Jinah Kim
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780520273863
- eISBN:
- 9780520954885
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520273863.003.0007
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Asian Cultural Anthropology
This chapter examines the human agents behind the medieval Buddhist book cult-the donors, makers, and users of the illustrated manuscripts-based on a collective analysis of the colophons of ...
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This chapter examines the human agents behind the medieval Buddhist book cult-the donors, makers, and users of the illustrated manuscripts-based on a collective analysis of the colophons of thirty-six dated illustrated Buddhist manuscripts from India.The involvement of monastic donors, with the exception of monks from Tibet and elsewhere, is unexpectedly low, indicating that the Buddhist book cult remained a lay-based cultic practice, despite monastic production. The illustrated manuscripts prepared by nonmonastic ritual specialists during the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries demonstrate how lay Buddhists claimed and affirmed their Buddhist identity through participation in the Buddhist book cult, an age-old Mahāyāna practice, when Buddhist monastic institutions were falling apart.Less
This chapter examines the human agents behind the medieval Buddhist book cult-the donors, makers, and users of the illustrated manuscripts-based on a collective analysis of the colophons of thirty-six dated illustrated Buddhist manuscripts from India.The involvement of monastic donors, with the exception of monks from Tibet and elsewhere, is unexpectedly low, indicating that the Buddhist book cult remained a lay-based cultic practice, despite monastic production. The illustrated manuscripts prepared by nonmonastic ritual specialists during the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries demonstrate how lay Buddhists claimed and affirmed their Buddhist identity through participation in the Buddhist book cult, an age-old Mahāyāna practice, when Buddhist monastic institutions were falling apart.
Ann Gleig
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- September 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780300215809
- eISBN:
- 9780300245042
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300215809.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
The March 2016 cover of the Lion's Roar featured seven teachers of color and seven white teachers, seven females and seven males, gathered together under the title “The New Face of Buddhism.” Given ...
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The March 2016 cover of the Lion's Roar featured seven teachers of color and seven white teachers, seven females and seven males, gathered together under the title “The New Face of Buddhism.” Given that this edition represented a significant step forward in promoting diversity and advocating for the sociopolitical deployment of American Buddhist practice, it is not surprising that one of the first responses to it was a critique. More surprising, however, was that this critique was directed at the magazine's continuation of rather than challenge to Buddhist modernism. This chapter considers “insider” critiques of meditation-based Buddhism, an emphasis on collective forms of practice, and an illumination and interrogation of the sociocultural contexts of American Buddhist lineages. It focuses on the appearance of these sensibilities across communities with strong online platforms as well as the lively Buddhist blogosphere.Less
The March 2016 cover of the Lion's Roar featured seven teachers of color and seven white teachers, seven females and seven males, gathered together under the title “The New Face of Buddhism.” Given that this edition represented a significant step forward in promoting diversity and advocating for the sociopolitical deployment of American Buddhist practice, it is not surprising that one of the first responses to it was a critique. More surprising, however, was that this critique was directed at the magazine's continuation of rather than challenge to Buddhist modernism. This chapter considers “insider” critiques of meditation-based Buddhism, an emphasis on collective forms of practice, and an illumination and interrogation of the sociocultural contexts of American Buddhist lineages. It focuses on the appearance of these sensibilities across communities with strong online platforms as well as the lively Buddhist blogosphere.
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824836023
- eISBN:
- 9780824869601
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824836023.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This chapter discusses records of miraculous events that demonstrate the power of the Buddha, bodhisattvas, monks, and nuns. These events were thought to prove the efficacy of Buddhist devotional ...
