Materializing a buddhist symbol of rarity: recent appearance of the udumbara flower

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article examines the “social career” of the udumbara flower, which was initially a Buddhist literary symbol of rarity and felicity, but materialized and was reported to appear frequently in Korea, China, and Chinese diaspora communities around the world, beginning in 1997. Drawing from a number of case studies of udumbara flower sightings in Korea, the paper examines the cultural circumstances under which this “materialization” occurred, and argues that meanings cannot be extracted and studied removed from their particular earthly situatedness. The author also explores the role of media in the multiplication, authorization, and contestation of new meanings, as well as the annexation of traditional scriptural authority. In addition, the article examines the significance of sensory experience for Buddhist pilgrims. The case study of the udumbara flower sighting on a Buddhist nun's hand reveals a novel way of experiencing the object—through the sense of touch—which unexpectedly generated the miracle of healing illness and providing arrays of this-worldly benefits. Finally, the author examines the appropriation of the udumbara sightings by Chinese Falun Gong practitioners who have linked the appearance of the udumbara with immanent collapse of the Chinese communist regime, and, therefore, the end of their persecution.