Old Texts, New Insights: Exploring Buddhist Manuscripts

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a call for papers for a Special Issue titled ‘Old Texts, New Insights: Exploring Buddhist Manuscripts’. This Special Issue aims to explore the multifaceted domain of Buddhist manuscripts and their associated culture, positioning them not merely as tangible bearers of material culture, but also as crucial vessels of intangible or immaterial culture in South, East, and Central Asian countries.

Buddhist manuscripts, embodying a rich tapestry of religious, literary, narrative, and intellectual traditions, played an instrumental role in disseminating Buddhist ideologies and practices across diverse geographical landscapes. The very corporeality of these manuscripts, manifested through palm leaves, birch barks, silks, traditional papers, among other mediums, intersects with the ethereal domain of religious thought and cultural ethos. Through meticulous examinations driven by codicology, palaeography, and philology, this Special Issue seeks to traverse beyond the doctrinal contents, delving into the myriad ways these manuscripts were conceived, crafted, and utilized across pre-modern Buddhist communities.

The symbiotic relationship between the material and immaterial facets of Buddhist manuscripts unveils a rich interplay in the religious contexts they were engrossed within. The manuscripts transcended their tangible form, transforming into revered religious objects, thereby becoming integral to the construction of Buddhist metaphysical systems and related practices. The varied materials and technologies employed across regions for manuscript production, ranging from palm leaves in the Indian subcontinent to birch bark in the greater Gandhāran region, not only reflect a vibrant material culture but also epitomize a shared intangible heritage, knitting communities in a shared religio-cultural tapestry. Furthermore, the aesthetic embellishments adorned on these manuscripts and their storage apparatus unveil a profound reverence towards the Dharma, extending their significance beyond mere textual forms to encompass artistic and architectural resonances. As such, the spread of manuscripts across lands not only transmitted Buddhist doctrines but also catalyzed a confluence of artistic styles, fostering rich, shared cultural milieus. This Special Issue seek to amplify the dialogue on how the intangible and material aspects of Buddhist manuscript culture amalgamated to shape religious practices, pedagogical paradigms, and cultural exchanges in antient Buddhist communities.

The research scope extends beyond manuscripts in ancient Indic languages, including Sanskrit, Gāndhārī, and Pāli, to those written in Tibetan, Classical Chinese, and other Asian languages. Regarding research methodologies, we embrace a wide array of topics, such as rigorous philological work on newly discovered manuscript materials, including tasks such as creating transliterations, diplomatic or critical editions, and translations. We also welcome novel interpretations of texts derived from manuscript readings, studies related to manuscript production, as well as paleographic, codicological, and iconographic analyses of manuscripts, among others.

We extend an invitation to scholars affiliated with universities or institutes, as well as independent researchers. Particularly, we encourage contributions from young scholars in the early stages of their careers. Research areas may encompass (but are not limited to) Buddhist Manuscripts in Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese, and various Central Asian languages; Philological Research; Codicology; Paleography; Manuscript Preservation; and Digitalization of Manuscripts.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200–300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editors, Prof. Dr. Soon-Il Hwang ([email protected]), Dr. Jaehee Han ([email protected]), or to the Assistant Editor of Religions, Ms. Margaret Liu ([email protected]). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors to ensure that they are within the scope of this Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

Deadline for abstract submission: 31 March 2024

Deadline for full manuscript submission: 31 December 2024

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Soon-Il Hwang
Dr. Jaehee Han
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• Buddhist manuscripts
• Sanskrit manuscripts
• Chinese manuscripts
• Dunhuang manuscripts
• philological research
• codicology
• paleography
• iconography
• manuscript preservation
• digitalizing manuscripts