Buddhist Community Research Articles

Contesting Religious Boundaries with Care: Engaged Buddhism and Eco-Activism in the UK

The word “Buddhism” conjures up a variety of images and connotations: monks meditating on hilltops, mindfulness, cheerful Buddha caricatures. It is unlikely that these depictions suggest engagement with societal issues. And yet, this is precisely what many Buddhist communities and traditions are involving themselves in around the world. Often referred to as “engaged Buddhism”, this development in the Buddhist tradition refers to the application of Buddhist principles and practices to situations of social and environmental suffering. Nevertheless, there are critics of this emerging trend who contend that Buddhists should refrain from engaging in societal issues, believing that such involvement contradicts the teachings of the Buddha and distracts from the ultimate goal of liberation. Built on two years of ethnographic research, this paper explores the ways in which a particular environmentally engaged Buddhist group known as “Extinction Rebellion Buddhists” adapt their religious beliefs and practices in response to the challenges posed by the Anthropocene, where concerns for our collective world have resulted in increasing interest in the ways in which humans actively care for the environment. In reformulating Buddhist principles and meditation as a “politics of care”, care becomes a tool for change, with the group not only confronting the pressing issues of the Anthropocene but also disrupting Buddhism’s traditionally inward-looking, other-worldly tendencies, carving out space for autonomy and transformation within the broader landscape of UK Buddhism.

Pendidikan Buddhis Di Era Milenial

Communication in Buddhist community groups in Wonogiri Regency is basically inseparable from communication aspects consisting of communicators, messages, audiences or communicants and the effects that arise afterwards communication occurs. In Buddhist community groups in Wonogiri Regency, communication between group members and religious leaders, as well as between group members, occurs not only at certain times or activities but takes place at any time and at any time, because group members are part of a community that always interacts. Relationships (relationships) and communication that are closely intertwined among members of the Buddhist community group in Wonogiri Regency make the community a strong (strong) group. Cohesiveness (cohesiveness) is a factor that can lead to the emergence of groupthink. This integration brings certain consequences, in group decision making. Decision making is a systematic approach to the nature of a problem by collecting facts and data and determining mature alternatives to take an appropriate action (Siregar, 2013: 2) and also determining mature alternatives to take an appropriate action.

Буддийская конфессия в Российской империи во второй половине XIX в.

Introduction. The mid-to-late 19th century was witnessing transformations that had begun during the reign of Alexander II, and the former were to affect virtually all aspects of Russian public life — including those relating to the then religious situation. Goals. So, the article attempts analytical insights into religious affairs of Buryats and Kalmyks throughout the mentioned period, examines archival documents and legislative acts of the Russian Government to identify the legal status of the Buddhist Church, reviews some essentials pertaining to control over the Buddhist clergy. Materials and methods. The work considers a variety of archival documents, including statistical data and materials of the First General Census of the Russian Empire of 1897 and the Regulations on Lamaist Clergy (1853). Theoretically and methodologically, the study employs the principles of scientific objectivity and historicism, such general research approaches as structural and systems ones, including methods of historical and religious investigation. The study covers actual historical contexts, describes positions of the Buddhist denomination among Mongolic peoples of Russia, i.e. Buryats and Kalmyks Buddhists, the latter’s legal status, numbers of believers, monks and temples. Special attention is paid to specific features of Kalmyk and Buryat Buddhist communities, their relations with Russia’s authorities in 1855–1897. Results. The completed analysis concludes that in domestic religious affairs the Government was guided not only by confessional issues proper but also by the then foreign policy agenda. The latter factor was directly related to Russia’s economic interests in Asia — the maintenance of the status quo in advantageous trade with China. The examined documents attest to these were primarily aimed at isolating Kalmyks and Buryats from Buddhist centers and hierarchs of Mongolia and Tibet; secondly, at limiting the rapid spread of Buddhism; and thirdly, at establishing control over the Church and regulating economic and administrative activities of Buddhist monasteries. Conclusions. Despite all the restrictions, the examined period in the history of Buddhism across the Russian Empire was characterized by that Buddhist monasteries would consolidate Kalmyk and Buryat peoples and become centers of cultural interaction with neighboring countries and communities. By the late 19th century Buddhism became a remarkable religious and political force that had its impacts on lives of Buryats and Kalmyks — and largely shaped their ethnic identities. As for Buryats, the period was marked by a strengthening of the unified Buddhist church system that grew independent of foreign centers and developed individual governance tools completely concentrated in the hands of a single executive — Pandita Khambo Lama. The Regulations on Kalmyk People’s Governance (1847) established some undivided clerical authority of the Lama of the Kalmyk People over the bulk of the ethnic community, except for the local group of Don Kalmyk Cossacks clerically headed by Senior Bakshi Lama of theirs.

