dr. Christoph Anderl (Ghent University): The spread of Buddhist narratives along the Silk Road: King Māra’s Assault on the Meditating Buddha

The attacks on the meditating Buddha by the Demon King Māra and his army, as well as the temptation of Buddha by Māra’s daughters are popular topics in Buddhist literature and iconography throughout India, Central Asia, and China. Whereas depictions in India were characterized by a certain diversity, the Māra iconography underwent a process of codification and standardization in Gandhāran art. The talk will first provide a short overview of textual and iconographic sources in India and Gandhāra, and then focus on the transformations which took place in the depictions of the topic in medieval Chinese art, as well as the treatment of the topic in medieval Chinese literature.