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Dr Mark Allon

PhD (Buddhist Studies, Cambridge), BA (Asian Studies, ANU; Hons 1), Dip. Arts (City Art Institute)
Chair of Department and Lecturer in South Asian Buddhist Studies
Director of the Buddhist Studies Program

A20 - John Woolley Building
The University of Sydney

Telephone +61 2 9351 3891

Biographical details

Mark Allon teaches Pali, Sanskrit, and Buddhist and Asian studies. His current research focuses on recent discoveries of ancient Buddhist manuscripts from Afghanistan and Pakistan, particularly those in the Gandhari language through the Early Buddhist Manuscripts Project. His primary interests are in the composition and transmission of early Buddhist literature, in the ways in which texts have been used by Buddhist communities, and in the languages of early Buddhist texts.

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Research interests

  • Early Buddhist literature, particularly of the ‘Mainstream’ schools, preserved in Pali, Gandhari, Prakrit, Buddhist Sanskrit and Chinese
  • Recent discoveries of Buddhist manuscripts from Afghanistan and Pakistan
  • Buddhism in South and Southeast Asia, with a special interest in ancient Gandhara
  • Buddhist Sanskrit and the Middle Indo-Aryan languages, particularly Pali and Gandhari

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Teaching and supervision

Teaching

  • Pali and Sanskrit
  • Buddhist literature
  • Buddhism in Gandhara and Central Asia
  • Buddhism in South and South-east Asia
  • Buddhist philosophy

Supervision

  • Pali, Gandhari, and Sanskrit
  • Buddhist literature
  • Buddhism in South, South-east and Central Asia
  • Buddhist thought and practice
  • Buddhist art

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Current projects

The creation of editions, translations, and studies of the texts of the newly discovered Buddhist manuscripts from Afghanistan and Pakistan. An initial catalogue and study of the Senior Kharoṣṭhī manuscripts will be published as Ancient Buddhist Scrolls from Gandhāra II: The Senior Kharoṣṭhī Fragments. Gandhāran Buddhist Texts. Seattle: University of Washington Press.

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Associations

  • Vice-President of the Australasian Association of Buddhist Studies.
  • Editorial board member of the Buddhist Studies Review: Journal of the UK Association for Buddhist Studies and International Journal of Jaina Studies.
  • Member of the Australian Centre for Asian Art and Archaeology, Department of Art History and Theory, University of Sydney.
  • Senior member of the Early Buddhist Manuscripts Project.
  • Advisory Board member of the Dhammakaya Tipitaka Project (a new critical edition of the Pali canon)

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Selected grants

2007

  • sample - C-14 AMS analysis standard treatment; Allon M; Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering/Default scheme.

2003

  • The dating of the British Library's collection of ancient birch bark Buddhist scrolls from Afghani; Allon M; Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation/AINSE award.

2002

  • The edition translation and study of the newly discovered Senior collection of Buddhist manuscripts from ancient Gandhara; Allon M; Australian Research Council (ARC)/Discovery Project.
  • The edition translation and study of newly discovered Buddhist manuscripts from ancient Gandhara; Allon M; Australian Research Council (ARC)/Discovery Fellowship.
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Selected publications

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Books

  • Allon, M., Glass, A. (2001). Three Gandhari Ekottarikagama-Type Sutras: British Library Kharosthi Fragments 12 and 14. United States: University of Washington Press.

Book Chapters

  • Allon, M. (2007). Introduction: The Senior Manuscripts. In Glass, Andrew (Eds.), Four Gandhari Samyuktagama Sutras: Senior Kharosthi Fragment 5, (pp. 3-25). Seattle and London: University of Washington Press.
  • Allon, M., Salomon, R., Jacobsen, G., Zoppi, U. (2007). Radiocarbon Dating of Kharosthi Fragments from the Schoyen and Senior Manuscript Collections. In Jens Braarvig (Eds.), BUDDHIST MANUSCRIPTS IN THE SCHØYEN COLLECTION vol. III, (pp. 279-291). Oslo, Norway: Hermes Publishing.
  • Allon, M. (2007). Recent Discoveries of Buddhist Manuscripts from Afghanistan and Pakistan: The Heritage of the Greeks in the North-west. In Ray, Himanshu Prabha and Potts, Daniel T. (Eds.), Memory as History: The Legacy of Alexander in Asia, (pp. 131-141). New Dehli: Aryan Books International.

Journals

  • Allon, M., Salomon, R. (2010). New Evidence for Mahayana in Early Gandhara. Eastern Buddhist, 41(1), 1-22.
  • Allon, M. (2007). A Gandhari Version of the Simile of the Turtle and the Hole in the Yoke. Journal of the Pali Text Society, 29, 229-262.
  • Allon, M. (2004). Wrestling with Kharosthi Manuscripts. Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai Fellowship Newsletter, (7), 4-8.
  • Allon, M. (2003). New Buddhist Manuscripts from Ancient Gandh�?ra. T A A S A Review, 11(4), 8-10.
  • Allon, M. (2003). Thomas Oberlies, Pali. A Grammar of the Language of the Theravada Tipiaka. With a Concordance to Pischel's Grammatik der Prakrit-Sprachen. Indo Iranian Journal, 46(1), 83-89.

Edited Journals

  • von Hinüber, O., Gethin, R., Allon, M. (2007). Journal of the Pali Text Society (Festschrift in Honour of the 80th Birthday of K.R. Normal in 2005 and the 125th Anniversary in 2006 of the founding of the Pali Text Society). Journal of the Pali Text Society, 29.

Conferences

  • Allon, M. (2009). Recent Discoveries of Buddhist Manuscripts from Afghanistan and Pakistan and their Significance. Fifth Conference of the Australian Society for Inner Asian Studies (A.S.I.A.S.), Sydney: Brepols Publishers.

