Buddhist Concept of Time Examined in Lawrence University Lecture

APPLETON, WIS. -- A Buddhist philosopher's unique concept of time and the role the future plays in shaping our present lives will be examined in a Lawrence University Main Hall Forum.

Dirck Vorenkamp, assistant professor of religious studies at Lawrence, presents, "Back to the Future: Time in Chinese Buddhism," Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 4:30 p.m. in Main Hall, Room 202. The event is free and open to the public.

Vorenkamp, a specialist in Asian religions, will discuss the teachings of Fa-Tsang, a noted 7th-century Buddhist philosopher who believed time not only flowed from the past to the present, but that it could also work backward, allowing the future to influence the here and now. Vorenkamp will examine Fa-Tsang's concept that people are shaped and influenced by yet-to-occur experiences and are not merely products of their past.