[Announce] R. Salomon London Talk on Buddhist Scrolls fr. Gandhara (fwd)

[Dominik Wujastyk]

     Announcement
     
     Lecture by RICHARD SALOMON (University of Washington):
     
     Buddhist Scrolls from Gandhara: The British Library Kharosthi 
     manuscripts
     
     
     on
     Tuesday 25th May 1999 at 6:15 pm
     
     at the: 
     The British Library Conference Centre
     96 Euston Rd
     London NW1 2DB (Near King's Cross/St.Pancras)
     
     Tickets £5.00 (concessions £3.50)
     
     
     
     
     As the Dead Sea Scrolls have changed our
     understanding of Judaism and early
     Christianity, so a set of 29 fragmentary
     birch bark scrolls recently acquired and
     conserved by the British Library promise
     to provide a window into a crucial phase
     of the history of Buddhism in India. 
     In this illustrated lecture to launch his new book
     on the subject. Professor Richard Salomon
     of the University of Washington, who
     heads The British Library/University of
     Washington Early Buddhist Manuscripts
     Project, will describe the methods with
     which his team is deciphering the texts
     and seeking to evaluate their significance.
     As His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said,
     'These scrolls are believed to be the
     oldest surviving Buddhist texts ever
     discovered.They provide us with the
     earliest written testimony of the original
     words of the Buddha. They will provide
     fascinating insights into how the teachings
     of the Buddha were studied, preserved,
     and understood nearly 2000 years ago.'