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This chapter discusses records of miraculous events that demonstrate the power of the Buddha, bodhisattvas, monks, and nuns. These events were thought to prove the efficacy of Buddhist devotional practices; to illustrate the veracity of Buddhist claims; and to warn of the consequences of violating Buddhist norms. The texts clearly assumed an audience that was not only nonmonastic but also potentially skeptical of Buddhist teachings or relatively new to Buddhist norms. Also, they were not written in technical language for religious “insiders,” and the things of which they sought to persuade readers were a subset of basic Buddhist teachings, not finer points of doctrine or advanced aspects of practice. The remainder of the chapter studies Wang Yan's Records of Signs from the Unseen Realm. At 129 extant items plus a substantial preface, it is by far the largest miracle-tale collection to have survived from this era.Less
This chapter discusses records of miraculous events that demonstrate the power of the Buddha, bodhisattvas, monks, and nuns. These events were thought to prove the efficacy of Buddhist devotional practices; to illustrate the veracity of Buddhist claims; and to warn of the consequences of violating Buddhist norms. The texts clearly assumed an audience that was not only nonmonastic but also potentially skeptical of Buddhist teachings or relatively new to Buddhist norms. Also, they were not written in technical language for religious “insiders,” and the things of which they sought to persuade readers were a subset of basic Buddhist teachings, not finer points of doctrine or advanced aspects of practice. The remainder of the chapter studies Wang Yan's Records of Signs from the Unseen Realm. At 129 extant items plus a substantial preface, it is by far the largest miracle-tale collection to have survived from this era.
Juliane Schober
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824833824
- eISBN:
- 9780824871635
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824833824.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
For centuries, Burmese have looked to the authority of their religious tradition, Theravada Buddhism, to negotiate social and political hierarchies. This book examines those moments in the modern ...
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For centuries, Burmese have looked to the authority of their religious tradition, Theravada Buddhism, to negotiate social and political hierarchies. This book examines those moments in the modern history of this Southeast Asian country when religion, culture, and politics converge to chart new directions. The book shows that Buddhist practice necessitates public validation within an economy of merit in which moral action earns future rewards. The intervention of colonial modernity in traditional Burmese Buddhist worldviews has created conjunctures at which public concerns critical to the nation's future are reinterpreted in light of a Buddhist paradigm of power. The book begins by focusing on the public role of Buddhist practice and the ways in which precolonial Buddhist hegemonies were negotiated. The discussion then traces the emergence of modern Buddhist communities through the colonial experience. The continuing discourse and cultural negotiation of these themes draw Buddhist communities into political arenas, either to legitimate political power or to resist it on moral grounds. The book concludes with an examination of the way in which Buddhist resistance in 2007, known in the West as the Saffron Revolution, was subjugated by military secularism and the transnational pressures of a global economy.Less
For centuries, Burmese have looked to the authority of their religious tradition, Theravada Buddhism, to negotiate social and political hierarchies. This book examines those moments in the modern history of this Southeast Asian country when religion, culture, and politics converge to chart new directions. The book shows that Buddhist practice necessitates public validation within an economy of merit in which moral action earns future rewards. The intervention of colonial modernity in traditional Burmese Buddhist worldviews has created conjunctures at which public concerns critical to the nation's future are reinterpreted in light of a Buddhist paradigm of power. The book begins by focusing on the public role of Buddhist practice and the ways in which precolonial Buddhist hegemonies were negotiated. The discussion then traces the emergence of modern Buddhist communities through the colonial experience. The continuing discourse and cultural negotiation of these themes draw Buddhist communities into political arenas, either to legitimate political power or to resist it on moral grounds. The book concludes with an examination of the way in which Buddhist resistance in 2007, known in the West as the Saffron Revolution, was subjugated by military secularism and the transnational pressures of a global economy.
Alexander Soucy
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824835989
- eISBN:
- 9780824871567
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824835989.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
The most common description of the supernatural landscape in Vietnam makes a distinction between Buddhist and non-Buddhist “sides.” The “Buddha side” (ben phat) is the focus of this investigation ...
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The most common description of the supernatural landscape in Vietnam makes a distinction between Buddhist and non-Buddhist “sides.” The “Buddha side” (ben phat) is the focus of this investigation into the intersection of gender, power, and religious praxis. Employing an anthropological approach to Buddhist practice that takes into account modes of action that are not only socially constructed and contextual, but also negotiated by the actors, the book explores how gender and age affect understandings of what it means to be a Buddhist. The book examines everything from the skeptical statements of young men and devotional performances of young women to the pilgrimages of older women and performances of orthodoxy used by older men to assert their position within the pagoda space. From an in-depth view, the book describes the critical role of religion in shaping social contexts and inserting selves into them. Religion can thus be described as a form of theatre—one in which social identities (youth, old age, masculinity, femininity, authority) are constructed and displayed via religious practice.Less
The most common description of the supernatural landscape in Vietnam makes a distinction between Buddhist and non-Buddhist “sides.” The “Buddha side” (ben phat) is the focus of this investigation into the intersection of gender, power, and religious praxis. Employing an anthropological approach to Buddhist practice that takes into account modes of action that are not only socially constructed and contextual, but also negotiated by the actors, the book explores how gender and age affect understandings of what it means to be a Buddhist. The book examines everything from the skeptical statements of young men and devotional performances of young women to the pilgrimages of older women and performances of orthodoxy used by older men to assert their position within the pagoda space. From an in-depth view, the book describes the critical role of religion in shaping social contexts and inserting selves into them. Religion can thus be described as a form of theatre—one in which social identities (youth, old age, masculinity, femininity, authority) are constructed and displayed via religious practice.
