Thursday, November 18th, 2010 Sources and Sentiments in Sugata Saurabha, a Mid-20th Century Narrative on the Buddha's Life from the Kathmandu Valley

Description

Every Buddhist community has transposed a local tradition of the life of Shakyamuni, the Buddha, into their own artistic expressions andvernacular narratives. The particular editorial and doctrinal choices made in this redaction from classical sources afford insight into the history of cultural adaptations characteristic of each of these communities. This paper presents an overview of this process in the case of “Sugata Saurabha”, a life of the Buddha from the Newar community. Written in the 1940-s by one of Nepal’s greatest modern poets, Chittadhar Hridaya, Sugata Saurabha has been a cultural landmark for modern Newar Buddhists, providing a learned narration of the great sage’s life and also a repository of details about Newar culture through the author’s casting the Buddha’s life details in his own Nepalese context. Professor Lewis’ paper will discuss the text in its Newar context: as a product of the author’s contact with classical sources such as the Lalitavistara, as well as with modern Hindi translations of the Pali Canon published by Rahul Sankrityayana, publications of the Mahabodhi Society, and other sources. The paper will also trace connections with “Sugata Saurabha” and the author’s location in mid-century Nepal.

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Professor Lewis teaches courses on World Religions, as well as courses on comparative religion and modernization. Most of his world religions courses are on the Asian traditions and his seminars treat various schools of Buddhism, his area of research expertise. He has also developed courses on Gardens and World Religions, Gardens and Asian religions, as well as Ecology and Religion.

As a researcher, Professor Lewis is one of the world’s leading authorities on the religions of the mid-montane Himalayan region and the social history of Buddhism. His special research focus for over twenty-five years has been Buddhism in the Kathmandu Valley , particularly the traditions found among the Newars, the indigenous population of Nepal ‘s capital. The translation of landmark epic, Sugata Saurabha: A Poem on the Life of the Buddha by Chittadhar Hridaya of Nepal [with Subarna Man Tuladhar], is first book in Nepal Bhasa (Newari) published in the Harvard Oriental Series (2008).
Beginning with his scholarly training at Columbia University (where he earned his Ph.D. in Religion 1984), Professor Lewis’ research and teaching has been interdisciplinary, linking anthropology and the history of religions. One particular area of expertise is Buddhist narratives and the role of merchants in Buddhist history. In addition to scholarly books and articles published in leading academic journals, Professor Lewis has shot, directed, and produced films for classroom use. (His publications and films are listed elsewhere on this site.)

Professor Lewis has also contributed to a series of successful textbooks. His co-authored textbook, World Religions Today (published by Oxford University Press, now in its third edition), is widely used today in college classes. In 2009, he has been named editor for a new book series, The Buddhist World Today to be published by Oxford University Press.

At Holy Cross, Professor Lewis has been an active member of the Asian Studies Program and twice has served as its director. He is also a member of the Environmental Studies program faculty. Professor Lewis has also been a central participant in the ongoing curriculum review, having chaired the Intellectual Maturation Committee (2003-4) and for which he continues to serve on the Curriculum Review Steering Committee (2004-present).