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As part of the Permanent Training in Buddhist Studies lecture series, Prof. Osmund Bopeararchchi (University of Lens) delivered a talk titled “Greek gods in Gandhāran Buddhist art: How are images copied and reinterpreted” on Tuesday, 22 April 2025, at the Faculty Library of Arts and Philosophy, Ghent University.

Prof. Bopearachchi opened his lecture by outlining the historical context of the Gandhāra region, a unique cultural crossroads shaped by the Greek presence north of the Hindu Kush mountains following Alexander the Great’s conquests. He then explored how Greek motifs were incorporated into Gandhāran Buddhist art, demonstrating the influence through elements such as realistic facial expressions, Corinthian columns, Hellenistic furniture, clothing, and ornamentation. These were contrasted with artistic representations found in production centers south of the Hindu Kush, highlighting regional stylistic differences.

The lecture then turned to the presence of Greek deities in Gandhāran art. Among them was Tyche (Fortuna), the goddess of success, who often appeared as the genius loci—the protective spirit of a city. Another significant example was Heracles, who was reinterpreted as Vajrapāṇi, the protector of the Buddha, typically shown wielding a thunderbolt in place of his traditional club.

The talk concluded with a discussion on the Dionysian cult of viticulture and wine consumption. Prof. Bopearachchi shared his recent research identifying scenes of joyful wine-drinkers not merely as bacchic revelry, but as representations of gandharvas—celestial musicians and dancers from the demigod realm in Buddhist cosmology.

Siqi Tang is a visting PhD student sponsored by the China Scholarship Council (CSC) within the Department of Languages and Cultures at Ghent University. She holds a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from Chongqing University and is currently pursuing a PhD in Landscape Architecture at Chongqing University. Her research interests include Chinese urban history, Chinese landscape history, Chinese scenic heritage, and digital humanistic methods.

Her current research project “Research on the Influence of Buddhism on the Historical ‘City-Mountain’ Landscape in Southwest China“, supervised by Prof. Dr. Christoph Anderl, systematically investigates Buddhist cultural landscapes, urban monasteries, pagodas, and rock carvings—and their mechanisms in shaping historical urban forms with a focus on Southwest China.  By analyzing these elements, the research aims to uncover the socio-cultural roots of Buddhism’s localization, deepen our understanding of the relationship between traditional Chinese religions and urban development, and enhance interpretative frameworks for religious-cultural landscapes. The findings will hold significance for guiding the preservation of relevant historical heritage sites and advancing interdisciplinary discourse on religious geography and urban history.

Jing Liu is a visting PhD student within the Department of Languages and Cultures at Ghent University. She holds a Master’s degree from Shanghai University and is currently pursuing a PhD there. Her current research project “Bide 比德: A Study on the Premodern Chinese Approach to the Integration of Morality and Aesthetics–An Examination of the Interaction between Confucian and Buddhist Aesthetics“, supervised by Prof. Dr. Christoph Anderl, explores the Confucian tradition of bide and its theoretical manifestations in literature and art, with a particular focus on the interaction between Confucian and Buddhist aesthetics as a key case study. In the history of ancient Chinese thought, bide 比德 initially existed as a universal mode of thinking with anthropological significance, referring to the association of certain human behaviors or concepts with the characteristics of natural entities. In ancient times, bide was closely associated with Confucian moral thought. However, the literary and artistic concepts that emerged from it gradually exhibited characteristics that diverged from morality and could be identified as aesthetic phenomena. Accordingly, the project will explore how bide evolved into a tradition that integrates morality and aesthetics.

As part of the Permanent Training in Buddhist Studies lecture series, on March 11th, Lyce Jankowski and Lara Bauden from the Royal Museum of Mariemont took us through their fascinating research on the museum’s Buddhist art collection. This collection, founded by Raoul Warocqué in the early 20th century, includes treasures from regions like Gandhara, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Japan, and Nepal. Despite its richness, many of these pieces had been poorly documented—until now!

Through meticulous provenance research, they’ve uncovered surprising findings, shedding new light on the identification and dating of these artworks. Don’t miss the ongoing exhibition Sensing the Buddha, where you can experience a selection from this remarkable collection. While displayed in a secular space, the exhibition deeply respects the sacred nature of these objects.

Mengqiu Tian is PhD candidate in Buddhist Studies within the Department of Languages and Cultures at Ghent University. Her research project “Vignettes of the Life of the Buddha at Dunhuang during the Tang and Five Dynasties“, supervised by Prof. Dr. Daniela De Simone and Prof. Dr. Christoph Anderl, explores the portrayal of episodes of the Buddha’s life in the Dunhuang grottoes.

Mengqiu Tian has completed her Master study of Kunstgeschichte Ostasiens and Sinologie at Heidelberg Universität. He conducted fieldwork at Dunhuang grottoes (09, 2021) and the musée Guimet (01, 2022) funded by Heinz-Götze travel grant and was a one-year visitor of SOAS, University of London. Visited the Stein’s collection at the British Museum.

On January 27, 2025, GCBS researcher Xiaoxiao Xu defended his PhD dissertation titled “The Poet–Monk Taixu and His Imagery World,” written within the framework of the joint PhD program between Ghent University (supervisor Prof. Dr. Ann Heirman) and the University of Perugia (supervisor Prof. Dr. Ester Bianchi).  The examination committee consisted of Prof. Dr. Ji Zhe (INALCO), Prof. Dr. Heng (Michael) Chen (UGent), and Dr. Mariia Lepneva (UGent).

Taixu 太虛 (1890–1947) is well-known to scholarship as an advocate of radical reforms of the Buddhist community and the author of the concept of “Buddhism of the human realm.” Xiaoxiao Xu’s dissertation revealed that, beyond these achievements, Taixu possessed yet another identity—a poet-monk. Through literature studies methodology, the author established that Taixu’s poetical creativity often went beyond presenting his religious views. Instead, the great Buddhist leader was inclined to use his verses for expressing his personal thoughts and emotions. This makes his poetry a valuable entry point for understanding his personality.

(2) “Tracing Macro-cyclical Change Through Micro-cycles in Historical Chinese”

GCBS reading group activities began on November 8 this year. PhD student Longyu Zhang presented her preliminary reading of narrative passages from Dharmaguptaka-vinaya, with a focus on the use of modal markers in these texts. Longyu began by introducing the terminological apparatus she uses for analysing necessity, possibility, and volition. During the rest of the session, we immersed ourselves in the analysis of specific examples, narrowing down our interpretations as we got acquainted with the unfolding of the story.