstract
Jean-Marie Verpoorten (University of Liège)
Danny Praet (UGent)
Christophe Vielle (Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium)
Tom De Rauw (UGent, Belgium)

Monday, 8 July 2013
Time	Programme
09:30 ~ 10:00	Registration
10:00 ~ 10:10	Opening Address
10:10 ~ 11:00	Keynote Speech 1: Johannes Bronkhorst (Université de Lausanne, Switzerland): “Abhidharma and Indian Thinking”
11:00 ~ 11:30	Coffee Break
11:30 ~ 13:00	Session 1: Early Indian Abhidharma (I) Lance Cousins (Oxford University, UK): “Sanskrit abhidharma literature of the Mahāvihāravāsins” Siglinde Dietz (University of Göttingen, Germany): “Some Theravāda Abhidhamma and Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma terms: research into the development and differentiation.” Rupert Gethin (University of Bristol, UK): “The Good, the Bad and the Undetermined: Reflections on the Theravāda, Sarvāstivāda and Yogācāra listing of dharmas”
13:00 ~ 14:00	Lunch
14:00 ~ 15:30	Session 2: Early Indian Abhidharma (II) Chair: Weijen Teng (Dharma Drum Buddhist College) Tse-fu Kuan (Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan, Taiwan): “The Ańgutta Nikāya and Abhidharma” Kin-tung Yit (National Sun Yat Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan): “The rūpa-kalāpa and meditation in the Theravada Abhidharma Tradition” Tamara Ditrich (Nan Tien Institute, Berkeley, Australia): “Interpretations of the terms ajjhattaṃ and bahiddhā in the Abhidhamma”
15:30 ~ 16:30	Session 3: Sarvāstivāda and Mūlasarvāstivāda Abhidharma Chair: Marie-Hélène Gorisse (Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies) Zhihua Yao (The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong): “The Sautrāntika-Sarvāstivāda Controversy on the Cognition of Nonexistent Objects” Juan Wu (University of Tokyo, Japan): “Interpretations of the “Rootless Faith” of the Patricide Ajātaśatru in the *Abhidharma-mahāvibhāṣā[-śāstra] and Other Relevant Sources”
16:30 ~ 17:00	Coffee Break
17:00 ~ 18:30	Session 4: Madhyamaka and Yogācāra Chair: Tillo Detige (Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies) Goran Kardaš (University of Zagreb, Croatia): “Madhyamaka in Abhidharma śāstras: The case of Harivarman’s *Tattvasiddhi” Chen-kuo Lin (National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan): “Truth and Liberation in Abhidharma and Chinese Yogācāra: On the theory of svalakṣaṇa and sāmānyalakṣaṇa” Ching Keng (National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan): “The Refutation of the Permanence (Nityatva) of Atoms (Paramāṇu) in Dharmapāla’s Guang bail un shi lun (A Commentary on the Catuśataka)”
19:30 ~	Conference Dinner

Tuesday, 9 July 2013
Time	Programme
09:10 ~ 10:00	Keynote Speech 2: Bhikkhu K. L. Dhammajoti (The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong): “Saṃghabhadra's contribution to our understanding of Abhidharma”
10:00 ~ 11:00	Session 5: Vasubandhu and the Abhidharmakośa Chair: Goran Kardaš (University of Zagreb, Croatia) Tsai Yao-ming (National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan): “Perspectives on the Person and the Self in Vasubandhu’s Abhidharmakośa” Jowita Kramer (University of Munich, Germany): “Sources of Vasubandhu’s Pańcaskandhaka and Its Three Commentaries”
11:00 ~ 12:30	Session 6: Buddhism in Gāndhāra Chair: Ann Heirman (Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies) Collett Cox (University of Washington, Seattle): “Commentarial Exegesis and the Development of Abhidharma: Evidence from the Early Buddhist Gāndhārī Manuscripts” Stefan Baums (University of Munich, Germany): “Buddhist Stages of Liberation and Their Uses in Early Gandhāran Scholastic Literature” Ingo Strauch (Université de Lausanne, Switzerland): “Abhidharmic elements in an early Mahāyāna sutra from Gandhāra”
12:30 ~ 13:30	Lunch
13:30 ~ 15:30	Session 7: Abhidharma in China Chair: Thomas Jülch (Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies) Eric Greene (University of Bristol, UK): “Early Chinese Interpretations of Pratītyasamutpāda: Sense perception and desire in the translations of An Shigao and the writings of his Chinese followers” Max Deeg (University of Cardiff, UK): “Abhidharma-Texts and Xuanzang’s Xiyu-ji” Robert Kritzer (Kyoto Notre Dame University Kyoto, Japan) and Elizabeth Kenney (Kansai Gaidai University, Osaka, Japan): “Jingying Huiyuan on aśubhabhāvanā” Weijen Teng (Dharma Drum Buddhist College, Jinshan, Taiwan): “Kuiji's Abhidharmic Recontextualization of Chinese Buddhism.”
15:30 ~ 16:00	Coffee Break
16:00 ~ 17:00	Session 8: Abhidharma in Tibet and Japan Chair: Christophe Vielle (Université Catholique de Louvain) Esler Dylan (Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium): “Traces of Abhidharma in the bSam-gtan-mig-sgron (Tibet, 10th century)” Tatiana Ermakova (Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia): “The Japanese Scholar Unrai Wogihara as Participant of the Russian Abhidharma Project”
17:00 ~ 19:00	Panel: “Louis de La Vallée Poussin: Life and Work” panel organizers: Christophe Vielle (Université Catholique de Louvain) Ann Heirman(Ghent University) Speakers: Christophe Vielle (UCL):“The works of Louis de La Vallée Poussin: A Thematic overview” Jean-Marie Verpoorten (ULg):“The Work[s] of Louis de La Vallée Poussin as seen in the Review-articles of his Contemporaries” Danny Praet (Ghent University): “Louis de La Vallée Poussin and Franz Cumont: “Faculty politics and the scientific views of two colleagues on the interaction between ancient Greece, Rome, Persia and India” Tom De Rauw (UGent) and Ann Heirman (UGent): “The importance of Louis de La Vallée Poussin for Ghent University and beyond”

By Air:

International flights either arrive at Brussels National Airport (most flights) or at Brussels South Charleroi Airport (most low cost companies). From Brussels National Airport, there is an hourly direct train to Ghent. The journey takes about one and a half hours. A faster way is to take the Airport Express train from Brussels National Airport to Brussels South station (about 20 minutes / four trains an hour), and change trains there (See below).

By international trains:

All international trains arrive in Brussels South station (French: Bruxelles-Midi; Dutch: Brussel-Zuid).

From Brussels South station to Ghent:

There are a few trains each hour that bring you directly to Ghent. These are the trains destined for Oostende (Dutch) / Ostende (French) and the trains destined for Knokke-Blankenberge (Dutch and French). The journey takes about 40 minutes.

Each paper presenter will be reimbursed for hotel costs up to 300 Euros. We advise you to book your hotel rooms at your earliest convenience. Below are the links to the recommended hotels' websites:

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