Alexander Mayer is Associate Professor in the Department of Religion and the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Illinois. Professor Mayer received his doctorate from Tübingen University in 1989, habilitation from Heidelberg University in 1999. He specializes in Chinese Buddhist biographical (Xuanzang) and commentarial literature (Yogacara and prajna exegesis). His research interests include the making of biographical literature and the representation of the person in the 7th cent; Chinese Buddhist forms of commentary writing from the 5th through the 19th centuries.

Selected publications include:

• Xuanzangs Leben und Werk. Xuanzang. Übersetzer und Heiliger [Xuanzang's Life and Work. Translator and Sacred Person; in three vols]. (Wiesbaden, 1991, 1992, 2001).
• "Die Frage nach cetanå in der Triµçikå Vasubandhus" [Buddhist Ethics: The Place of cetanå /volition and the Will in Western Philosophy]. Hôrin 4 (1997).
• "Sengzhao über Verursachung" [Sengzhao about Causation]. Hôrin 7 (2001).
• "Der Anblick des Berges in den chinesischen Bergmonographien" [The Vision of the Mountain in the Chinese "Mountain Monographies"] - Zur Poetik der Reise- und Länderberichte II, ed. by Xenja v. Ertzdorff (Amsterdam, Rodopi, 2001).
• "Die verkostende Betrachtung der Schrift des Herzens" [The Savoring Contemplation of the Scripture of the Mind], Schrift des Herzens, ed. by Hermann-Josef Röllicke (Bielefeld, 2002).
• "The Buddha Image in the Light of the Doctrine" - The Return of the Buddha. Chinese Sculpture of the 6th Century. The Buddhas from Qingzhou - Catalogue to the Exhibition in Berlin, Zürich, London, ed. by Lukas Nickel (Berlin, Zürich, London, 2002).
• "Yijing", "Faxian", Xuanzang", "Buddhist Commentarial Literature", "Dreams in Buddhism", Encyclopaedia of Buddhism, ed. by Robert Buswell (NY, MacMillan, 2003).

Courses Taught
RLST 122 History of East Asian Religions
RLST 132 Zen
RLST 287 Intro to Buddhism
RLST 484 Buddhist Meditation
RLST 488 History of Chinese Buddhism
RLST 495 Chinese Readings in Chinese Buddhism