Nicolas Bommarito
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- June 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780190887506
- eISBN:
- 9780190092559
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190887506.003.0017
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter provides an overview of the wide variety of Buddhist practices. Though people who practice Buddhism would all self-identify as Buddhist, what Buddhism means to them and the role it plays ...
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This chapter provides an overview of the wide variety of Buddhist practices. Though people who practice Buddhism would all self-identify as Buddhist, what Buddhism means to them and the role it plays in their lives is very different. Think about the social context. For some Buddhists, Buddhism is deeply intertwined with both family life and powerful social institutions. This social context affects how practice looks for each. The role of ritual is also different for each. Moreover, there are different background assumptions about the supernatural in play. Another difference is the place of meditation in the lives of each of these Buddhists. None of this is to say that any of these people are practicing “real” or “authentic” Buddhism. It is merely to highlight the ways in which Buddhist practice varies around the world.Less
This chapter provides an overview of the wide variety of Buddhist practices. Though people who practice Buddhism would all self-identify as Buddhist, what Buddhism means to them and the role it plays in their lives is very different. Think about the social context. For some Buddhists, Buddhism is deeply intertwined with both family life and powerful social institutions. This social context affects how practice looks for each. The role of ritual is also different for each. Moreover, there are different background assumptions about the supernatural in play. Another difference is the place of meditation in the lives of each of these Buddhists. None of this is to say that any of these people are practicing “real” or “authentic” Buddhism. It is merely to highlight the ways in which Buddhist practice varies around the world.
Xiuping Gao and Chun Lan
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190636647
- eISBN:
- 9780190636678
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190636647.003.0010
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Psycholinguistics / Neurolinguistics / Cognitive Linguistics
This is a study of the metaphorical expressions in the Diamond Sutra and the Heart Sutra from the perspective of cognitive linguistics, with a special emphasis on five concepts, SPACE, TIME, LIFE, ...
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This is a study of the metaphorical expressions in the Diamond Sutra and the Heart Sutra from the perspective of cognitive linguistics, with a special emphasis on five concepts, SPACE, TIME, LIFE, BUDDHIST PRACTICE and EMPTINESS. It is found that the Buddhist SPACE is AN UNSUBSTANTIAL EMPTINESS, structured along ten directions and filled with an immeasurable number of dusts, which in turn constitute an immeasurable number of SHI-JIE (WORLD) on four different levels. The Buddhist TIME follows the root TIME-AS-SPACE metaphor. The Buddhist LIFE, constrained along both the temporal dimension and the spatial dimension, is A CYCLIC JOURNEY IN THE WHEEL OF SIX PATHS. BUDDHIST PRACTICE is A JOURNEY FROM REINCARNATION TO NIRVANA. These metaphors help construct a Buddhist world which is distinct from but also related to the mundane world that we all dwell in.Less
This is a study of the metaphorical expressions in the Diamond Sutra and the Heart Sutra from the perspective of cognitive linguistics, with a special emphasis on five concepts, SPACE, TIME, LIFE, BUDDHIST PRACTICE and EMPTINESS. It is found that the Buddhist SPACE is AN UNSUBSTANTIAL EMPTINESS, structured along ten directions and filled with an immeasurable number of dusts, which in turn constitute an immeasurable number of SHI-JIE (WORLD) on four different levels. The Buddhist TIME follows the root TIME-AS-SPACE metaphor. The Buddhist LIFE, constrained along both the temporal dimension and the spatial dimension, is A CYCLIC JOURNEY IN THE WHEEL OF SIX PATHS. BUDDHIST PRACTICE is A JOURNEY FROM REINCARNATION TO NIRVANA. These metaphors help construct a Buddhist world which is distinct from but also related to the mundane world that we all dwell in.
