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| ==Studies== | ==Studies== | ||
| One of the 20th century's most important scholars of Theravāda Buddhism, Richard Gombrich made himself known with a ground-breaking anthropological investigation of contemporary Buddhist "precept and practice" in Sri Lanka. This important study emphasised the disparity between the normative Buddhism advocated in canonical texts and the Buddhism found in actual practice. Since then, his research has since focused more on Buddhist origins. | |||
| Widely knowledgeable in all areas of Buddhist research - an immense field - Richard Gombrich made himself known with a ground-breaking and still hugely impressive anthropological investigation of contemporary Buddhist "precept and practice" in Sri Lanka. However, his research has since focussed more on Buddhist origins. His originality lies in his ability to relate Buddhist texts and practices to early Hindu and Vedic thought. Strangely enough, a profound knowledge of both was, before Gombrich, not a common attribute of scholars. Buddhism and Hinduism tended to be studied apart, by different scholars, and therefore their influence on each other tended to be missed, undervalued, or noticed only where it was obvious - and sometimes misleading; that is because Buddhism was studied first in the light of Chinese, Japanese, east Asian and Sri Lankan practice, and Hinduism in the same way mainly in a purely Indian context. Professor Gombrich's comparative method has shed a great deal of light on both Buddhist thought and Buddhist early history. One of his most remarkable achievements was the establishment of the date of the Buddha's death, important not only for itself, but for its confirmation of the historical value of early Buddhist texts and genealogies. A stout opponent of the currently faddish "hermeneutics of suspicion" and of relativism, Professor Gombrich has repeatedly shown the value of a hermeneutics that begins with the acceptance of the text as it is and its interpretation on its own terms. As a result, it can happen that his lectures may be interrupted by a listener who has suddenly been enlightened in a field of research of his or her own. Needless to say, he is an excellent lecturer, routinely able to keep a room full of scholars and students listening from A to Z. | |||
| In his work, Gombrich stresses the importance of relating Buddhist texts and practices to early Hindu and Vedic thought. That is, rather than study Buddhism and Hinduism separately, Gombrich advocates a comparative method that has shed a great deal of light on both Buddhist thought and Buddhist early history. He has been an active contributer to an ongoing discussion concerning the date of the Buddha's death, and has advocated for a greater appreciation of the historical value of early Buddhist texts and genealogies. | |||
| A stout opponent of such contemporary intellectual developments as the "hermeneutics of suspicion," Gombrich practices a hermeneutics that begins with the acceptance of the text "as it is," interpreting it "merely on its own terms." For Gombrich, ] (a friend of his father's) represents the apogee of human intellectual achievement. While this approach is attractive to some, others find Gombrich's approach naive and dated. | |||
| ==Personality and influence== | ==Personality and influence== | ||
| Gombrich's long and active career has has resulted in a very wide circle of friends and admirers. As a result, his influence on his university and his field of studies has been larger even than his scholarly achievements would warrant. Scholars from East Asia, even members of the Buddhist monastic order (Sangha), routinely attend his lectures and courses to learn about their own religion (see ]). His personality and influence have contributed to keeping Oxford in the forefront of Indological and Buddhist studies. | |||
| Some describe Gombrich as a man of notable humility, as willing to help a colleague (even when he disagrees with their position) as to ask for advice from a student, and as amazingly dynamic. Others emphasise, to the contrary, that Gombrich can be pompous, arrogant, and (as even some of his closest and oldest friends will attest) extremely thin-skinned. | |||
| In retirement, Gombrich has assumed the leadership of both the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and the Clay Sanskrit Library. Enjoying admirable endowments from an American donor, the Clay Library has publishing dozens of Indian classics mostly unknown to the West except for a few specialists. This looks to be a lasting legacy. | |||
| ==Awards== | ==Awards== | ||
| The ] awarded Gombrich the SC Chakraborty medal in 1993. The following year, he received the Sri Lanka Ranjana decoration from the ] of ]. | The ] awarded Gombrich the SC Chakraborty medal in 1993. The following year, he received the Sri Lanka Ranjana decoration from the ] of ]. | ||
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Richard Francis Gombrich (born 17 July 1937) is a British Indologist and scholar of Sanskrit, Pāli, and Buddhist Studies. He acted as the Boden Professor of Sanskrit at the University of Oxford from 1976 to 2004. He is currently Academic Director of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies, Joint General Editor for the Clay Sanskrit Library, and a Governor of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies. He is a past President of the Pali Text Society (1994-2002).
