This paper discusses how religious concerns are embeded in the political discourse in relation to the ethnic problem in Sri Lanka. It highlights the importance of paying attention to 'religious concerns' in negotiating peace and bringing... more
This paper discusses how religious concerns are embeded in the political discourse in relation to the ethnic problem in Sri Lanka. It highlights the importance of paying attention to 'religious concerns' in negotiating peace and bringing peace to communities in Sri Lanka by paying more attention to the situation at ground level. It demonstrates diversity in religious opinion that has some strong links with ethnic identity. The agency of religion as a factor contributing to violence is considered by showing that one has to go beyond Buddhist and Hindu stereo-types. The links between religion and nationalism is highlighted using recent scholarship. Controversial politial profiles such as the death of Soma is examined in the light of religious concerns and ethnic tensiosn.
This paper describes recent progress of a GIS project on Chinese Buddhist monasteries. The author of this paper, who is also the principal investigator of this project, intends to present the problems which such a digital project faces... more
This paper describes recent progress of a GIS project on Chinese Buddhist monasteries. The author of this paper, who is also the principal investigator of this project, intends to present the problems which such a digital project faces and to discuss possible solutions of these problems. This paper demonstrates the success of this project but also points out the future directions for further development. Through an analysis of the different kinds of relationships that this database has to provide for, this paper emphasizes the importance of designing an expandable database structure. The potential of such a database demonstrates that digital descriptions of historical events can be a powerful tool for conducting research in Chinese religion.
« Southeast Asian Buddhist Monks in the Peregrinação: Tracing the “Rolins” of Fernão Mendes Pinto in the Eastern Bay of Bengal », Jorge M. dos Santos Alves (ed.), Fernão Mendes Pinto and the Peregrinação. Studies, Restored Text, Notes and... more
« Southeast Asian Buddhist Monks in the Peregrinação: Tracing the “Rolins” of Fernão Mendes Pinto in the Eastern Bay of Bengal », Jorge M. dos Santos Alves (ed.), Fernão Mendes Pinto and the Peregrinação. Studies, Restored Text, Notes and Indexes, Lisbonne, Fundação Oriente et Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda, vol. 1, p. 145-162.
Buddhist monks and Buddhism more generally are often imagined, especially in Western countries, to be inherently nonviolent. While the Buddha certainly never advocated violence, many Buddhists, including Buddhist monks, have variously... more
Buddhist monks and Buddhism more generally are often imagined, especially in Western countries, to be inherently nonviolent. While the Buddha certainly never advocated violence, many Buddhists, including Buddhist monks, have variously advocated for violence and participated in violent acts. Achan Chanh Ly (1941-2004) was a Lao border Theravada monk in Thailand whose life and death became dominated by Cold War politics, counterinsurgency and insurgency, and associated violence.
Radicalised Buddhist movements in Sri Lanka and Myanmar have been prominent as drivers ofmistrust, tensions and violence directed against Muslim minorities, particularly since the mid-2010s. This article seeks to understand why ordinary... more
Radicalised Buddhist movements in Sri Lanka and Myanmar have been prominent as drivers ofmistrust, tensions and violence directed against Muslim minorities, particularly since the mid-2010s. This article seeks to understand why ordinary monks, who exert tremendous influence in these societies, have developed anti-Muslim sentiments and even endorse radical movements. To do so I analyse the discursive construction of Buddhists as a historically victimised community and of Muslims as the most potent existential threat to that community. The study uses an “empathetic” vantage point to analyse the perceptions of Buddhist monks and laity, because resolving their mistrust of Muslims requires a deeper understanding of their fears and grievances. It delineates a narrative in which other religious communities, historically, have encroached on the Buddhist sphere by imposing limits on its rituals and conversion of Buddhists to other faiths, and through the destruction of Buddhist heritage sites. Monks and laity maintain discourses of fear, stemming from a substantive basis of history in which the pre-colonial and colonial experiences, neglect of local economies, invasions, and incursions into the Buddhist community left a collective memory of injury and external persecution. This narrative critically informs the feelings and behaviour of Buddhist monks vis-à-vis Muslims.
STUDIES on social and political change tend to emphasize factors promoting change rather than factors maintaining or reenforcing an existing or a" traditional" social and political system.
This paper discusses how religious concerns are embeded in the political discourse in relation to the ethnic problem in Sri Lanka. It highlights the importance of paying attention to 'religious... more
This paper discusses how religious concerns are embeded in the political discourse in relation to the ethnic problem in Sri Lanka. It highlights the importance of paying attention to 'religious concerns' in negotiating peace and bringing peace to communities in Sri Lanka by paying more attention to the situation at ground level. It demonstrates diversity in religious opinion that has some strong links with ethnic identity. The agency of religion as a factor contributing to violence is considered by showing that one has to go beyond Buddhist and Hindu stereo-types. The links between religion and nationalism is highlighted using recent scholarship. Controversial politial profiles such as the death of Soma is examined in the light of religious concerns and ethnic tensiosn.
In Thailand, a Buddhist monastery has two rationale, one for the living, one for the dead. Originally, the main "dead" figure was that of the Buddha. Now, with the advent of arahants' cult within Man Bhuridhatto's filiation, the saints'... more
In Thailand, a Buddhist monastery has two rationale, one for the living, one for the dead. Originally, the main "dead" figure was that of the Buddha. Now, with the advent of arahants' cult within Man Bhuridhatto's filiation, the saints' crystallized relics become the focus and attraction of open stupas. Introduction 1. Historical rationale for Buddhist monasteries 2. The museum for saints 2.A. Types of structures 2.B. Corporeal relics 2.C. Images of the saint 2.D. Belongings 2.E. Amulets 2.F. Published works 2.G. Honorific fans and titles Conclusion + List of sites visited & Bibliography
In the context of institutionalized Buddhism, the position of the Buddhist monks in Sri Lankan society and the issues of their discipline have been commonly discussed and frequently debated with reference to various practices such as the... more
In the context of institutionalized Buddhism, the position of the Buddhist monks in Sri Lankan society and the issues of their discipline have been commonly discussed and frequently debated with reference to various practices such as the involvement of monks in politics, acting militantly in public places, engaging in occult activities, and conducting trade or business activities, etc. One relatively recent event, which intensified discussions and debates on some of such activities, has been the introduction of the draft bill "The Theravada Bhikkhu Kathikawath" to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in January 2016. It marked a sudden outbreak of competing views from various segments of the lay and monastic societies on the position of Buddhist monks and the monastic reforms required on certain behavioral conducts. This study adopted a thematic analysis, which intended to explore what themes became more contentious in print and electronic media during the debate; and critically looked into how actors relevant to such contentious themes highlighted matters related to the Bill in particular and monastic reforms in general while falling into different discursive spaces. The debate uncovered several underlying problems related to the draft bill, monastic reforms and monastic community that include disagreements over the legitimacy of Mahanayakas or Chief Prelates and the lay political leadership, contradictions over the constitutionality of the draft bill; and problems over traditionalism and modernization of the Buddhist monastic community in Sri Lanka.
This book chapter was published 40 years ago and has been difficult to find. It focuses upon the period, late 19th and early 20th century when the Thai government pondered ways how the Buddhist monastery schools coud be adapted to teach... more
This book chapter was published 40 years ago and has been difficult to find. It focuses upon the period, late 19th and early 20th century when the Thai government pondered ways how the Buddhist monastery schools coud be adapted to teach modern subjects
Book Chapter in Goodwin, J; Piggott, J, ed. Land, Power, and the Sacred: The Estate System in Medieval Japan. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2018, pp.377-402.
