On April 4th, 2019, representatives from Northeastern University’s Asian Studies Program, Taiwanese and Chinese student associations, and Center for Spirituality gathered in the John D. O’Byrant African American Institute to receive a donation of the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts from Fo Guang Shan temple.
Interim Director of Asian Studies, Hua Dong, thanked all in attendance for coming. Director of the Center for Spirituality, Alexander Kern, welcomed the monks on behalf of the interfaith community at Northeastern University, and thanked the Fo Guang Shan Temple for their generous donation on behalf of the students that will use them, both for the knowledge these encyclopedias will offer, and for the peace and links that they represent.
Professor Shuishan Yu spoke on behalf of the Asian Studies Program faculty, expressing his gratitude to the temple and the idea that this collection which represented the intersection of beauty, architecture, and art, would greatly benefit the pursuit of truth at Northeastern University.
The 2o volume encyclopedia in both English and Chinese is the first great modern day compilation of Buddhist arts. It contains more than 15,000 pictures and filled a huge gap in Taiwanese publications of Buddhist art. It contains entries on silks, engravings, paintings, architecture, and many other forms of art, and will benefit not just students of Chinese culture, but also Asian studies, religious studies, art history, and architecture.
