Early Tantra

In the framework of its ANR-DFG Franco-German thematic programme, the French National Research Agency (ANR) has decided to allocate the sum of €129,065 to the EFEO (Dominic Goodall), effective as of December 28, 2007. Set to last for three years, the programme is entitled "Discovering the Interrelationships and Common Ritual Syntax of the Saiva, Buddhist, Vaisnava and Saura traditions" (or Early Tantra)

The principal objective of the programme is to elucidate the interactions and relations between the ancient Tantric traditions. It was felt that by studying the similarities and differences between their ritual systems and terminology it would be possible to reach a clearer understanding of how these traditions were established and defined. The programme is also intended to make available for the first time reliable scholarly editions of a certain number of the earliest Tantric texts, all of them previously unpublished.

In the German part of the programme, scholars will focus their expertise and experience on the study of Nepalese manuscripts, particularly Buddhist manuscripts and early Saiva material. German partner researchers have privileged access to the National Archives of Kathmandu. Meanwhile, French researchers possess unique expertise regarding such material as well as of Shivaism in general. The two groups will pool their databases on Tantric literature.

This close and intensive collaboration will be reinforced by annual two-week long workshops attended not only by the members of the French and German teams but also by a substantial number of leading international experts in Tantric traditions who have agreed to be associated with the project.

The programme will culminate in six principal publications. Five of those publications will be constituted by the texts themselves. Depending on the state of the sources, the texts will be published either as critical editions or as diplomatic transcriptions. Each publication will be accompanied by a DVD containing digital images of the manuscripts in colour. The sixth publication will be a collection of articles on the ritual syntax common to the earliest Tantric traditions.

EFEO News
26th Rendez-vous de l'histoire in Blois
Blois, France,

The Réseau des Écoles françaises à l'Étranger - ResEFE - is taking part in the 26th Rendez-vous de l'histoire in Blois as part of its Carte blanche: "À tombeaux ouverts: les vivants face aux morts de l'Europe à l'Extrême-Orient."
Saturday, October 7, 9-10.30 a.m., Site Jaurès University, Amphi 2, Blois.

From October 8 to 10 the 5 EFEs will have a book stand at the Blois history book fair, represented by the bookshop Lerycerp (space N, stands 76 to 80, on the map).
Study day
Paris, France, 30 June 2023

The CRCAO and the EFEO organize a study day on Échanges artistiques entre l'Asie de l'Est et l'Occident, d'hier et d'aujourd'hui (fin du XIXe s.- début du XXIe s.) [Artistic exchanges between East Asia and the West, past and present (late 19th c. - early 21st c.)] with the support of the IRHiS-Université de Lille and Sciencescope Japon.

From 9:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., in the Grand Salon of the Maison de l'Asie.

Programme

Annual EFEO-Faculty of Archaeology Seminar
Bangkok, Thailand, 29 June 2023

On June 29, as part of the Annual EFEO-Faculty of Archaeology Seminar on "Inscriptions, manuscrits et archéologie en Asie du Sud-Est [Inscriptions, manuscripts, and archaeology in Southeast Asia]," at Silpakorn University in Bangkok, the following spoke for the EFEO:

Gregory Kourilsky gives a talk entitled "Relative Dating of a Code of Law from Luang Prabang (Laos)"

Christophe Pottier gives a talk entitled "Archaeology beyond monumentality: some recent works in Cambodia"

Dominique Soutif gives a talk entitled "Continuing the K. Number inventory"

Lecture-debate
Tokyo, Japan, 27 June 2023

From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., the EFEO Centres in Tokyo and in Kyoto are co-organising with the French Institute for Research on Japan (UMIFRE 19 MEAE-CNRS), at the Maison franco-japonaise in Tokyo, a lecture-debate on the topic "Vingt-deux ans à la tête du musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac" [Twenty-two years at the head of the musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac], with Stéphane Martin (former president of the musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac) and Ozawa Kei (University of Tokyo), moderated by François Lachaud (EFEO).

Participation on registration

Lecture ''Le premier musée en Chine et sa collection (1829-1834)''
Paris, France, 23 June 2023
TAI Li-Chuan, researcher and vice-director of the Institute of History and Philology at the Academia Sinica, gives a lecture on "Le premier musée en Chine et sa collection (1829-1834)" 

Friday 23 June 2023 at 10.30 a.m., in the Grand Salon of the Maison de l'Asie