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780520269460
- eISBN:
- 9780520952010
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520269460.003.0001
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Asian Cultural Anthropology
This introductory chapter discusses the ambivalence towards the Dalai Lama's Dharamsala-based reforms—reforms that often aspire to liberal-democratic ideals. It considers the implications of these ...
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This introductory chapter discusses the ambivalence towards the Dalai Lama's Dharamsala-based reforms—reforms that often aspire to liberal-democratic ideals. It considers the implications of these reforms for Tibetan Buddhist education in India, especially in “debates” (rtsod pa), “public reprimand” (tshogs gtam), and disciplinary practices like corporal punishment. The discussion focuses on debate and discipline at Sera Monastery in Bylakuppe, a bastion of traditionalism populated by some 4,500 monks. It compares Sera with the self-consciously modernized Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamsala, home to the Dalai Lama and epicenter of Tibetan Buddhist modernism in India. An overview of the subsequent chapters is also presented.Less
This introductory chapter discusses the ambivalence towards the Dalai Lama's Dharamsala-based reforms—reforms that often aspire to liberal-democratic ideals. It considers the implications of these reforms for Tibetan Buddhist education in India, especially in “debates” (rtsod pa), “public reprimand” (tshogs gtam), and disciplinary practices like corporal punishment. The discussion focuses on debate and discipline at Sera Monastery in Bylakuppe, a bastion of traditionalism populated by some 4,500 monks. It compares Sera with the self-consciously modernized Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamsala, home to the Dalai Lama and epicenter of Tibetan Buddhist modernism in India. An overview of the subsequent chapters is also presented.
Ian Harris
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824835613
- eISBN:
- 9780824871444
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824835613.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This chapter focuses on the manner in which Buddhist practice was restricted and finally extinguished by the Khmer Rouge. At the local level, policies were implemented in one of two ways, either ...
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This chapter focuses on the manner in which Buddhist practice was restricted and finally extinguished by the Khmer Rouge. At the local level, policies were implemented in one of two ways, either dogmatically and with ill-considered fervor or in ways that still left scope for determined individuals, sometimes with the connivance of sympathetic officials, to maintain a minimal level of religiosity. In the case of a very limited number of courageous elderly monks and laypeople, living the life of a white-robed ascetic became an option, if only for a short period. A slightly larger group resolutely confronted their terrors and performed devotions in secret. But by far and away the largest proportion of previously active Buddhists rapidly and completely abandoned any semblance of the religious life.Less
This chapter focuses on the manner in which Buddhist practice was restricted and finally extinguished by the Khmer Rouge. At the local level, policies were implemented in one of two ways, either dogmatically and with ill-considered fervor or in ways that still left scope for determined individuals, sometimes with the connivance of sympathetic officials, to maintain a minimal level of religiosity. In the case of a very limited number of courageous elderly monks and laypeople, living the life of a white-robed ascetic became an option, if only for a short period. A slightly larger group resolutely confronted their terrors and performed devotions in secret. But by far and away the largest proportion of previously active Buddhists rapidly and completely abandoned any semblance of the religious life.
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824836023
- eISBN:
- 9780824869601
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824836023.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
In early medieval China hundreds of Buddhist miracle texts were circulated, inaugurating a trend that would continue for centuries. Each tale recounted extraordinary events involving Chinese persons ...
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In early medieval China hundreds of Buddhist miracle texts were circulated, inaugurating a trend that would continue for centuries. Each tale recounted extraordinary events involving Chinese persons and places—events seen as verifying claims made in Buddhist scriptures, demonstrating the reality of karmic retribution, or confirming the efficacy of Buddhist devotional practices. This book presents the first complete, annotated translation, with in-depth commentary, of the largest extant collection of miracle tales from the early medieval period, Wang Yan's Records of Signs from the Unseen Realm, compiled around 490 C.E. In addition to the translation, the book provides a substantial study of the text and its author in their historical and religious settings. It shows how these lively tales helped integrate Buddhism into Chinese society at the same time that they served as platforms for religious contestation and persuasion. The book offers a methodological discussion of how such narratives, being products of social memory, may be read as valuable evidence for the history of religion and culture.Less
In early medieval China hundreds of Buddhist miracle texts were circulated, inaugurating a trend that would continue for centuries. Each tale recounted extraordinary events involving Chinese persons and places—events seen as verifying claims made in Buddhist scriptures, demonstrating the reality of karmic retribution, or confirming the efficacy of Buddhist devotional practices. This book presents the first complete, annotated translation, with in-depth commentary, of the largest extant collection of miracle tales from the early medieval period, Wang Yan's Records of Signs from the Unseen Realm, compiled around 490 C.E. In addition to the translation, the book provides a substantial study of the text and its author in their historical and religious settings. It shows how these lively tales helped integrate Buddhism into Chinese society at the same time that they served as platforms for religious contestation and persuasion. The book offers a methodological discussion of how such narratives, being products of social memory, may be read as valuable evidence for the history of religion and culture.
