Contemporary Buddhism and Daoism examined

A lecture series sponsored by the East Asian Studies program at Grand Valley State University is bringing in a pair of speakers to the Allendale Campus to discuss two of the East's greatest philosophical traditions -- Buddhism and Daoism.

• Dr. Peter Hershock, coordinator of the Asian Studies Development Program at the East-West Center in Hawaii, will discuss "The Relevance of Buddhist Thought and Practice to Contemporary Issues" on October 24 from 2-4 p.m. in Room 114, Lake Michigan Hall.

  Hershock is the author of several books, including "Liberating Intimacy: Enlightenment and Social Virtuosity in Ch'an Buddhism;" "Reinventing the Wheel: A Buddhist Response to the Information Age" and 2005's "Ch'an Buddhism."

• Prof. Linghong Kong, director of the Daoist Center in Hangzhou and professor of philosophy at Zhejiang University, will discuss "The Founding of Modern Neo-Daoism and its Cultural Perspectives" on November 3 from 2-4 p.m. in Room 102, Manitou Hall. Kong is the author of more than 70 scholarly papers and numerous books, including "A Short History of Daoism" and "From Daoism to Daoism in Religion."

Both talks are free and open to the public. Media coverage is encouraged. For more information, contact Brian J. Bowe at (616) 331-2221 or [email protected].