Rethinking Buddha’s Life and Legacy

Mario Poceski

May 7, 2026, 16:00-17:30 (JST)

Room 301, 3F, Building 10, Sophia University

In person only / No registration required

Based on Prof. Poceski’s newest book, the talk explores the intertwining of life story, legend, and legacy, centered around the historical figure of the Buddha. A subject of veneration for hundreds of millions of people, the Buddha is a source of quiet admiration, reflection, or inspiration to many more. Exploring this iconic figure, his vision of spiritual cultivation, and his teachings on the dharma, Poceski’s book considers the social, cultural, and religious contexts that shaped the major stages of the Buddha’s life. It also examines the Buddha’s enduring legacy, shaped by the evolving beliefs and ideas of later generations of Buddhists, including major monastic and lay followers. The Buddha offers a fresh view into Buddhist history, philosophy, and practice, as well as the ways the Buddha has been represented and reimagined worldwide over subsequent centuries.

Mario Poceski is a professor and chair of the Religion Department at the University of Florida. His numerous publications include Communities of Memory and Interpretation: Reimagining and Reinventing the Past in East Asian Buddhism, The Records of Mazu and the Making of Classical Chan Literature, The Wiley Blackwell Companion to East and Inner Asian Buddhism, Introducing Chinese Religions, and Ordinary Mind as the Way: The Hongzhou School and the Growth of Chan Buddhism.

This talk is organized by Kiyokazu Okita (Associate Professor, Sophia University) and Edward Drott (Professor, Sophia University).