Organizer: Canadian Southeast Asian Studies Initiative (CSEASI), York University

Type/Location: Hybrid / Toronto, ON

Description:

Join the Canadian Southeast Asian Studies Initiative at York University for a talk by Ven. Pandita (Burma), a researcher in Pali and Buddhist Studies, who will discuss the social status of monks and nuns in the Buddhist Order.

Abstract:

It is popularly known that social status is defined by seniority in Buddhist Order. Furthermore, those of a higher social status supposedly dictate deference and obedience from those of a lower class. However, I argue in this paper that both the perceptions above are only modern misinterpretations, and that legally speaking, a Buddhist monk (or nun) is subordinate to none.

About the Speaker:

Ven. Pandita (Burma) is a researcher in Pali and Buddhist Studies, affiliated as an alumnus to the Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. He has a bachelor’s degree in Buddhism from the State Pariyatti Sasana University (Yangon), Burma, and also has a master’s degree in Sanskrit Poetics from Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi, India. He has done research in Buddhist monastic discipline (Vinaya), and Buddhist ethics. His research papers can be found in Journal of Buddhist Ethics and Korea Journal of Buddhist Studies (all legally free to download and read).

Registration:

To attend the event in person, please register here.

To attend the event virtually, please register here.