| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, October 31, 2013 | 4:00PM - 6:00PM | Seminar Room 208N, Munk School of Global Affairs 1 Devonshire Place |
Shri Roop Lal Jain Lecture
When illustrating the lives of the Jinas, typically we use examples from the Śvetāmbara Kalpa Sūtra. One might get the impression that this the only text recounting the lives of the Jinas, but there are many works in a variety of languages that tell these tales in much greater detail. The Digambara Jainas also wrote versions of the lives of the Jinas and illustrated manuscripts survive, but in far fewer numbers. Some of these manuscripts have been discussed in the art historical literature, but usually the discussions have to do with style. It is rare to put narrative scenes side by side to compare the Śvetāmbara and the Digambara modes of telling similar stories, particularly the five important events (pañcakalyāṇaka) in each life. Sometimes the ways these are depicted is quite different and it is the consistencies of these differences that concern me here.
Robert J. Del Bontà (Ph.D., The University of Michigan, 1978) has taught courses at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and curated many shows there and elsewhere. He has written on a wide range of subjects. Since 2006 he has worked with the Centre of Jaina Studies at SOAS (University of London).
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