Biography
Jialin Cao is a Ph.D. student specializing in premodern Sino-Japanese Buddhism, with a focus on the Esoteric (Tantric) tradition, mikkyō/mijiao. Her current research examines the interplay of text, material culture, and ritual in the representation of Esoteric Buddhist divinities that emerged between the seventh and ninth centuries, during the cross-continental transmission of Vajrayāna from China to Japan. She seeks to navigate this network of Esoteric pantheon, unraveling the hidden interconnections among various deities and their practices. Before joining Columbia, Jialin earned a B.S. in Applied Psychology with a double major in East Asian Religious Studies from New York University in 2022.