Justin McDaniel
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231153775
- eISBN:
- 9780231527545
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231153775.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
Stories centering on the lovelorn ghost (Mae Nak) and the magical monk (Somdet To) are central to Thai Buddhism. Historically important and emotionally resonant, these characters appeal to every ...
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Stories centering on the lovelorn ghost (Mae Nak) and the magical monk (Somdet To) are central to Thai Buddhism. Historically important and emotionally resonant, these characters appeal to every class of follower. Metaphorically and rhetorically powerful, they invite constant reimagining across time. Focusing on representations of the ghost and monk from the late eighteenth century to the present, the book builds a case for interpreting modern Thai Buddhist practice through the movements of these transformative figures. It follows embodiments of the ghost and monk in a variety of genres and media, including biography, film, television, drama, ritual, art, liturgy, and the Internet. Sourcing nuns, monks, laypeople, and royalty, he shows how relations with these figures have been instrumental in crafting histories and modernities. Establishing an individual’s “religious repertoire” as a valid category of study, the book explores the performance of Buddhist thought and ritual through practices of magic, prognostication, image production, sacred protection, and deity and ghost worship, and clarifies the meaning of multiple cultural configurations. The book suggests that concepts of attachment, love, wealth, beauty, entertainment, graciousness, security, and nationalism all spring from engagement with the ghost and the monk and are as vital to the making of Thai Buddhism as venerating the Buddha himself.Less
Stories centering on the lovelorn ghost (Mae Nak) and the magical monk (Somdet To) are central to Thai Buddhism. Historically important and emotionally resonant, these characters appeal to every class of follower. Metaphorically and rhetorically powerful, they invite constant reimagining across time. Focusing on representations of the ghost and monk from the late eighteenth century to the present, the book builds a case for interpreting modern Thai Buddhist practice through the movements of these transformative figures. It follows embodiments of the ghost and monk in a variety of genres and media, including biography, film, television, drama, ritual, art, liturgy, and the Internet. Sourcing nuns, monks, laypeople, and royalty, he shows how relations with these figures have been instrumental in crafting histories and modernities. Establishing an individual’s “religious repertoire” as a valid category of study, the book explores the performance of Buddhist thought and ritual through practices of magic, prognostication, image production, sacred protection, and deity and ghost worship, and clarifies the meaning of multiple cultural configurations. The book suggests that concepts of attachment, love, wealth, beauty, entertainment, graciousness, security, and nationalism all spring from engagement with the ghost and the monk and are as vital to the making of Thai Buddhism as venerating the Buddha himself.
Anh Q. Tran
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190677602
- eISBN:
- 9780190677633
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190677602.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
Chapter 4 deals with the afterlife and the cult of the dead, according to both Confucian and Vietnamese folk Buddhist practices. It begins with an overview of traditional Vietnamese anthropology and ...
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Chapter 4 deals with the afterlife and the cult of the dead, according to both Confucian and Vietnamese folk Buddhist practices. It begins with an overview of traditional Vietnamese anthropology and its influence on ancestral worship: outlining several characteristics that are the basis of ancestor worship, the discussion then turns to how the Confucian tradition linked rituals honoring the dead with filial piety, and to traditional conceptions of the soul and the afterlife in Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Then the chapter proceeds to a detailed description of the traditional funeral rites and ancestral veneration, including an account of practices surrounding the burial, as well as folk Buddhism and the afterlife. The chapter ends with a Christian evaluation of these practices.Less
Chapter 4 deals with the afterlife and the cult of the dead, according to both Confucian and Vietnamese folk Buddhist practices. It begins with an overview of traditional Vietnamese anthropology and its influence on ancestral worship: outlining several characteristics that are the basis of ancestor worship, the discussion then turns to how the Confucian tradition linked rituals honoring the dead with filial piety, and to traditional conceptions of the soul and the afterlife in Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Then the chapter proceeds to a detailed description of the traditional funeral rites and ancestral veneration, including an account of practices surrounding the burial, as well as folk Buddhism and the afterlife. The chapter ends with a Christian evaluation of these practices.