Contemporary Mindfulness and Transreligious Learning Paths of Mental Health Professionals

In this article, we apply and assess the concept of transreligiosity in the study of formally educated and licensed psychologists and psychotherapists in Finland who integrate mindfulness practices in their professional toolkit. Our analytical focus complements the discussion on the use of religious and spiritual traditions as therapeutic resources by turning scholarly attention from individual coping tools to the professional skills of therapeutic work and from complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices to mainstream health care and education. In the field of mindfulness research, we add to the cumulative body of ethnographic approaches by analyzing the mindfulness-related individual learning paths of mental health professionals through qualitative interview data. Based on our analysis, we conclude that the professional skills of using mindfulness practices in secular health care and education can result from transreligious learning trajectories, in which psychologists and psychotherapists supplement science-based academic education with learning in Buddhist communities and training with Buddhist teachers. This role of Buddhist environments and resources points to a blind spot in the current understanding of adult and professional learning, in which the value and position of religious traditions as possible complementary sources of professional knowledge and skills are not sufficiently recognized.

Aṭṭhāsila: Embracing Buddhist Virtues at Gentha Dharma Prabhassa Monastery for Holistic Benefits

The practice of Aṭṭhāsila holds significant importance for Buddhists at the Gentha Dharma Prabhassa monastery, becoming an eagerly awaited annual program before the Tri-Holy Vesak Day. This study aims to delve into Buddhist perspectives on Aṭṭhāsila, its implementation, and the benefits it offers. Employing a qualitative descriptive method with an ethnographic approach, the research showcases the profound enthusiasm of Buddhists at the monastery towards the Aṭṭhāsila program. The findings demonstrate that the practice of Aṭṭhāsila not only enriches the individual lives of practitioners but also exerts positive influences on the economic well-being of their households (gharavasa). This study sheds light on the holistic impact of Aṭṭhāsila, revealing its significance in fostering a meaningful and virtuous life within the Buddhist community at the Gentha Dharma Prabhassa monastery. this study adds valuable knowledge to the field of religious studies, shedding light on the significance of Aṭṭhāsila in fostering spiritual growth, social harmony, and economic well-being within the context of the Buddhist community.

Digital Footprints of Buddhism in Chinese-Speaking Cyberspace: Ethnography, Developments, and Challenges

Abstract This article explores the state of the field of research on digital Buddhism, contextualizing the field within a broader scope. It discusses the present and future digital ethnographic study of Buddhism in the Chinese-speaking community by presenting the methodological approaches taken so far to study this phenomenon, the kinds of case studies explored, and the epistemological problems that are facing the scholars in this new field. Because of the particular historical, social, and political factors that comprise the Buddhist community in Chinese society (both in the PRC and ROC), Buddhist cyberspace should not be reviewed as an isolated phenomenon. Instead, Buddhist cyberspace should be considered part of three intersecting domains: religion, technology, and the market economy. These three domains have become increasingly central in Chinese society, as they rapidly change, evolve, and influence both the Chinese-speaking community and the ways in which scholars study it.

Navigating inclusion: ‘home-making’ in the UK Shin Buddhist community

ABSTRACT This contribution focuses on narratives and experiences of belonging and exclusion among convert members of Three Wheels, a Japanese Shin Buddhist temple in London, to investigate how difference is incorporated into transnational Buddhism. Three Wheels, whose members include both diasporic Japanese and convert Buddhist Europeans, occupies a marginal position within both transnational Shin Buddhism and the UK’s Buddhist (and broader religious) landscape. By embracing individual and collective marginality, I argue, priests and members foster affective connections that allow for a shared minority space to emerge where its diverse members can feel at home. To explore the dynamics of this ‘home-making’, I focus specifically on how convert members negotiate their own space in the community and the processes of inclusion and exclusion through which they navigate the linguistic, religious, and cultural barriers they encounter as convert members of a Japanese Buddhist tradition. This discussion of home-making within Three Wheels as a shared minority space highlights the complex dynamics of minority status and marginality in transnational Buddhism. It also shows how, in this case, convert Buddhists have worked with Asian migrants to build what appears to be a successful mixed local Buddhist sangha that accommodates the diverse needs of its members.

