Lecture 1998-05-18

Wild Words and Fancy Phrases

Dr. Rajyashree Pandey

In Japan there was no written literary tradition predating the advent of Buddhism: the introduction of Chinese written script came in the form of Buddhist sutras. Thus Japanese literary arts were shaped from the beginning by Buddhist ideals and practices. A conflict soon arose, though, as Japanese writers sought to resolve the tension between the "worldly" pursuit of writing and the goals of detachment and renunciation central to Buddhism. Dr. Pandey will examine examples from the Heian and Kamakura periods in order to understand how Japanese writers struggled to define the relationship between Buddhism and their own engagement with writing in ways which would allow them to continue their artistic practices while remaining good Buddhists.

Dr. Rajyashree Pandey is a Senior Lecturer at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. She is currently a Visiting Professor at Sophia University in Tokyo. Dr. Pandey received her PhD in 1990 from Australian National University in Canberra.

Material submitted by Dr. Joshua Dale.