Les amateurs de cinéma japonais connaissent les films de Tora-san, dont l’un des personnages est l’abbé du temple de Taishaku-ten dans le quartier populaire de Shibamata, à la périphérie de Tôkyô. L’une des merveilles de ce temple, au nom complet de Taishaku-ten Daikyô-ji, est une série de planches gravées entourant son pavillon principal, le Taishaku-dô, dans lesquelles sont illustrées de façon détaillée les paraboles du Sûtra du Lotus. Faites entre 1925 et 1938, ces images foisonnantes sont l’un des derniers témoignages de la piété traditionnelle fondée sur ce texte célèbre. On en donnera l’explication, soutenue par la lecture de poèmes japonais consacrés au Sûtra du Lotus.
Mot(s) clés libre(s) : bouddhisme, iconographie bouddhique, Japon, poésie, Sutrâ du Lotus

Mot(s) clés libre(s) : Arts, Bouddhisme, Myanmar

The Buddha Sakymuni’s entry into nirvana was a moment of great significance in the history of Buddhism. Pictorial representations of this event began to gain prevalence in China in the sixth century and had remained a major subject in Chinese Buddhist art ever since. In this talk, Sonya Lee focuses on nirvana images especially made for underground pagoda crypts with Buddhist relics enshrined inside. From painted murals to decorations on reliquaries and freestanding sculptures, the many variations in which the motif appeared in relic deposits point to sophisticated uses of visual images to define the kind and symbolic values of the relics that they accompanied. Selected examples from the eighth to twelfth centuries are examined to better illuminate the material dimensions of relic worship as well as some fundamental changes that Buddhism underwent in its continued engagement in medieval Chinese society.
Mot(s) clés libre(s) : art bouddhique, bouddhisme, Chine

Conférence du 27 mars 2008 au Musée Guimet, par François Lachaud de l'école française d'Extrême Orient
Mot(s) clés libre(s) : bouddhisme, époque d’Edo, femmes, iconographie, Japon, mort, représentation

This paper attempts to address one of the issues of the series, viz. patronage, not just the relationship between Buddhist monastic centres and kings, but more significantly the lay community and its continuing support of monks and nuns and sponsorship of ritual activities, as well as maintenance of monastic structures. Eastern India is here defined as the state of Orissa, but includes contiguous coastal regions. The time period covered ranges from the 4th-3rd centuries BC when the earliest Buddhist sites are in evidence to 12th century AD after which few new constructions are known. My approach to the study of early Buddhist monastic establishments departs from the traditional perspective that viewed these as retreats, away from society, where monks and nuns engaged in meditation and studies. In contrast, I suggest that there was an active engagement between Buddhist clergy and the lay community and this interaction can be understood through the archaeology of space as it was defined with reference to settlement sites and as it was configured and lived in by monks and nuns. Of crucial importance to my work is the social history of the monument, rather than an emphasis on architectural style and form. It is hoped that this contribution will reinvigorate the archaeological study of early Buddhist monuments.Dr. Himanshu Prabha Ray is Professor at the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She obtained her MPhil (Archaeology) from the University of Cambridge; her PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University; and did post-graduate work in Sanskrit at Panjab University. She has held several visiting positions, including Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the Asia Research Institute, Singapore July to September 2007; JNU Visiting Fellow in Arts, University of Sydney, Australia, June 2005; Shivdasani Fellow, Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, October-December 2005; Visiting Professor: University of Lyon II, France May to July 2001; Fulbright Visiting Lecturer: Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, January to April, 2000. Her recent publications include Colonial Archaeology in South Asia (1944-1948): The Legacy of Mortimer Wheeler, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2007; Monuments, Wisdom Tree, New Delhi, 2007; The Archaeology of Seafaring in Ancient South Asia, Cambridge World Archaeology Series, Cambridge University Press, 2003 and edited volumes titled: Sacred Landscapes in Asia: Shared Traditions, Multiple Histories, IIC - Manohar Publishers, New Delhi, 2007; co-edited with Daniel T. Potts, Memory as History: The Legacy of Alexander in Asia, Aryan Books International, 2007; co-edited with Edward A. Alpers, Cross Currents and Community Networks: The History of the Indian Ocean World, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2007; and Coins in India: Power and Communication ,Marg Publications, volume 57, 3, March 2006.
Mot(s) clés libre(s) : art bouddhique, bouddhisme, Inde, monastères bouddhiques

Grâce au témoignage de Catherine Nguyen, il s’agira de chercher et de mettre en évidence les liens créés entre art culinaire et spiritualité au cours de célébrations bouddhistes telles que la fête des ancêtres par exemple. Nous souhaitons montrer comment la célébration de l’harmonie du corps et de l’esprit peut intégrer le processus gastronomique de préparation et de partage.
Mot(s) clés libre(s) : cuisine, gastronomie, traditions culturelles, Vietnam, bouddhisme, spiritualité, thaïlande

Les travaux épigraphiques et archéologiques concernant le Champa ancien ont mis en avant, depuis longtemps, l’importance du bouddhisme dans le courant des 8e-10e siècles. Les textes conservés permettent de se faire une certaine idée de la forme du Mahâyâna pratiqué par les Cham à cette époque. Mais les témoignages archéologiques se font davantage l’écho du contexte culturel large et varié dans lequel s’inscrit ce mouvement bien original qui participe tant du monde indien que de celui de la Chine.
Mot(s) clés libre(s) : art bouddhique, Asie, bouddhisme, Cham, Champa, Indochine