PhD defence

The Devāsurasaṃgrāma Myth in Buddhist Context: A Textual Study of the Deva-Asura War Narrative in the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthānasūtra

• X. Meng

Date

Thursday 18 June 2026

Time

10:00 - 11:00 hour

Address

Academy Building
Rapenburg 73
2311 GJ Leiden

Supervisor(s)

• Prof.dr. J.A. Silk
• Prof.dr. P.C. Bisschop
• dr. P.D. Szántó

Summary

How did ancient Indian Buddhists understand the relationship between the universe, demon, violence, and religion? This dissertation focuses on a Buddhist meta-myth which might answer this question. This myth is about the perpetual cosmic wars between the gods and the Asuras, a special group of demoniac beings in Buddhist tradition. The lengthiest version of the myth as attested in a Buddhist cosmological text, titled the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthānasūtra (“The Sūtra on the Application of Mindfulness of the True Dharma”), refashioned the story into a Dharma allegory, expressing didacticism, scholasticism, and polemic. It provides a mythopolitical framework to conceptualize the metaphysical nature and moral dynamics of both the macrocosm and the microcosm, justifying Buddhism’s invincible cosmic-military power, ethical integrity, and inter-sectarian superiority. This war narrative exemplifies a telling case to explore the relationship between religion and mythmaking.

PhD dissertations

Approximately one week after the defence, PhD dissertations by Leiden PhD students are available digitally through the Leiden Repository, that offers free access to these PhD dissertations. Please note that in some cases a dissertation may be under embargo temporarily and access to its full-text version will only be granted later.

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