Dartmouth Events

 A public guest lecture sponsored by the Rudelson Family Fund in the Dept. of Asian Societies, Cultures, and Languages at Dartmouth College

by Justin McDaniel, Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Endowed Professor of the Humanities, Dept. of Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania

Why are Buddhist monasteries, supposedly places of quiet reflection and meditation or the slow and methodical study of texts, places of such overwhelming ornament, opulent design, intricate mural art, and excessive displays of wealth? In this paper, we will explore some theoretical approaches to examine the very nature of beauty and how scholars may study it not despite Buddhist teachings of non-attachment and selflessness, but in tandem with it.

Professor McDaniel's research foci include Lao, Thai, Pali and Sanskrit literature, art and architecture, and manuscript studies. He has published over 100 articles and book reviews on a wide variety of subjects in Buddhist Studies, Material Culture, and Religious Studies. He has two new books forthcoming -- Wayward Distractions: Studies in Thai Buddhism (National University of Singapore and Kyoto University Presses) and Cosmologies and Biologies: Siamese Illuminated Manuscripts (Holberton). He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Asian Studies. He was named one of the top ten most innovative professors in America by the Chronicle of Higher Education in 2019 and his work on pedagogical methods in the controversial courses Existential Despair and Living Deliberately have been featured on NPR, Huffington Post, Washington Post, and many other venues.