Buddhism in Ancient Gandhara (Afghanistan)

Khyentse Foundation, Nov. 10, 2022; Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

The golden face of the Scythian Prince Siddhartha, the Buddha (Mes Aynak, Afghanistan)

The Goodman Lectures: Buddhism in Ancient Gandhara and Recent Manuscript Discoveries

(Khyentse Foundation) The Goodman Lectures. Professor Mark Allon of the University of Sydney presented this talk on October 22, 2022.

• Gandhāran Buddhist texts

Several major collections of Buddhist manuscripts from ancient Buddhist Gandhara (present-day northern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan [both of which were parts of India before Partition in 1947]) have come to light over the past three decades.

The oldest of these are the Gandhari [language] manuscripts, which date from approximately the 1st century BCE to the 3rd century CE, making them the earliest Buddhist manuscripts yet found.

After a historical survey of Buddhism in Gandhara (Central Asia), including local artistic innovations and the importance of the region in the spread of Buddhism to Central Asia and China, this lecture highlights:

• recent manuscript discoveries,
• the impact they are having on our understanding of Buddhism,
• the new technologies that make collaboration and digital repatriation possible.

ABOUT: Khyentse Foundation has organized this series. These online offerings by leading Buddhist Studies scholars are called "The Goodman Lectures." They are organized in honor of long-time Khyentse Foundation friend and advisor Professor Steven D. Goodman (1945–2020), whose enduring vision to make academic talks available to people beyond the classroom inspired Khyentse Foundation and its friends in academia to share their Buddhist knowledge and insight with a general audience.

The views expressed in the Goodman Lectures are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Khyentse Foundation. For more information, visit: khyentsefoundation.org/the-go..., khyentsefoundation.org/events.