Dear list members,

Our next seminar will be held on Friday  31st October at 6.00 pm at University of Sydney in the Rogers Room, Woolley Building.  Please refer to Map (Ref 12E) for details.

Our presenters will be Glenys Eddy and Lydia Kieven

We do hope you can attend
AABS Executive

Glenys Eddy - The Kopan Experience: A Taste of Tibetan Buddhism at Kopan Monastery, Nepal
Kopan Monastery is on the outskirts of Kathmandu, Nepal, and is affiliated with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT).  It holds a ten-day introductory course, Introduction to Buddhism, several times a year for Westerners interested in learning about Buddhism.  For some, participation in this course appears to add to their collection of travel experiences, while for others it is the beginning of their relationship with Tibetan Buddhism.  Fieldwork undertaken for my doctoral thesis included participation in one of these courses in September 2004.  Data collection and analysis for the thesis elucidated the nature of the exploration and commitment process undergone by Western religious seekers in two Western Buddhist contexts: Vipassana meditation in the tradition of Mahasi Sayadaw, and practitioners of the Gelugpa Tibetan FPMT.  It further resulted in the outline of the experimental model of socialization into Buddhism, building on the earlier work of John Lofland and Norman Skonovd.  Accordingly, this paper discusses: the role of the ten-day course in providing travelers and seekers access to the principles and practices of Tibetan Buddhism, the responses of these participants, and the implications of this data for understanding the early stage of Westerners’ engagement with Tibetan Buddhism.

Lydia Kievan - The Tantric doctrine in ancient East Java?
A new interpretation of the symbolism of the Majapahit State Temple Candi Panataran (14th-15th century), based on its narrative reliefs and layout
The so-called Pendopo Terrace in the temple complex of Candi Panataran, supposed to have been the 'state temple' of Majapahit, is carved with reliefs, which obviously represent Panji stories. These stories about Prince Panji and his beloved as well as the scenes depicted on the bas-reliefs illustrate many erotic episodes and feature the subject of the union of male and female. I argue that the whole complex of Candi Panataran symbolizes a specific Tantric path with the union between male and female playing an essential role. The Panji stories form the introduction to this path which begins at the Pendopo Terrace in the entrance part of the temple.
This new interpretation may open new insights into the religious concepts being expressed in religious art and architecture during the East Javanese period.