Rethinking the history of Buddhism through female Buddhist heritage investigation

As the merits of Buddhism in history gave rise to architectural constructions, the preserved historical heritage opens a window to a better understanding of the past. However, most of these cultural-historical treatises have been read and narrated only from a paternal perspective. Even though there is an increased awareness of female Buddhism, a number of Buddhist constructions built under female patronage have yet to receive full recognition. Based on a field survey conducted by the author, this paper examines three representative female Buddhist architectural relics in China: the Yungang Grottoes, the Great Vairocana (or the Lu-she-na Buddha) of the Longmen Grottoes, and the Tiantai’an Nunnery, in order to understand the diversity of Buddhist practise and discuss the role of women in early Chinese Buddhism. Through case studies and comparative analysis, this paper presents Buddhist practise based on female engagement, social context, and female traditions in China. The author argues for a re-evaluation of the history of Buddhist architecture and for it to be placed into a broader framework that takes into account female Buddhist communities and their contribution to the history of architecture.

STRATEGI SAMUDRA PUTIH: MEMANFAATKAN ISU SAMPAH PLASTIK UNTUK MENCIPTAKAN PELUANG BISNIS PRODUK WAKAKA™

The only group representing the Sriwijaya State Buddhist College (STABN) to enter the Student Creativity Development Competition in the Entrepreneurship (PKM-K) competition is the 2022 WAKAKA™ product. Conceptualization and business implementation are raised from the issue of plastic waste. Of course, this issue is a serious problem in many developing countries, including Indonesia. Science and technology have invented ingenious tools to recycle plastic waste into economically valuable recycling materials. PKM-K WAKAKA™ works with producer partners to purchase finished products in the form of T-shirts and hoodies. This product also inspires consumers through the simplicity and wisdom of Zen in the artwork and calligraphy that is printed on the product. Products named with the WAKAKA™ trademark: Wahana Karya Wisdom develop businesses using the White Ocean Strategy. Steps are taken to proclaim or promote to save the planet by reducing plastic waste (reduce), reusing used goods (reuse) and using items made from recycled materials (recycle), Inspiring the community and the students themselves through Zen wisdom. In social steps, Buddhist entrepreneurship is practiced theoretically. Based on the literature review, the white samudara strategy business concept is suitable for product development in the PKM-K program held by the Directorate General of Buddhist Community Guidance, Ministry of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia.

Buddhist Women and Female Buddhist Education in the South China Sea: A History of the Singapore Girls’ Buddhist Institute

This paper studies the history of the Singapore Girls’ Buddhist Institute, the first and only modern Buddhist education institution for women in Singapore and Malaysia. This paper aims to explore a dynamic transregional Buddhist network constructed by nuns, vegetarian nuns, and laywomen, with a particular emphasis on the prominent female figures and religious women communities involved. Through an analysis of the movements and religious practices of the Buddhist women community, the author demonstrates the contributions of Buddhist women to the transmission of religious knowledge and modern experiences. It is this paper’s intention that the micro-history of the case could contribute to restaging the women-centered Buddhist community in the narrative of “South China Sea Buddhism”.

