Past events

Each year we invite a distinguished guest to give our annual Khyentse Lecture in Buddhist Studies. While they are with us, we also arrange other events such as panel discussions with broader themes.

2025: Ann Heirman (Ghent)

"Animals in Daily Monastic Life: between India and China"

Thursday 20th March 2025, 4.10-5.30pm, Martin Hall, New College (and hybrid via Zoom)

In addition to her lecture, we held two panel events during Prof Heirman's visit:

“Animals in Ancient Religious Contexts” panel discussion

Featuring Professor Naomi Appleton and Dr Suzanna Millar from the School of Divinity, Dr Yashaswini Chandra from Edinburgh College of Art, and special guest Professor Ann Heirman from Ghent University. A discussion of how animals feature in ancient texts (Hebrew, Sanskrit and Chinese) and visual culture. 

Workshop: What is Vinaya and how should we study it?

This short workshop brought together scholars from Edinburgh and beyond, including our special guest Prof Ann Heirman from Ghent University, for a discussion of the Vinaya genre. Much more than a simple collection of rules and regulations for monastic life, vinaya has many implications for the study of Buddhist text, history and practice. Featuring reflections from Dr Yael Shiri (Bristol), Dr Upali Sraman (UoE Divinity), Dr Abigail MacBain (UoE Asian Studies) and Prof Naomi Appleton (UoE Divinity).

2024: Jörg B. Quenzer (Hamburg)

"Popular Commentaries on the Lotus Sūtra in Medieval Japan"

We also held a panel discussion on “Buddhism and Metaphor” 

The panel, held from 2.15 to 3.30 pm, was led by Prof Joachim Gentz and featured Prof Quenzer alongside colleagues Professor Naomi Appleton, Dr Ian Astley, and Dr Upali Sraman from Edinburgh Buddhist Studies. The discussion explored metaphors' roles across Buddhist literature and delved into the intricacies of metaphor in Buddhist texts and practices with comparisons to the reflections on metaphors made by Daoism and Confucianism (Prof Gentz), metaphors in Buddhist translation (Prof Appleton), metaphors in Vinaya (Dr Sraman), and issues of interpreting metaphors (Dr Astley).

2023: Rita Langer (Bristol)

“How Buddhists manage demons: the Bahirava puja in Sri Lanka" (talk and film screening)

In addition, we held a panel discussion on Buddhism and Materiality.

2022: Christian Luczanits (SOAS)

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"The Vajradhātu Mandala: Variations on a Theme of Early Esoteric Buddhism"

We organised a roundtable the next day focusing on “The relationship between art and esoteric Buddhism”.

The recording of the lecture is available here. 

Our ad hoc "In Conversation" series brings together scholars to discuss key issues in a roundtable format. Often these are online, or at the very least hybrid, to enable wide participation.

2025: Buddhism and Philosophy

Convened by Dr Tina Röck (Dundee). A discussion about what it could mean to consider philosophy not as a method to probe, analyse, prove or disprove views (i.e. propositions), but a form of (Buddhist) practice. 

2024: Buddhism and Law

A conversation between EBS scholars, and their audience, about the study of Buddhist law. Featuring Dr Roshan de Silva-Wijeyeratne (University of Dundee), Dr Asanga Welikala (University of Edinburgh) and Prof Richard Whitecross (Edinburgh Napier University).

2024: Curating Buddhism: Museum, Pedagogy, and Religious Experience

2023: Classical Languages in Buddhist Studies: How and Why?

Is the study of classical languages a necessary part of Buddhist Studies? Must all “serious” scholars of Buddhism learn Sanskrit, Chinese, Tibetan and more? What are the benefits of language study for the field and for individuals? What are the downsides of prioritising language competence and textual studies over other disciplinary expertise? If languages do remain crucial, how can we ensure the next generation has the opportunity to study them?

