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50 EASTERN HORIZON | NEWS

Buddhist Studies: Fo Guang Shan’s New

English Digital Dictionary of Buddhism

a Vital Asset for Buddhist Translation

By Craig C Lewis, April 7, 2024

The two-hour event on 30 July included a series of panels
featuring renowned Buddhist scholars, including: Dr. Lewis
R. Lancaster, Emeritus Professor of the Department of East
Asian Languages from the University of California, Berkeley,
and Executive Academic Advisor of the FGDB English
Translation Project; Dr. Robert Buswell, Jr., Distinguished
Professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of California
Image courtesy of the Fo Guang Shan Institute of at Los Angeles, who has experience compiling two Buddhist
Humanistic Buddhism encyclopedic dictionaries; Dr. Charles Muller, Professor
Emeritus of the Faculty of Letters at the University of Tokyo
The Fo Guang Shan Institute of Humanistic Buddhism and creator of the Digital Dictionary of Buddhism; Dr. Jiang
(FGSIHB), founded by the Taiwan-headquartered international Wu, Professor of East Asian Studies at the University of
Buddhist organization and monastic order Fo Guang Shan, Arizona; and Dr. Marcus Bingenheimer, Associate Professor
marked a significant milestone in Buddhist studies on 30
of Religion at Temple University.
July with the launch of the beta release of the English Digital
Edition of the Fo Guang Dictionary of Buddhism (FGDB). “First conceived in 2014, the translation project has convened
The online event brought together a panel of five eminent
over a hundred volunteers to date,” FGSIHB said in an
Buddhist studies scholars and nearly 200 participants from 20
announcement shared with BDG. “This ambitious project aims
countries and regions.
to translate the monumental Fo Guang Dictionary of Buddhism,
first published in 1989 through Ven. Master Hsing Yun’s
“The Fo Guang Dictionary has been a cornerstone in the study
vision of creating a reference source to help Buddhists to read
and understanding of Buddhist terminology and concepts in
canonical texts. Since its initial publication, this colossal text
the Chinese-speaking world since its first publication in 1988,”
has been one of the most widely utilized Buddhist reference
said FGDB English Translation Project Director Ven. Miao
sources in Chinese.
Guang. “The English version of the Fo Guang Dictionary is not
just a translation; it is a bridge that connects the rich heritage
“The beta version, now accessible online, features 5,000
of Chinese Buddhist literature with the global community.”
headwords—approximately 15 per cent of the complete

Ven. Miao Guang, Director of the FGDB English Translation The online event to unveil this groundbreaking resource
Project. Image courtesy of the Fo Guang Shan Institute of brought together a panel of five eminent Buddhist studies
Humanistic Buddhism scholars and nearly 200 participants. Image courtesy of the Fo
Guang Shan Institute of Humanistic Buddhism