Reproduction of a Buddhist practitioner's meal

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K12811
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 01020:Chinese philosophy, Indian philosophy and Buddhist philosophy-related
• Research Institution: Ryukoku University
• Principal Investigator: Inoue Ayase (井上綾瀬) 龍谷大学, 公私立大学の部局等, 研究員 (10838527)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 仏教文化 / 食生活 / 古代インド

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A study was conducted to examine the dietary habits of Buddhist practitioners in ancient India, with a particular focus on sugar consumption. While the origin of sugar remains uncertain, previous research has suggested its proximity to India. Therefore, this study aimed to integrate textual analysis of Buddhist scriptures with empirical investigation, originally planned to include fieldwork. However, due to the constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, extensive fieldwork became unfeasible. Consequently, the study pivoted towards examining archaeological evidence pertaining to tableware and culinary utensils used in ancient Indian contexts. Post-pandemic, an analysis of wall paintings and sculptures provided valuable insights into the material culture associated with dietary practices in ancient India.

Free Research Field

仏教文化

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

仏教僧団や仏教修行者の生活に関するルールが示される仏教文献は内容解読を行う途上にある．本研究は読解のみでは理解不能な実態や，道具を美術資料や考古学的資料から明らかにしようとした点に独創性がある．その学術的・社会的意義は，(1)古代インドの食文化理解を進めたという点，(2)砂糖の起源の一端に迫る点，(3)文献の理解のために文献以外の遺産を援用した点，(4)インド文化圏における交流解明の手掛かりに仏教文献を比較し使用する研究モデルを提示した点，(5)インド伝統文化の歴史理解に寄与し得る点である。