Buddha Walking on Thames

Last week, London was taken over by Buddhists. Three things events sealed London's reputation as one of the epicentres of Buddhism in the West:

1. The Buddhist Art Forum, the first of its kind, held at the Courtauld Institute of Art and sponsored by the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation. Stretching over four days and three evening receptions at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Museum, and the Courtauld, the conference invited academics, conservators, and artists from many different institutions across the world to the British capital, which has now also become the Buddhist capital of the West. London is a lucky city in so many ways: Europe's financial capital, a contender to be Europe's technology capital, and now, a capital for Buddhist art.

2. A private £2.5 million donation by Mr. Y. C. Ho to kick off a new Masters in Buddhist Art Conservation, which will be jointly taught by academics and conservators at the V&A, the Courtauld, and my old university, SOAS. Things were looking good a few years ago with the Robert Ho Gallery of Buddhist sculpture at the V&A, but this seals the deal for London as a Buddhist art centre.

3. Not content to rest on its already massive laurels, the Foundation also sponsored and hosted the annual International Buddhist Film Festival, which featured several movies I watched and reviewed for work.

Needless to say, it was an exhausting few days but incredibly inspiring and also rather humbling. Looking at all the conservators and academics who've had so many adventures contributing to the preservation of Buddhist arts and culture, you realize it's a big world and there is so much more to be done. It's exciting, to say the least.

Check out this link for more details about what happened in that most eventful and productive week.