Curators of the Buddha: The Study of Buddhism under Colonialism

by Donald S. Lopez Jr.

Curators of the Buddha is the first critical history of the study of Buddhism in the West and the first work to bring the insights of colonial and postcolonial cultural studies to bear on this field.

After an overview of the origins of Buddhist studies in the early nineteenth century, the essays focus on important "curators of the Buddha," such as Aurel Stein, D. T. Suzuki, and Carl Jung, who, as they created and maintained the discipline, played a significant role in disseminating knowledge about Buddhism in the West. The essays bring to life many of the important but unexamined social, political, and cultural conditions that have shaped the course of Buddhist studies for more than a century—and have frequently distorted the understanding of a complex set of traditions. Contributors Charles Hallisey, Gustavo Benavides, Stanley Abe, Luis Gómez, Robert Sharf, and Donald Lopez challenge some of the most enduring ideas in Buddhist that Zen Buddhism is, above all, an experience; that Tibetan Buddhism is polluted, or pristine; that the Buddha image is of Greek or Roman origin; that the classical text supersedes the vernacular, as the manuscript supersedes the informant; and many others.

Genres: Buddhism, History, Nonfiction, Religion

304 pages, Hardcover

First published August 15, 1995

About the author

Donald Sewell Lopez, Jr. (born 1952) is the Arthur E. Link Distinguished University Professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies at the University of Michigan, in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures.

Son of the deputy director of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Donald S. Lopez.

Reviews

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buddhist studies is finally coming to terms with its colonial roots--perhaps a little later than other disciplines like anthropology, but it's coming along. Not all the essays here are perfect, but all are thought-provoking. This is an important work and well worth the read for anyone interested in Buddhist studies, Western Buddhism, or religious studies.

[a · Rating 4 out of 5]

essays on tibet, jung, zen & japanese nationalism, fascist interpreters of buddhism were pretty great

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've used this book for two different classes and will likely go back to it again and again. There's something for everyone here, whether you're interested in Buddhist art or Carl Jung, but the diverse group of writers is unified in their aim to present post-Orientalist critiques that are as revolutionary as they are mentally stimulating.