How to Protect One’s Home in Medieval China? A Study of the Fóshuō ānzhái shénzhòu jīng 佛說安宅神呪經

The protection of one’s home and ensuring the safety of one’s family have been deep-rooted concerns throughout time and in all cultures. Ānzhái 安宅 (“pacifying one’s residence”) rituals can be traced to ancient China and are still practiced in contemporary China. In this study, we will focus on the Fóshuō ānzhái shénzhòu jīng 佛說安宅神呪經 (AZSZJ; T.21, No. 1394), one of the extant Buddhist scriptures dealing with home protection. There have been (at least) two lines of transmission of ānzhái scriptures and on the basis of internal and external evidence, we project the compilation of the extant version of this text to include the late 6th century and mid 7th century and show that the scripture—in earlier catalogues labeled as “fake”—entered the Buddhist canon on the basis of a mistake or confusion by Míng Quán when he recorded it in his Dà-Zhōu kāndìng zhòngjīng mùlù大周刊定眾經目錄. The main part of the study consists of an annotated translation of AZSZJ and a preliminary analysis of the difficult terminology appearing in parts of the text. In the last part, we discuss some aspects of the text’s traditional Chinese and Buddhist elements and how they were skillfully combined in order to make the overall text attractive for the medieval Chinese Buddhist community and to successfully compete with other contemporary ritual practices concerned with the safety of one’s home.

Postulant Education within the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism: A Critical Examination of Its Past, Its Present, and the Issues Facing Its Future

Over the last three decades of evolution, the Jogye Order’s postulant education system has made considerable progress in standardizing, centralizing, and modernizing Buddhist education for aspiring monastics. As celebrated by the order’s 2022 publication The 30-year History of Buddhist Monastic Postulant Education, the order’s program has successfully seen over 9800 ordained novices graduate since its launch in 1991. However, there is a broad consensus within Korea’s Buddhist community that the religion is in crisis and, within the order in particular, that its future is in peril. Unless it is reversed, the trend portends the very real possibility of the order’s demise by the end of the century, if not sooner. The order recently vowed to reverse the downward trend in monastic recruitment and raise the annual number of ordained novices to 150 by 2025 through a multifaceted plan involving greater youth outreach efforts, an increased social media presence, and online Buddhist educational materials, along with an expansion of the order’s international missionary efforts. Given that postulant recruitment is critical to the order’s survival, this paper examines the past, present, and future of the Jogye Order’s postulant education system in light of the current membership crisis, as well as the order’s recent publication of The 30-year History of Buddhist Monastic Postulant Education.

Regional Buddhist Communities in Tang China and Their Social Networks: The Network of Master Fayun (?–766)

This paper investigates the formation of monastic networks in Tang Dynasty (618–907) China, focusing primarily on the Buddhist traditions of Tiantai, Chan and Vinaya, which have yet to be explored as a series of related regional movements. Central to this effort is a dataset that documents over 2000 interactions between some 700 actors that were extracted from stelae inscriptions, monastic biographical collections, historical accounts, letters, and poems. The network data show two clear patterns in the organization of regional Buddhist communities: (1) individual actors bridged cliques of monastics and officials; (2) both monastics and officials contributed to network activities. To illustrate these two patterns, this paper focuses on the ego-network of Fayun 法雲 (?–766), a prominent Vinaya leader based in Jiangsu region, as an example of the formation and evolution of regional Buddhist communities in southern China. Degree centrality indicates that Fayun was one of the central figures in the southern Buddhist landscape of the early eighth century. By tracing his heterogeneous ties with prominent state officials, local authorities, and monastics affiliated with the Tiantai, Chan, and Vinaya traditions, this study outlines general patterns in the formation and legitimization of regional Buddhist communities in Tang China. All three traditions are revealed as intersecting social formations that were sustained through shared ties with local and nationally prominent bureaucrats.

신라 하대 현실 인식과 佛土觀의 변화

It is not easy to find aspects of the people's perception of realities in the ancient Korean society. The limit of historical records is thought to be the biggest factor, but fortunately, a glimpse of such aspects can be obtained since relatively many epigraph in Late Silla with which aspects of the Buddhist community can be examined, including the Zen monks’ epitaph, remain. In this paper, examples in which the Late Silla Buddhism perceived the contemporary era as the degenerate age(末法) have been examined, and although common expressions related to the degenerate age were seen, the fact that the situation perceived as the degenerate age was different depending on the subject of the Buddhist custom was able to be found. In particular, the fact that the royal family perceived the contemporary era as the degenerate age can be said as a perception deviating from the one-sided understanding that the degenerate age perception held an anti-royal feature. The background behind the spread of the degenerate age perception was due to not only the domestic situation of the proliferation of the Maitreya belief since the Jinpyo(眞表), but also the foreign situation, the return of the Zen monks by the persecution of Buddhism(破佛) of the Chinese Tang(唐) Mujong(武宗). Since the Tang’s situation of the weakening of the royal family and the rise of local power resembled the reality of Silla, Silla also perceived the degenerate age in light of the Tang which resulted in the extreme situation on the persecution of Buddhism. The Buddhist community responded actively without neglecting such reality. The thought of the Buddha Land(佛土觀), which in the previous periods had spread centering around the royal family and the royal capital, changed into a local-centered ideology, proliferated the perception of accomplishing Buddhahood(本來成佛), and attempted to overcome the crisis of chaotic reality of Late Silla. As such, the Buddhist community persistently made an effort to communicate with the society and lead the society.