Nicolas Bommarito
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- June 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780190887506
- eISBN:
- 9780190092559
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190887506.003.0031
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter explores Buddhist literary practices. A huge number of Buddhist practices focus on the written word. Though early Buddhist teachings were passed on orally, they eventually took the form ...
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This chapter explores Buddhist literary practices. A huge number of Buddhist practices focus on the written word. Though early Buddhist teachings were passed on orally, they eventually took the form of written texts, which began to occupy a special place in Buddhist practice. Buddhist texts often function as tools to help us reorient the mental life. We interact with books in many ways; they are things we create, use, neglect, admire, destroy, and contemplate. Buddhists in particular spend huge amounts of time and energy reading, reciting, memorizing, studying, interpreting, and translating texts. These are widespread Buddhist practices and can function not only to preserve and spread Buddhist ideas and techniques but as distinctive practices of their own.Less
This chapter explores Buddhist literary practices. A huge number of Buddhist practices focus on the written word. Though early Buddhist teachings were passed on orally, they eventually took the form of written texts, which began to occupy a special place in Buddhist practice. Buddhist texts often function as tools to help us reorient the mental life. We interact with books in many ways; they are things we create, use, neglect, admire, destroy, and contemplate. Buddhists in particular spend huge amounts of time and energy reading, reciting, memorizing, studying, interpreting, and translating texts. These are widespread Buddhist practices and can function not only to preserve and spread Buddhist ideas and techniques but as distinctive practices of their own.
Geoff Ashton
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824847593
- eISBN:
- 9780824868215
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824847593.003.0046
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Social and Cultural Anthropology
This chapter focuses on the efficacy of Buddhist spiritual practices for Westerners attending a Buddhist meditation retreat in Southern Thailand. At the same time it shows how the introspective ...
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This chapter focuses on the efficacy of Buddhist spiritual practices for Westerners attending a Buddhist meditation retreat in Southern Thailand. At the same time it shows how the introspective self-study involved in Buddhist meditation enacts a form of ethnographic research. The retreat in question had initially limited the options for the author to conduct his research, as it was structured to quiet the mind and draw attention to the immediacy of the moment. Despite initial setbacks, however, it became possible to conduct research through direct observation and limited interviews. Moreover, the author was able to employ a methodology to which Buddhist mindfulness training is particularly amenable through its emphasis upon introspective awareness: self-analysis.Less
This chapter focuses on the efficacy of Buddhist spiritual practices for Westerners attending a Buddhist meditation retreat in Southern Thailand. At the same time it shows how the introspective self-study involved in Buddhist meditation enacts a form of ethnographic research. The retreat in question had initially limited the options for the author to conduct his research, as it was structured to quiet the mind and draw attention to the immediacy of the moment. Despite initial setbacks, however, it became possible to conduct research through direct observation and limited interviews. Moreover, the author was able to employ a methodology to which Buddhist mindfulness training is particularly amenable through its emphasis upon introspective awareness: self-analysis.
Nicolas Bommarito
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- June 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780190887506
- eISBN:
- 9780190092559
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190887506.003.0021
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter describes the role of solitude and meditation in Buddhism. Solitude does play an important role in many Buddhist practices. The problem one is out to solve is very difficult and the ...
