*The Buddhist Studies Group at the University of Virginia is pleased
to
announce an interdisciplinary graduate student conference to be
hosted on
the UVa Grounds in Charlottesville, VA from Feb 28 to
March 2 on the
theme of “Buddhist Meditation: History, Culture,
Development,
Science.”*
In recent years, Buddhist meditation has come to be
studied within
an increasing number of academic disciplines in the
humanities and
social sciences as well as the physical sciences. At the
same time,
there has also been an explosion of interest in the
functional
applications of Buddhist and Buddhist-derived meditation
techniques
within a wide range of professional fields including
education,
medicine and care giving, athletics, and business.
This conference will provide a collaborative forum for both
established
and emerging scholars from a diverse range of academic
and professional
disciplines to showcase their research and engage
in discussion about the
range of methodological approaches currently
being brought to bear on the
study of Buddhist meditation and to
discuss and contextualize current
appropriations and transformations
of Buddhist contemplative practice.
The conference will include:
·Keynote address by *Georges Dreyfus*
(Williams College) [to be
confirmed].
·Innovative interactive
panels, in which selected graduate students
will present and discuss
their research.
·A symposium investigating contemporary definitions
and applications
of contemplative practice (Details to follow).
*Call for Paper Proposals***
Along the lines of this year’s theme,
we are looking for paper
proposals from students *currently enrolled in
M.A. or Ph.D.
programs* froma diverse range of disciplines including:
*Religious
Studies, Area Studies, History, Cognitive Science,
Philosophy,
Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, Neuroscience, Medicine
and
Care-giving, Visual and Performing Arts, Education, *and*Art
History*.We strongly encourage proposals that stretch received
boundaries
and challenge the way we study and think about Buddhist
meditation. The
papers that will be chosen for presentation will be
those that not only
reflect excellent research and inquiry within
their respective fields of
study, but also demonstrate a relevancy
to other disciplines and
illuminate some of the challenges that
arise when we approach Buddhist
meditation in the academic world.
Some potential approaches
include:
* Problems in studying the *historical development* of
Buddhist
meditation
* Critical investigations into the
*secularization* and
*re-contextualization* of Buddhist meditation
practices
* *Behavioral, interpersonal, and ethical **dimensions*of
Buddhist
meditation
* The role of the *visual and performing
arts* in Buddhist
meditation practice
* How *the body* has
been perceived and utilized within specific
Buddhist contemplative
systems
* The role of *creativity and innovation* vis-à-vis lineage
and
“tradition”
* *Therapeutic**and instrumental*(vs.
soteriological) applications
of Buddhist meditation
*
*Institutional*and *pedagogical frameworks*
* The role of *the
literary* in Buddhist meditation traditions
(e.g. biography,
philosophical literature, poetry, etc…)
**
*Paper Proposal
Submission Guidelines***
Please submit an abstract of your paper of
not more than 500 words,
along with your name, university and department
affiliation, and a
brief bio, to
gradbuddhismconf2013@gmail.com gradbuddhismconf2013@gmail.com
> by *September 30,
2013*.You
will be notified by November 15 of the status of your
proposal,
after which we will publish a detailed schedule of the
conference.
* Due to generous support we are pleased to announce that
we will be
able to provide accommodation and partial travel stipends
for
those accepted panelists who are unable to secure funding from
their
home institutions.
*We also warmly welcome and encourage
non-presenting graduate
students and academic scholars to attend at their
own cost.
Regrettably, we cannot provide letters of invitation to
international presenters and attendees for visa purposes, as we are
not
equipped to take legal responsibility for international
visitors. Thus,
all travel and visa arrangements are your own
responsibility.*
If you require further information or clarification, please contact
the
conference organizers at:
gradbuddhismconf2013@gmail.com gradbuddhismconf2013@gmail.com>
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