Dunhuang’s Buddhist History and Traditions with Jann Ronis

Dr. Jann Ronis’ talk will focus on Buddhism–a vast topic–with a focus on the history and traditions of Buddhism that are relevant to the cave temples of Dunhuang.

Buddhism on-the-ground in China is rich in rituals, images, religious observances, pageantry, and the supernatural. In this way it bears little resemblance to forms of Buddhism that are more commonly encountered in the West. Jann aims to help those in attendance understand the Buddhist culture at Dunhuang on its own terms and also touch upon how Buddhism eventually traveled from the Silk Road to the West.

Jann Ronis (Ph.D, Virginia) is a specialist in the history of Tibet and Buddhism. He serves as executive director of the Buddhist Digital Resource Center, which aims to seek out, preserve, organize and disseminate Buddhist literature.