The Beginnings of the Buddha Image in India and Central Asia
Art History Lecture presented by Dr. Ronald M. Davidson
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The Beginnings of the Buddha Image in India and Central Asia
Presented by Dr. Ronald M. Davidson
Professor Emeritus in the Department of Religious Studies at Fairfield University, Connecticut
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Images of the Buddha are among the most widely distributed religious representations. While the Buddha himself was South Asian, the origins of the image of the Buddha remain something of a paradox. The earliest descriptions of him were extraordinary, but Indian Buddhists curiously decided not to represent the Buddha as a human figure for some centuries, only denoting him by symbols. Around the beginning of the Common Era, two traditions of the Buddha image suddenly emerged, essentially fully developed from the schools of Mathurā in North India and of Gandhāra, bordering Central Asia. What had happened to make this dramatic change palatable to the Buddhist communities in India and Central Asia? We will look at images of the Buddha configured by Alexander the Great’s incursions, by image-driven forms of prevailing religion in India, temples to Central Asian kings, and North Indian spirit cults. Working through these influences—and more—the Buddhists managed to convey the Buddha’s sense of spirituality and interiority, spreading a legacy across Asia.
About Dr. Ronald M. Davidson:
Dr. Ronald Davidson is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Religious Studies at Fairfield University, Connecticut. His BA, MA and PhD are from the University of California, Berkeley. His specialization is on the social and ritual history of Buddhism in India and early Tibet. He has lived and travelled extensively in India and elsewhere in Asia and has worked with Indians and Tibetans for more than a decade and a half, both in Asia and here in the United States. He has published five books and dozens of articles on Buddhism in India and Tibet. During his 34 years at Fairfield, he served as Chair of Religious Studies, Inaugural Director of the Humanities Institute, and Director of the School of the Humanities. He is currently writing another book, on the fifth to sixth centuries in India, focusing on the Buddhist ritual and social systems that arose in India and travelled on to China.
JOAN & IRWIN JACOBS
MUSIC ROOM
Athenaeum Music & Arts Library
1008 Wall Street
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LECTURE BEGINS AT 7:30 PM.
DOORS OPEN AT 7:00 PM.
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Banner image: Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, F1949b Gandhara, 2nd, 3rd cen CE