Peter Skilling asks: Did the Buddha invent Asia? Buddhism, Buddhists and the 'very idea' of Asia.
The Buddha was born in a small kingdom in the foothills of the Himalayas over two thousand years ago. Within 500 years of his death, his teaching has spread far beyond the confines of India. How did the teaching of one man influence Asia so profoundly? What was the role of Buddhism in the geography of ideas in the pre-modern period and was Buddhism in Asia the vanguard of globalization?
Bio
Peter Skilling
Professor Peter Skilling is the 2009 University Buddhist Education Foundation Visiting Professor at the School of Languages and Cultures, University of Sydney. He has traveled extensively throughout Asia and is the author of numerous books and publications including Mahasatras: Great Discourses of the Buddha and Wat Si Chum, Sukhothai: Art, Architecture and Inscriptions.