Buddhist Monumentality and its Paradox: Notes on the Early History of Stone Lanterns in Medieval China

Dr. Huaiyu Chen (Arizona State University & Clare Hall, Cambridge)

Abstract

Nowadays the stone lantern is one of the most popular and visible architectural elements in Japanese Buddhism. In fact the stone lantern is a Chinese invention and it has a long history in Chinese Buddhism. It appears in many different names and forms, bearing different symbolic meanings. The origins of the stone lantern as a crucial Buddhist architectural design puzzled scholars due to the scattered narratives in traditional Buddhist textual sources and the scarce existence of stone lanterns in China. In examining archaeological and inscriptional materials from many regions, this paper aims to offer a clear understanding of this important Buddhist monument from multiple perspectives, with a focus on early development of the stone lanterns in medieval China.

Bio

Dr. Chen is currently Spalding Visiting Fellow at Clare Hall, Cambridge University, 2014-2015. He is on leave from the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, Arizona State University, where is an associate professor, teaching Buddhism and Chinese Religions. His research interests focus on medieval Chinese Buddhist monasticism, especially rituals and material culture, religious cultures along the Silk Road, and Christianity in China. He has published books and articles in both Chinese and English on these subjects, including The Revival of Buddhist Monasticism in Medieval China (New York, 2006) and  Animals in Medieval Chinese Political and Religious Order (Shanghai, 2012, in Chinese).