Birth and early education
Gombrich was born on 17 July 1937, the only child of concert pianist Ilse Gombrich and the renowned Austrian-British art historian, Sir Ernst Gombrich.
Studies
One of the 20th century's most important scholars of Theravāda Buddhism, Richard Gombrich made himself known with a ground-breaking anthropological investigation of contemporary Buddhist "precept and practice" in Sri Lanka. This important study emphasised the disparity between the normative Buddhism advocated in canonical texts and the Buddhism found in actual practice. Since then, his research has since focused more on Buddhist origins.
In his work, Gombrich stresses the importance of relating Buddhist texts and practices to early Hindu and Vedic thought. That is, rather than study Buddhism and Hinduism separately, Gombrich advocates a comparative method that has shed a great deal of light on both Buddhist thought and Buddhist early history. He has been an active contributer to an ongoing discussion concerning the date of the Buddha's death, and has advocated for a greater appreciation of the historical value of early Buddhist texts and genealogies.
A stout opponent of such contemporary intellectual developments as the "hermeneutics of suspicion," Gombrich practices a hermeneutics that begins with the acceptance of the text "as it is," interpreting it "merely on its own terms." For Gombrich, Karl Popper (a friend of his father's) represents the apogee of human intellectual achievement. While this approach is attractive to some, others find Gombrich's approach naive and dated.
Personality and influence
Gombrich's long and active career has has resulted in a very wide circle of friends and admirers. As a result, his influence on his university and his field of studies has been larger even than his scholarly achievements would warrant. Scholars from East Asia, even members of the Buddhist monastic order (Sangha), routinely attend his lectures and courses to learn about their own religion (see pizza effect). His personality and influence have contributed to keeping Oxford in the forefront of Indological and Buddhist studies.
Some describe Gombrich as a man of notable humility, as willing to help a colleague (even when he disagrees with their position) as to ask for advice from a student, and as amazingly dynamic. Others emphasise, to the contrary, that Gombrich can be pompous, arrogant, and (as even some of his closest and oldest friends will attest) extremely thin-skinned.
In retirement, Gombrich has assumed the leadership of both the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and the Clay Sanskrit Library. Enjoying admirable endowments from an American donor, the Clay Library has publishing dozens of Indian classics mostly unknown to the West except for a few specialists. This looks to be a lasting legacy.
Awards
The Asiatic Society of Calcutta awarded Gombrich the SC Chakraborty medal in 1993. The following year, he received the Sri Lanka Ranjana decoration from the President of Sri Lanka.
Publications
- Precept and Practice (1971)
- The Perfect Generosity of Prince Vessantara (with Margaret Cone,1977)
- On Being Sanskritic (1978)
- Buddhist Studies in Honour of Walpola Rahula (ed. inter alios, 1980)
- The World of Buddhism (co-editor with Heinz Bechert, 1984)
- Buddhist Studies in Honour of Hammalava Saddhatissa (ed. inter alios, 1984)
- Theravada Buddhism (1988, 2nd edn 2006)
- Buddhism Transformed (with Gananath Obeyesekere, 1988)
- Indian Ritual and its Exegesis (ed., 1988)
- Buddhist Precept and Practice (revised edn of Precept and Practice, 1991)
- How Buddhism Began (1996)
Academic appointments
- Lecturer, University of Oxford (1965-76)
- Boden Professor of Sanskrit, University of Oxford (1976-2004)
- Visiting Professor, University of Bristol (1981-82)
- Visiting Professor, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (1982)
- Visiting Fellow, Princeton University (1986-87)
- F. D. Maurice Lecturer, King’s College London (1994)
- Jordan Lecturer, SOAS (1994)
- Gonda Lecturer, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (1997)
- Edmund Perry lecturer, Northwestern University (1998)