Embodied Virtue: Self-Sacrifice of the Bodhisattva in Early Buddhist Narrative

Submitted by the Event Organizer

The Center for the Arts & Religion (CARe) at the Graduate Theological Union invites you to an online lecture on visual depictions of the life of the Buddha Shakyamuni.

CARe’s Post Doctoral Fellow in East Asian Art & Religion, Dr. Dessi Vendova, will be giving a presentation of her recent work on the life of the Buddha.

Visual representations of the Buddha Shakyamuni’s extended biography have a ubiquitous presence at early Buddhist sites such as stupas and rock-cut cave temples and played an important part in the spread of Buddhism. This phenomenon started in India, and spread and developed beyond its lands, with a significant and revolutionary impact on the cultures it reached.

This talk will focus on narrative and visual depictions of previous life stories (jataka) in which the Bodhisattva (the-Buddha-to-be) performed extreme acts of generosity that involved acts of bodily self-sacrifice.

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.