Elaine Lai

Elaine is a PhD Candidate in Religious Studies focusing on Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, specifically the transmission of Tantra from India to Tibet. Her research interests are too many to list here, but they include: theories of time, space, and materiality; subtle body practices in the Great Perfection tradition; and creative re-envisioning of embodiment and gender. Prior to Stanford, she spent ten years working and studying in China, Taiwan, India, Hong Kong, and Nepal, where she made many auspicious connections with Buddhist teachers and practitioners, as well as sacred sites. Outside of academia, she serves as the co-president of the Buddhist Community at Stanford, and her creative outlet is writing.