Open Lecture:

1. 2004, 9, June.
   Prof. Dr. Kenneth G. Zysk, Department of Asian Studies, University of Copenhagen.
   Theme. "Medicine and Buddhism."
   
2. 2004, 30, June.
   Assist. Prof., Dr. Jonathan A. Silk, Department of Asian Languages & Cultures, UCLA.
   Theme. "Relics of Mistranslation?: Indic sarira and Chinese sheli in the Mahaparinirvana-sutra and Saddharmapundarika."
   
3. 2004, 10, September.
   Prof., Dr. Oskar von HinEer, Freiburg University, Indology.
   Theme. "Daily Life in Buddhist Monasteries in Ancient India."
   
4. 2004, 1, December.
   Prof., Dr. John R. McRae, Department of Religious Studies, Indiana University.
   Theme. "Buddhism, Sinicization, and Imperial State Formation in East Asia."
   
5. 2005, 16, June.
   Prof., Dr. Malcolm David Eckel, Boston University.
   Theme. "Bhavya and his Buddhist Opponents."
   
6. 2005, 20, July.
   Prof. Dr. Peter Zieme, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
   Theme. "The uigur versions of the Lotus Sutra with special reference to the metamorphoses of Avalokitesvara."
   
7. 2006, 7, April.
   Prof. Dr. Margarita I. Vorobyova-Desyatovskaya, The Institute of Oriental Studies, St. Peterusburg.
   Theme. "The Central Asian Manuscript Collection of the St. Petersburg Branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences."
   

Workshop:

1. 2004, 20-21, September.
   Prof. Dr. FANG yixin, Zhejiang University.
   Prof. Dr. Jan Nattier, Indiana University.
   
2. 2004, 7-13, October.
   Dr. Margarita I. Vorobyova-Desyatovskaya, Oriental Institute, St. Petersburg.
   
3. 2004, 1-2, November.
   Dr. Lore Sander, Ex-Curator, Berlin Museum.
   Prof. Dr. Jonathan A. Silk, UCLA.
   Prof. Dr. Jan Nattier, Indiana University.
4. 2005, 15-16, July.
   Dr. Peter Skilling.
   
5. 2005, 27, November.
   Dr. Hakan Wahlquist (National Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm)
   Mr. Iwao ISHIKAWA (The Eastern Institute Inc., Tokyo).
   
6. 2006, 3-4, March.
   Dr. Margarita I. Vorobyova=Desyatovskaya, The Institute of Oriental Studies, St.Petersburg.
   Mr. Stefan Baums, University of Washington.
   Mr. Andrew Glass, Bukkyo University (University of Washington).
   Mr. Takamichi Fukita, Bukkyo University.
   Ms. Gudrun Melzer, University of Munich.
7. 2006, 17-18, March.
   Mr. Shin'ichiro MIYAKE (Lecturer, Otani University, Kyoto)
   

Given that the typology of the present research project involves the publication of the research results, here we give some details of our publication plans.

1. Publishing the results of our research work as articles in academic journals; publishing the critical editions and glossaries of various texts relevant to our research field in a series of monographs.
2. Creation of an internet home page for publishing (in English and Japanese) research articles, research reports, etc. Establishment of an information database of manuscripts of Buddhist texts, and digitalization of the various Buddhist manuscripts, in order to make them as accessible as possible to other scholar through our home page.
3. The research results mentioned in items n. 1-2 will ultimately be collected in an Archive of the Research Centre for Buddhist Philology, so that through the participation of scholars other than the members of the centre, it will become a truly interdisciplinary database.
4. Organization of international academic symposia (in the third year and in the last year of the project) and open lectures (four times a year), and workshops (twice a year), in order to promote exchange with researchers and research institutions, both form Japan and abroad, and to constantly keep the public updated on the most recent developments in Buddhist studies. The schedule for these events will be published on the home page of the centre, in order to allow participation in these events to be as wide as possible.
5. Space in a room of the International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology has been designated for displaying the research results and other important materials relevant to the centre's research topics.

The International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology [IRIAB].

The International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology (IRIAB) was established in 1997 at Soka University. Its ultimate aim is to contribute to the peace and prosperity of living beings on earth through the pursuit of textual criticism and history of ideas on the firm basis of philological methods of research, in just recognition of Buddhism as a cultural heritage of mankind. With this fundamental aim in mind, it has been decided to carry on the following activities:

1. Study and research.
2. Making the results of this research activity public.
3. Issue of publications, such as a bulletin, etc
4. Acquisition, organization, and preservation of material relevant to IRIAB s research activities.
5. Organization of workshops, conferences, open lectures, etc.
6. Exchange with researchers and research institutions form Japan and abroad.
7. Other activities necessary for the accomplishment of the preceding.

At present, the principal activities of IRIAB include publication of the Annual Report of The International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University (which mainly consists of articles written in English) and of a series of monographs (Bibliotheca Philologica et Philosophica Buddhica) which represent the results of the individual research work of IRIAB members; the organization of a series of Informal Buddhological discussions (four times per academic year) generally intended for the invitation of overseas scholars; the promotion of joint research projects with the foreign scholars invited to the institute; the participation of IRIAB members to international conferences; and the establishment of a specialized library devoted to Buddhology and related fields.

Staff of the IRIAB:

Seishi KARASHIMA		Professor, IRIAB; Director [2011.4-]
Noriyuki KUDO		Associate Professor, IRIAB
Hiroshi KANNO		Adjunct member, IRIAB (Professor of the Faculty of Humanities, Department of Literature)
Asao IWAMATSU		Adjunct member, IRIAB (Professor of the Faculty of Humanities, Department of Literature)
Tatsushi TAMAI		Visiting scholar, IRIAB

Publications from IRIAB:

Annual Report of The International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University.Vols. I-XI (1998-2008).
Go to "ARIRIAB page"

Bibliotheca Philologica et Philosophica Buddhica. Vols. I-X (1998-2008).
Go to "BPPB page"

The Buddhist Manuscripts from Central Asia: The British Library Sanskrit Fragments.Vol. I (2006), II.1, 2 (2009).
Go to "BLSF page"

BPPB and BLSF: Obtainable on request by sending twenty international reply coupons (for each copy) to cover the handling and postal expenses at cost (We accept a request of several volumes at one time; however, a request for more than one copy of the same volume is not acceptable).

Write to: The International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology,
Soka University:
1-236 Tangi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-8577, JAPAN
E-mail: iriab@soka.ac.jp

Activities:

"Informal Buddhological Discussion"
Meeting Record.