Two public lectures on the topic of Buddhism and the diaspora will be presented by The University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) and Tung Lin Kok Yuen 
Perspectives on Buddhist Thought and Culture with Arts & Events Programming (AEP). These events are part of the Tung Lin Kok Yuen international Buddhism and the Diaspora Conference 2010 taking place on May 14 and 15 at the University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail. The conference is free and open to the public.
The first Tung Lin Kok Yuen public lecture features Professor Victor Hori from McGill University speaking on “Buddhism: The Religion of Dispersion” on Friday, May 14 from 7 to 9 pm in lecture hall AA112. Hori has taught in the Faculty of Religious Studies at McGill since 1993 and is a member of the Centre for East Asian Research and the Centre for Medicine Ethics and Law. His most recent publication Wild Geese is co-edited with Alexander Soucy (St. Mary’s University) and John Harding (University of Lethbridge), published by McGill-Queen’s University Press. Professor Hori’s research topics include Asian religion and culture, the teaching of Buddhist philosophy, and kōans of the Zen masters.
On Saturday, May 15 from 5 to 6 pm in AA112, Professor Will Tuladhar-Douglas will discuss “Diaspora Buddhists under a Scottish Nationalist Government.” Tuladhar-Douglas is a history and religious studies lecturer at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He received his PhD at Oxford and was a Boden Fellow in Sanskrit. Tuladhar-Douglas has published several articles about the history and religions of Nepal and is the author of the book, Remaking Buddhism for Medieval Nepal (Routledge, 2006). He is also the Review Editor for ‘H-Bhuddism,’ The Buddhist Scholars Information Network, an academic exchange listserve.
A free shuttle bus from U of T’s St. George campus will leave Hart House Circle to bring attendees to the event at UTSC and will return downtown following the event. The shuttle bus will depart from Hart House Circle on Friday at 5:30 pm and on Saturday at 4 pm, and will return downtown on both evenings at the conclusion of the lecture.
The initiatives supported by Tung Lin Kok Yuen Hong Kong emphasize multiple perspectives in the study of Buddhist thought and culture, including linkages among history, literature, philosophy, religion, and the visual and performing arts. Within the context of UTSC’s multi-disciplinary Department of Humanities and its Global Asia Studies Program, Tung Lin Kok Yuen Perspectives on Buddhist Thought and Culture support important ongoing conversations about cultural pluralism and diversity within Canadian society.
Arts & Events Programming works with students, staff, and faculty in the Department of Humanities to present artistic, cultural, and scholarly initiatives at the University of Toronto Scarborough. For a full listing of upcoming events please visit www.aeplive.ca.
Both lectures are free and everyone is welcome, but seating is limited and registration is required. Please RSVP to Arts & Events Programming at aep@utsc.utoronto.ca or by calling (416) 208-4769. For more information on the conference, please contact Sarah Richardson at tlkyconf@utsc.utoronto.ca.