About the speakers: 

Naomi Appleton is Professor of Buddhist Studies and Indian Religions, and reads Sanskrit and Pali, as a well as more recently attempting Classical Chinese. While a text-historian by training, she is more interested in the approaches of literary studies and intellectual history. 

Joachim Gentz is Professor of Chinese Philosophy and Religion. As well as having combined training in Sinology, Religious Studies and Philosophy, he also uses Cultural Studies frameworks. He mostly works with Classical Chinese sources. 

Upali Sraman is a new Lecturer in Buddhist Languages and Cultures, appointed with the support of the Khyentse Foundation to teach classical Buddhist languages at the University. He has Sanskrit, Pali and Tibetan (classical and conversational). 

2023: How do we work on Buddhism in PPLS?

Our three colleagues from the School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences for a discussion of how Buddhism has and might be taught and researched within this disciplinary environment held a discussion of how Buddhism has and might be taught and researched within this disciplinary environment on Wednesday 23^rd November at 40 George Square.

Led by:

Takeshi Morisato, newly arrived Lecturer in Non-Western Philosophy, and a specialist in Japanese philosophy

Paul Schweizer, Senior Lecturer in the School of Informatics, a scholar of traditional Indian thought

Yueh Hsin Kuo, teaching fellow in Linguistics, and an expert in the history of Chinese

2022: Eco-Buddhism 

Led by Dr Paul Fuller, his interlocutors were Dr Christopher Ives (Religious Studies, Stonehill College), Dr Saskia Adelle Abrahms-Kavunenko (University of Copenhagen) and Dr Susan Darlington (Deep Springs College, California).

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2021: Shingon Buddhism

The second "in Conversation" session with Edinburgh Buddhist Studies featured Dr Ian Astley and Dr Paulus Kaufmann (Munich) discussing the place of Shingon Buddhism in Buddhist Studies on November 19th 2020 on Teams. The Shingon school of Buddhism is one of the main traditions in Japan, yet it does not feature prominently in many accounts. In this session EBS's Ian Astley hosted Paulus Kaufmann to talk about why they became involved in studying Shingon Buddhism and what they see as its principal value for our studies. 

2020: Why study Buddhist Stories?

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In fall 2020, Edinburgh Buddhist Studies initiated a series of "in conversation" centered on Buddhist thematics and topics. The first session entitled "Why study Buddhist stories" was featuring Dr Naomi Appleton (Edinburgh), Dr Reiko Ohnuma (Dartmouth College), and Dr Andy Rotman (Smith College) discussing why we might want to study Indian Buddhist narrative, and what we learn about Buddhism, stories, and humanity. The event took place on Teams on October 7th 2020. A recording of the session is available online. 

Our annual "Work-in-progress" workshop is designed to foster scholarly exchange and encourage the sharing of preliminary research findings among scholars and PhD students based in the UK. Attendance is restricted to members of ECBS and presenters, so as to ensure a small, collegial conversation.

A key part of our work is looking for ways to preserve the teaching of classical Buddhist languages in the UK.

In September 2024 we held our first ever classical languages summer school, offering intensive beginner language tuition in Pali, Tibetan or Chinese, as well as full-group discussions of more general questions around how we read texts. The event was a great success, offering a chance to learn languages that are very hard to access these days in the UK. The students included current undergraduates and postgraduates from Edinburgh and elsewhere, scholars in various disciplines, and some Buddhist practitioners. We hope to run this event again in 2026.

In June 2025 we hosted a panel at the UK Association for Buddhist Studies, discussing new pedagogies, and strategic ways to collaborate over the provision of languages.

Meanwhile Dr Upali Sraman, our Lecturer in Buddhist Languages and Cultures, generously supported by the Khyentse Foundation, has brought back Sanskrit teaching to the University, and developed an innovative course on Classical Tibetan open to both students and those outside the University.

For more information on our schools outreach activities see our School Teaching page.

Our annual Discovery Day for school pupils is held every June and includes taster lectures, Q&A sessions, and a treasure hunt around the National Museum of Scotland.

