Buddhist Studies

The study of Buddhism covers the full history and geographic sweep of the tradition across more than two millennia. The field currently emphasizes a context-sensitive study of Buddhism, focusing on ritual, philosophy, medicine, and other intellectual developments and modes of practice, as studied using historical, text-critical, art historical, philological, anthropological, and philosophical methods. Current faculty strengths include Tibetan religion, art, medicine, philosophy, and literature; cultures of central Asia and the Silk road; Nepalese (especially Newar) Buddhism and Burmese Buddhism; and the ethnography of Buddhist ritual.

The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Centre for Buddhist Studies hosts regular academic events and provides significant support to students of Buddhism at UofT, including research and travel grants. The U o fT Numata Program sponsors lectures, reading groups, and occasional workshops in Buddhist Studies. The university also supports Buddhist Studies students through its major language offerings, including Burmese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Newar, Pali, Sanskrit, and Tibetan.

group of people icon    With research interests in Buddhist Studies