Buddhist studies

The Buddhist Studies ( Buddhology ) is a scientific discipline that deals with the study of languages ​​and the spiritual and material culture of Buddhism.

Buddhist Studies in the West explores Buddhism in terms of philology, history, philosophy, religious studies, sociology, and culture.

In Germany there are about Buddhism focused research and professorships within the Indology, Tibetology, Chinese and other Orientalist subjects or within the religious studies. At the University of Heidelberg since 2010, there is a chair for " Buddhist Studies " ( Buddhist Studies ).

In many Asian countries, however, there are schools for Buddhist Studies, such as in Myanmar, India and Nepal. In the United States, the Buddhist Studies, as in Germany, often integrated into other subject areas, but there are also private universities that offer a separate field of study Buddhist Studies. As the first university, the University of Wisconsin in 1965 MA and Ph.D programs offered in Buddhist Studies. First Professor of Buddhist Studies was founded in 1969 Masatoshi Shoshun Nagatomi ( 1926-2000 ) at Harvard University.