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This chapter describes the role of solitude and meditation in Buddhism. Solitude does play an important role in many Buddhist practices. The problem one is out to solve is very difficult and the intellectual, perceptual, and emotional habits that stand in the way are deep-seated. This means that attacking the problem requires focused time and energy. Establishing some distance from the diversions and pace of life allows the space to confront the problem in a sustained way. Many practices involve not only sustained focus, but also a greater degree of perceptual sensitivity to what is happening in the body and mind. It is not just being away from distractions that helps, but being away from the demands of the social world. Buddhists, particularly those who specialize in meditative practices, can take retreats that last for years. For those just starting out, such long periods of solitude can be dangerous. There is a reason that solitary confinement can be traumatic: Being suddenly alone for long stretches without preparation is psychologically risky.Less
This chapter describes the role of solitude and meditation in Buddhism. Solitude does play an important role in many Buddhist practices. The problem one is out to solve is very difficult and the intellectual, perceptual, and emotional habits that stand in the way are deep-seated. This means that attacking the problem requires focused time and energy. Establishing some distance from the diversions and pace of life allows the space to confront the problem in a sustained way. Many practices involve not only sustained focus, but also a greater degree of perceptual sensitivity to what is happening in the body and mind. It is not just being away from distractions that helps, but being away from the demands of the social world. Buddhists, particularly those who specialize in meditative practices, can take retreats that last for years. For those just starting out, such long periods of solitude can be dangerous. There is a reason that solitary confinement can be traumatic: Being suddenly alone for long stretches without preparation is psychologically risky.
Justin Thomas McDaniel
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231153775
- eISBN:
- 9780231527545
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231153775.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This chapter concludes that the magical, commercial, curative, protective, prognosticative, aesthetic, and preservative practices of current Thai Buddhists are neither the products of an anarchic ...
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This chapter concludes that the magical, commercial, curative, protective, prognosticative, aesthetic, and preservative practices of current Thai Buddhists are neither the products of an anarchic society nor the expressions of the futile aspirations of those ignorant of more refined canonical values. The origin of these practices can be best explained through the notion of repertoire—a constantly shifting collection of gestures, objects, texts, plots, tropes, ethical maxims, precepts, ritual movements, and expectations that any individual agent employs and draws upon when acting and explaining action—focusing on individual agents and the relationships that are formed between them, and examining closely at their religious products (texts, rituals, liturgies, art) in highly specific contexts.Less
This chapter concludes that the magical, commercial, curative, protective, prognosticative, aesthetic, and preservative practices of current Thai Buddhists are neither the products of an anarchic society nor the expressions of the futile aspirations of those ignorant of more refined canonical values. The origin of these practices can be best explained through the notion of repertoire—a constantly shifting collection of gestures, objects, texts, plots, tropes, ethical maxims, precepts, ritual movements, and expectations that any individual agent employs and draws upon when acting and explaining action—focusing on individual agents and the relationships that are formed between them, and examining closely at their religious products (texts, rituals, liturgies, art) in highly specific contexts.
Nicolas Bommarito
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- June 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780190887506
- eISBN:
- 9780190092559
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190887506.003.0034
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This concluding chapter presents some recommendations and advice regarding Buddhism. For Dogen, a famous Japanese Buddhist philosopher, anything the individual does can be a form of Buddhist practice ...
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This concluding chapter presents some recommendations and advice regarding Buddhism. For Dogen, a famous Japanese Buddhist philosopher, anything the individual does can be a form of Buddhist practice as long as they do it with the right mindset. This counters a temptation to think of practice as something formal, something that happens only at a meditation center or a temple. But ideally, Buddhist practice is not limited in these sacred domains; it is everything that individual does in their life. This can sound overwhelming, but Dogen's insight is that practice is not something the individual does in order to reach enlightenment; it is enlightenment. Ultimately, the heart of Buddhism is recalibrating how the individual relates to themself and to the world. It is about confronting unpleasant realities directly, with an attitude of problem solving.Less
This concluding chapter presents some recommendations and advice regarding Buddhism. For Dogen, a famous Japanese Buddhist philosopher, anything the individual does can be a form of Buddhist practice as long as they do it with the right mindset. This counters a temptation to think of practice as something formal, something that happens only at a meditation center or a temple. But ideally, Buddhist practice is not limited in these sacred domains; it is everything that individual does in their life. This can sound overwhelming, but Dogen's insight is that practice is not something the individual does in order to reach enlightenment; it is enlightenment. Ultimately, the heart of Buddhism is recalibrating how the individual relates to themself and to the world. It is about confronting unpleasant realities directly, with an attitude of problem solving.
Nicolas Bommarito
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- June 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780190887506
- eISBN:
- 9780190092559
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190887506.003.0016
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter looks at another way to understand the philosophical aspects of Buddhism. Instead of seeing philosophy as about abstract things to know, we can think of it also as a kind of mental ...