We also offer CPD (Continuing Professional Development) events for teachers, including:

2021: Introduction to Key Concepts in Buddhism for RMPS Teachers

This series of talks addresses each area of the Buddhism section of the Nat5/Higher RMPS curriculum. Each session began with a presentation introducing the relevant concepts and some sources that might be used to explore them in the classroom, followed by an open Q&A session. 

The sessions were led by Dr Naomi Appleton (University of Edinburgh) and Dr Chris V. Jones (University of Cambridge). Presentations (though not Q&A discussions) were recorded and are now available on Teaching Buddhism blog. 

2022: Who is the Buddha?

In this series of webinars, we explored some key aspects of Buddhism through the figure of the Buddha. Who was the Buddha? A philosopher or a divine saviour? A unique figure or an example of a goal available to all Buddhists? How does his person relate to his teachings and Buddhist beliefs and practices? And what is his role in our own UK context?

Led by scholars Dr Naomi Appleton (University of Edinburgh) and Dr Chris Jones (University of Cambridge), it was an informative and entertaining tour through Buddhist literature, ideas, and practices, suitable for new and experienced teachers of Buddhism alike. 

All sessions were recorded (without the Q&A) and are now available, including the PowerPoint slides and notes for personal use on the Teaching Buddhism blog. 

2024: Naomi Appleton’s inaugural professorial lecture: “What are Stories For? Answers from the Buddha and Beyond”

Watch on Youtube.

2022: Book Launch for Narrative Visions and Visual Narratives in Indian Buddhism, edited by Dr Naomi Appleton 

We held an online book launch for the volume Narrative Visions and Visual Narratives in Indian Buddhism, edited by Dr Naomi Appleton, and published recently by Equinox.

We organised a rich discussion with the editor, contributors to the volume, and guest reviewers Prof Andy Rotman and Prof Catherine Becker, hosted by Dr Halle O’Neal from the University of Edinburgh.

2022: Storytelling workshops 

We held two storytelling workshops in person for scholars and teachers on the 20^th and 21^st of May, followed by performances from storytellers  Steve Killick and Sita Brand at the end of the afternoon. The workshop for scholars and students was led by Steve Killick to learn some Buddhist tales and acquire storytelling skills to help with teaching and public speaking. It was d time in the process at this small interactive workshop. It was followed by a performance by Steve Killick, telling a range of stories from Buddhist traditions,  introduced and contextualised by scholars from the Edinburgh Buddhist Studies research network. The workshop for school teachers was animated by Steve Killick and Sita Brand to learn how to use storytelling skills in classes. The workshop is focused on Buddhist tales that address key themes and curricular areas. Academics from the EBS network added context to each Buddhist story. It was followed by the storytelling performance "the Perfect moment" by Sita Brand, an autobiographic journey from the temples of Thailand across Asia and Europe. Sita spent her 30s in search of wisdom through Buddhism. This is her story: a cacophony of true stories and traditional folktales. She was born and raised in Bombay. 

2021: Book launch for An Introduction to Engaged Buddhism by Paul Fuller

On Wednesday 3^rd November 2021, EBS organised the book launch of Dr Paul Fuller An Introduction to Engaged Buddhism in person at New College (University of Edinburgh) and online via the Zoom platform. 

The launch featured responses from Dr Naomi Appleton (University of Edinburgh), Prof Richard King (Emeritus, University of Kent) and Pr David Webster (SOAS), as well as reflections from the author himself.

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2021: Art For the Planet: COP 26 Banner on New College Building

Edinburgh Buddhist Studies participated in the Art for the Planet event, creating a Buddhist banner to be hung on the New College building until November 2021. The purpose was to show the engagement of faith communities to support the COP26 in Glasgow and show the strong will to raise awareness of the climate emergency. More information can be found on the University of Edinburgh News Page. 

