CIEE Kyoto Seminar Series - Friday July 10, Fabio Gygi

[Conor Aherne]

Dear colleagues,

Sharing the event below, as, while the topic itself may not be premodern, the Daigoji may be of interest to those in this forum.

I’m delighted to announce the next talk in our CIEE Kyoto Seminar Series this summer, on Friday, July 10 by Fabio Gygi (SOAS): 

Buddhism in Space: The Future of Religion and the Religion of the Future

Abstract

In 2021, the esoteric Buddhist temple Daigoji (founded in 874CE) and the space technology start-up Terraspace (founded in 2020CE) announced plans to develop a small temple inside a communication satellite. The launch was initially planned for 2023, but because of various obstacles was pushed back to 2026. This lecture explores the doctrinal and social underpinnings of this and other projects that combine Buddhist practice and space technology in new configurations of religion, science, and the future. What are the motivations and hopes behind the temple satellite project? What kind of future(s) does it imagine for religion in a secular society? Drawing both on the nascent anthropology of the future and the anthropology of space exploration, I examine how the temple satellite mock-up functions as a “cosmogram,” a concrete arrangement of symbols, practices, objects, and relations that presents a model of the universe and humanity's relationship to it. By cultivating a belief in technology and novelty, the project invites contemporary audiences to participate in new—and at times playful—forms of religious engagement.

Please note this talk begins at 18:00 and will be run in hybrid format from CIEE Kyoto (6th Floor, Gion Classroom) with Zoom access available.

Format & Venue

• Time: 18:00–19:30 (JST), unless stated differently
• Location: CIEE Kyoto, 6th Floor, Gion Classroom and Zoom (hybrid)

Registration

Please register in advance for either in-person or online participation:

In-person (CIEE Kyoto): [On-Site Registration] CIEE Kyoto Seminar Series - Fabio Gygi – Fill in form

Zoom: https://ciee.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_al2hQKRbQeKZevzYYgsOOg#/registration