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This chapter looks at another way to understand the philosophical aspects of Buddhism. Instead of seeing philosophy as about abstract things to know, we can think of it also as a kind of mental exercise, an intellectual training regimen. Rather than something to know, it is something to work through, something to do. Much of Buddhist philosophy can be read on two levels, as a description of how things are and as instructions for how to realize it. As such, Buddhist philosophy is like an exercise an individual goes through to help them get started in the right direction; it is a process that they go through to get their mind out of its old habits. This means that, like any practice, it is not for everyone and eventually, that individual may not need it anymore.Less
This chapter looks at another way to understand the philosophical aspects of Buddhism. Instead of seeing philosophy as about abstract things to know, we can think of it also as a kind of mental exercise, an intellectual training regimen. Rather than something to know, it is something to work through, something to do. Much of Buddhist philosophy can be read on two levels, as a description of how things are and as instructions for how to realize it. As such, Buddhist philosophy is like an exercise an individual goes through to help them get started in the right direction; it is a process that they go through to get their mind out of its old habits. This means that, like any practice, it is not for everyone and eventually, that individual may not need it anymore.
Nicolas Bommarito
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- June 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780190887506
- eISBN:
- 9780190092559
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190887506.003.0032
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter studies Buddhist practices that make use of sound in general and the human voice in particular. These practices are some of the most popular and widespread in the Buddhist world. They ...
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This chapter studies Buddhist practices that make use of sound in general and the human voice in particular. These practices are some of the most popular and widespread in the Buddhist world. They often involve saying a short series of syllables over and over. Sometimes these have linguistic meaning, sometimes not. Other practices involve recalling a particular Buddha by saying their name out loud. Though different in many ways, they all rely on the unique power of the human voice. The chapter then considers mantras. A particular mantra is a particular series of syllables that one repeats over and over. They might be repeated mentally but are usually repeated out loud, though sometimes quietly, as a barely audible murmur. Different mantras are supposed to invoke different buddhas, bodhisattvas, or even texts. This means that Buddhists bring them to mind or appeal to them.Less
This chapter studies Buddhist practices that make use of sound in general and the human voice in particular. These practices are some of the most popular and widespread in the Buddhist world. They often involve saying a short series of syllables over and over. Sometimes these have linguistic meaning, sometimes not. Other practices involve recalling a particular Buddha by saying their name out loud. Though different in many ways, they all rely on the unique power of the human voice. The chapter then considers mantras. A particular mantra is a particular series of syllables that one repeats over and over. They might be repeated mentally but are usually repeated out loud, though sometimes quietly, as a barely audible murmur. Different mantras are supposed to invoke different buddhas, bodhisattvas, or even texts. This means that Buddhists bring them to mind or appeal to them.
Nicolas Bommarito
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- June 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780190887506
- eISBN:
- 9780190092559
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190887506.003.0002
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter examines two general strands in Buddhism: philosophy and practice. Philosophy involves understanding the nature of the world and the mind. It involves careful examination, reasoning, and ...
More
This chapter examines two general strands in Buddhism: philosophy and practice. Philosophy involves understanding the nature of the world and the mind. It involves careful examination, reasoning, and analysis of the world in general and the self in particular. Meanwhile, practice involves specific techniques to bring about a change in how we respond to the world. It aims at changing mental habits and ways of experiencing the world. These two aspects can, and often are, discussed separately. This is no surprise given how monumental each task is; people sometimes devote their entire lives to only one philosophical question or Buddhist practice. Nevertheless, these two aspects do inform each other. Philosophy helps to establish the aim of practice. Practice, on the other hand, can help one to have certain experiences which can, in turn, inform ideas about how the world works.Less
This chapter examines two general strands in Buddhism: philosophy and practice. Philosophy involves understanding the nature of the world and the mind. It involves careful examination, reasoning, and analysis of the world in general and the self in particular. Meanwhile, practice involves specific techniques to bring about a change in how we respond to the world. It aims at changing mental habits and ways of experiencing the world. These two aspects can, and often are, discussed separately. This is no surprise given how monumental each task is; people sometimes devote their entire lives to only one philosophical question or Buddhist practice. Nevertheless, these two aspects do inform each other. Philosophy helps to establish the aim of practice. Practice, on the other hand, can help one to have certain experiences which can, in turn, inform ideas about how the world works.
