Chinese Buddhism in the Tangut State

Kirill Solonin of St. Petersburg State University will speak at UC Berkeley on the subject Chinese Buddhism in the Tangut State.

Since their discovery in the early years of the 20th century, both texts and material objects from Khara-Khoto have been the focus of considerable scholarly attention. Scholars generally agree that Tangut Buddhism evolved from Chinese and Tibetan source traditions; however the exact nature of Chinese and Tibetan influence on Tangut Buddhism remains obscure. In this talk Professor Solonin will present his recent research on the nature of Chinese Buddhist schools in Xixia, focusing on possible Liao influence.

Kirill Solonin holds a doctorate from St. Petersburg State University (Russia), and is currently on the faculty in both St. Petersburg State University and Foguang Buddhist University (Taiwan). His research is connected with the study of Khara-Khoto materials both in Chinese and Tangut. He is the author of Appropriation of the Teaching: Huayan Chan Buddhism in the Tangut State (St.Petersburg: St. Petersburg University Press 2007) and a number of papers.