Magazine / Newspaper Articles

  • Allon, M. (2006). 'Dead Sea scrolls' may be missing link in Buddhism. The New Zealand Herald.
  • Allon, M. (2006). Buddhism's missing link. Geelong Advertiser.
  • Allon, M. (2006). Buddhist scrolls proved ancient. The Sydney Morning Herald (AAP).
  • Allon, M. (2006). Interviewed for article: Buddhist Scrolls at One with Carbon Dating (by Jacquie van Santen). News in Science, ABC online.
  • Allon, M. (2006). Interviewed for online article: "Birch-Bark Manuscripts Could Reveal When Buddhism Moved to China". The Chronicle of Higher Education, Volume 52, Issue 30.
  • Allon, M. (2006). Manuscripts a missing link. Launceston Examiner.
  • Allon, M. (2006). New link from two old scrolls. Daily Telegraph.

Other

  • Allon, M. (2006), Radio Interview: ABC News Radio.
  • Allon, M. (2006), Radio Interview: ABC Radio - 'The World Today'.
  • Allon, M. (2006), Radio Interview: ABC Radio - Drive Time (Adelaide).
  • Allon, M. (2006), Radio Interview: ABC Radio National.
  • Allon, M. (2006), Radio Interview: ABC Radio Newcastle, The Dayshift.
  • Allon, M. (2006), Radio Interview: ABC Radio, The Ark.
  • Allon, M. (2001), Television Appearance: Buddha Realms East and West (ABC Television).

2010

  • Allon, M., Salomon, R. (2010). New Evidence for Mahayana in Early Gandhara. Eastern Buddhist, 41(1), 1-22.

2009

  • Allon, M. (2009). Recent Discoveries of Buddhist Manuscripts from Afghanistan and Pakistan and their Significance. Fifth Conference of the Australian Society for Inner Asian Studies (A.S.I.A.S.), Sydney: Brepols Publishers.

2007

  • Allon, M. (2007). A Gandhari Version of the Simile of the Turtle and the Hole in the Yoke. Journal of the Pali Text Society, 29, 229-262.
  • Allon, M. (2007). Introduction: The Senior Manuscripts. In Glass, Andrew (Eds.), Four Gandhari Samyuktagama Sutras: Senior Kharosthi Fragment 5, (pp. 3-25). Seattle and London: University of Washington Press.
  • von Hinüber, O., Gethin, R., Allon, M. (2007). Journal of the Pali Text Society (Festschrift in Honour of the 80th Birthday of K.R. Normal in 2005 and the 125th Anniversary in 2006 of the founding of the Pali Text Society). Journal of the Pali Text Society, 29.
  • Allon, M., Salomon, R., Jacobsen, G., Zoppi, U. (2007). Radiocarbon Dating of Kharosthi Fragments from the Schoyen and Senior Manuscript Collections. In Jens Braarvig (Eds.), BUDDHIST MANUSCRIPTS IN THE SCHØYEN COLLECTION vol. III, (pp. 279-291). Oslo, Norway: Hermes Publishing.
  • Allon, M. (2007). Recent Discoveries of Buddhist Manuscripts from Afghanistan and Pakistan: The Heritage of the Greeks in the North-west. In Ray, Himanshu Prabha and Potts, Daniel T. (Eds.), Memory as History: The Legacy of Alexander in Asia, (pp. 131-141). New Dehli: Aryan Books International.

2006

  • Allon, M. (2006). 'Dead Sea scrolls' may be missing link in Buddhism. The New Zealand Herald.
  • Allon, M. (2006). Buddhism's missing link. Geelong Advertiser.
  • Allon, M. (2006). Buddhist scrolls proved ancient. The Sydney Morning Herald (AAP).
  • Allon, M. (2006). Interviewed for article: Buddhist Scrolls at One with Carbon Dating (by Jacquie van Santen). News in Science, ABC online.
  • Allon, M. (2006). Interviewed for online article: "Birch-Bark Manuscripts Could Reveal When Buddhism Moved to China". The Chronicle of Higher Education, Volume 52, Issue 30.
  • Allon, M. (2006). Manuscripts a missing link. Launceston Examiner.
  • Allon, M. (2006). New link from two old scrolls. Daily Telegraph.
  • Allon, M. (2006), Radio Interview: ABC News Radio.
  • Allon, M. (2006), Radio Interview: ABC Radio - 'The World Today'.
  • Allon, M. (2006), Radio Interview: ABC Radio - Drive Time (Adelaide).
  • Allon, M. (2006), Radio Interview: ABC Radio National.
  • Allon, M. (2006), Radio Interview: ABC Radio Newcastle, The Dayshift.
  • Allon, M. (2006), Radio Interview: ABC Radio, The Ark.

2004

  • Allon, M. (2004). Wrestling with Kharosthi Manuscripts. Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai Fellowship Newsletter, (7), 4-8.

2003

  • Allon, M. (2003). New Buddhist Manuscripts from Ancient Gandh�?ra. T A A S A Review, 11(4), 8-10.
  • Allon, M. (2003). Thomas Oberlies, Pali. A Grammar of the Language of the Theravada Tipiaka. With a Concordance to Pischel's Grammatik der Prakrit-Sprachen. Indo Iranian Journal, 46(1), 83-89.

2001

  • Allon, M. (2001), Television Appearance: Buddha Realms East and West (ABC Television).
  • Allon, M., Glass, A. (2001). Three Gandhari Ekottarikagama-Type Sutras: British Library Kharosthi Fragments 12 and 14. United States: University of Washington Press.
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