On 16th May 2024, Dr Yixiu Jiang (Leiden University) will give a lecture titled “Dreaming of Buddhahood—Measuring Bodhisattva Progress in Early Mahāyāna”.
This will be a hybrid talk, so everyone is welcome to attend in person or follow along online!
Time: 16/05/2024, 14.30 (2.30pm)
Location: Camelot meeting room (3.30), Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, Blandijnberg 2, 9000 Gent
For registration & link: contact Prof. Charles DiSimone (charles.disimone@ugent.be)
Abstract
The gradual progress toward liberation—the path (mārga)—constitutes a central concern for almost all Buddhist discourse. The bodhisattva path, intended for those who aspire to buddhahood, is commonly presented within a scheme of ten stages or bhūmis. While most scriptures on the ten bhūmis describe a bodhisattva’s progress in terms of his virtues, one unique sūtra—the *Svapnanirdeśa (lit. “Teaching on Dreams”)—instructs bodhisattvas how to determine their current developmental stage through 108 kinds of dreams. This presentation will approach the concept of the bodhisattva bhūmis in early Mahāyāna from the new perspective that the Svapnanirdeśa provides.