Godabarisha Mishra is a Professor and Dean, School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religion at the Nalanda International University, India. Earlier, he served as a Visiting Professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the IIT, Bhubaneswar from 2018-22. Formerly, he also worked as the Chairman of the School of Philosophy and Religious Thought as well as the Professor and Head, Department of Philosophy, University of Madras. At the University of Madras, he was also heading the Centre of Buddhist Studies as the Director. He was the Editor at the Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute, Chennai during 1985-88 and also was the Member Secretary of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research, New Delhi during (2007-2011). During 2008-10, he was the Editor of the Journal of Indian Council of Philosophical Research, New Delhi. He was awarded Charles Wallace Visiting Fellowship to study at Oxford University UK. He was also a visiting professor at the Oxford Centre for Hindu studies, Oxford, UK and at Mahatma Gandhi Institute, Mauritius.

His main areas of specializations are Indian Philosophical Schools, Vedanta and Buddhism, especially classical and textual traditions. He has published more than fifty research papers on Classical and Contemporary Indian Thought and Comparative Philosophy and authored many review articles in many National and International journals. His publications include Anubhūtiprakāśa of Vidyāraṇya (1992), Śivajñāna-bodha-saṅgraha-bhāṣya of Śivāgrayogin, co-editor (1993), Paramparā: Essays in Honour of R. Balasubramanian co-edited with Srinivasa Rao (2003), Breaking Barriers: Essays in Asian and Comparative Philosophy co-edited with Frank Hoffman (2003) and Vedānta without Māyā (A Debate on Saptavidha-anupapatti (2014). At present, he is busy completing a project of two volumes of Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophy (Advaita Vedānta) assigned by (late) Karl H Potter.

Abstract of the lecture

Voyage of Dhamma Transcending Borders & Practices

The journey of Dhamma, based on the teachings of Gautama – the Buddha is a testimony to the universal appeal and transformative power of his teachings. Initially challenging the orthodoxy of Brahminical traditions, as well as heterodoxy of Lokāyatas, Dhamma emerged as an egalitarian vision that fostered compassion (karuna) and espoused supreme wisdom besides promoting mindfulness, and resulting in the cessation of suffering. The inclusivity of his philosophy resonated deeply with those people who felt suppressed and provided an alternative to rigid social hegemony and ritualistic orthodoxy.

The missionary zeal and imperial efforts of Ashoka facilitated the dissemination of the teachings of the Buddha not only within the country of its origin, but also across Asia and beyond. Through the Silk road, maritime trade routes, and the efforts of dedicated monks and traders, the Dhamma travelled beyond the geographical and cultural boundaries, to South Asian and South East Asian and East Asian countries and later on to the nations beyond Asia retaining its core and expanding its peripheries.

The multifaceted journey of Dhamma from its initial subaltern origin to its global recognition underscores its bearing on cultural, philosophical, and social landscapes worldwide. Through this process Dhamma emerged as a binding force that bridged civilizations, nurtured intercultural dialogue, and offered enduring relevance in addressing global predicaments of that period.

The narrative of Dhamma’s voyage in the Asian continent and beyond emphasizes its local relevance, openness and universal acceptability that resulted in the transformation of a subaltern thought to a global philosophical phenomenon, regaining its space at the centre of spiritual and intellectual discourse in the secular modern world. Bottom of Form

This presentation would take up the origin, modes of dissemination and the journey Dhamma has taken to emerge as a global philosophical and spiritual movement.