2021: UKABS Conference: Word, Image, Object, Performance

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The University of Edinburgh and EBS hosted the United Kingdom Association for Buddhist Studies (UKABS) annual conference on the 1st and 2nd of July 2021 with the following theme “Word, Image, Object, Performance.”  The conference was held over Zoom and Gather.Town due to current travel restrictions. The keynotes were delivered by Justin McDaniel (University of Pennsylvania) with his work titled "Cajoleries and Thin Description in the Study of Thai Buddhist Art", and Pamela Winfield (Elon University) with her work "What’s in A Nāma? A Rūpa Would Smell as Sweet: Reflections on Sensational Buddhism". The full program of the conference and the abstracts of the various panels and roundtables are still available on the conference blog. 

Moreover, we held a special workshop for PhD students to present their research work in video or poster format. All the works made by the participants were available on the conference website and on Gather.Town for a live Q&A session. A special prize was attributed to Daniel Borengasser (Harvard University) for his video entitled "Hall of the Lotus King: Sculpture and Multiplicity in Early Medieval Japan" and to Olivia Porter (King's College London) for her poster Who are the Tai Zawti? Hidden in Plain Sight: the Zawti of the Myanmar China Border. 

2019: Edinburgh Buddhist Studies Inaugural Academic Event

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On the first day of November 2019, EBS formally began its academic activities with a round-table discussion, lunch, and review of future plans and possibilities. The discussion centred on the theme of ‘Interdisciplinarity and Buddhist Studies’, and was initiated and Chaired by Professor Joachim Gentz of the Network’s steering committee. Professor Gentz raised a number of searching questions relating to the function, nature, and structure of interdisciplinary scholarship including pertinent queries regarding shared goals and the utility of the vessels used to achieve them, invoking analogies from the stock of Buddhist lore as he did so. We then heard from the assembled members of the Network, several of whom had travelled to attend and give valuable and interesting insights from their respective disciplinary perspectives. Following a brief break for lunch the conversation next turned to the network's plans for the future which revealed many exciting possibilities and challenges.

2019: Visit of Drupon Khen Rinpoche

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September 2019 saw the visit to the University of Edinburgh by the Tibetan Buddhist retreat master and traditional scholar Drupon Khen Rinpoche. EBS were proud to host the eminent Kagyu monk and his team: Kunga his translator; Choden from Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery; and, the University’s Honorary Buddhist Chaplain Ani Rinchen Khandro. An enriching meeting was held between the monastics and members from the EBS committee before a convivial lunch was had in the Rainy hall. This was followed by a well-attended public talk by Drupon Rinpoche on the theme of basic Buddhist principles.

2019: Edinburgh Buddhist Studies Launch Event

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On 6 September 2019, EBS celebrated the launch of the network in the wonderful surroundings of the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street. Our lively event enabled many participants in EBS to come together for the first time over a few refreshments. This included scholars from the Network, visiting scholars attending the symposium ‘Indian Buddhist Narrative: Text and Image’ , academics participating in the ‘Joint East Asian Studies’ conference, representatives of local Buddhist groups, and our gracious hosts for the evening: the specialist curators of the National Museum of Scotland. Many thanks are also due to the Museum for putting on a great ‘after hours’ tour of the new East Asian galleries. We were also treated to a few words from the EBS co-Directors and the Museum’s senior curator for Middle East and South Asia. In sum it was a great start to Edinburgh Buddhist Studies that bodes very well for the future.

2019: ‘Indian Buddhist Narrative: Text and Image’ Symposium

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Organised and hosted by EBS co-Director Dr Naomi Appleton this symposium brought together world-leading Buddhist Studies scholars to explore the multiple interactions evident in a wide range of narrative materials. From cave painting to poetry the synergies and differences between the mediums and modes of the expression of story gave rise to two days of stimulating discussions. Many truly interesting papers, as well as a format that enabled significant peripheral conversations, ensured that this was a memorable occasion.