Between the Tibetan Plateau and Eastern China—Religious Tourism, Lay Practice and Ritual Economy during the Pandemic

This article presents various institutional responses of Buddhist groups and leaders to COVID-19, adding a focus on how Tibetan Buddhist practitioners in China have responded to the pandemic. In particular, it examines the predicament of practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism. The article focuses on the material characteristics of Tibetan Buddhism and how they were manifested among Han Chinese urbanites during the pandemic through (1) a teleological inquiry, which looks into the concept of merit (sk: puñña, ch: gongde) 功德, and (2) an organizational inquiry, which explores the modalities in which Han Chinese groups practice Tibetan Buddhism in the socio-political sphere of the Chinese state. Within this inquiry, the article deals with a Buddhist community based in Shanghai and an individual account of pilgrimage in Tibet. Based on these two case studies and their contextualization, the article aims to assess how the COVID-19 crisis has affected the practices, modalities and religious technologies of Tibetan Buddhism practiced by Han Chinese. The article argues for a degree of resilience of lay practice in Tibetan Buddhism; it stresses that while some aspects of the practice called for accommodations and change, the particularities of the practice have pre-existing conditions (such as state regulation on religion and the physical distance of their religious authority) which could accommodate the practical, sociological and psychological implications of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ngurisan Tradition in the View of Buddhism

The Ngurisan tradition is an ancestral heritage that is hereditary. The purpose of the Buddhist community carrying out the Ngurisan tradition is as a form of gratitude, thanks to parents for being blessed with a child and to pray for and cleanse the child from unwanted things. The problem to be studied is the implementation of the Buddhist Ngurisan tradition. The purpose of this research is to find out the process and meaning of Ngurisan tradition of Buddhist community in Mareje village, Lembar sub-district, West Lombok regency. This research was conducted on the Buddhist community in Mareje Village, Lembar District, West Lombok Regency. This research uses a qualitative approach, namely ethnographic study with data collection techniques including interviews, observation, and documentation. Ngurisan tradition is a celebration event in the form of a haircut tradition ceremony intended for children. The procession of the Ngurisan tradition includes activities (1) Family-level consensus (2) Bau Tomplak (taking materials) (3) Bait Jelo (determining a good day) (4) Jelo Gaur (The third day before the peak day of Ngurisan) (5) Jelo Naikan (the second day before the peak day). (6) Jelo gawe (peak day) and (7) Metun baok (activities after the event is over). The Ngurisan devotional ceremony uses offerings in the form of candles, incense, water, flowers, fruit, and food in the form of rice. The Ngurisan tradition means that children who have been drained can be given health, welfare, and in the future can live a life full of happiness. As for custom, it is an obedience or respect for the ancestors. A child has an obligation to be devoted to parents, maintain family honor and traditions, keep the inheritance well and pray for them when they have died. Religiously, it can be a way to deepen and increase faith (Saddha) for Buddhists. Buddhism also defines the Ngurisan tradition as a form of merit offering (patidana).

Manichaeism and Buddhism in Contact: The Significance of the Uyghur History and Its Literary Tradition

The exchanges between Manichaeism and Buddhism are one of the most-discussed topics in the religious study of Central Asia. Old Uyghur materials are often used in these discussions because the Uyghurs experienced the religious shift from Manichaeism to Buddhism. The sources attest that Manichaean and Buddhist communities co-existed under Uyghur rule, although the period of co-existence was limited. Thus, the texts produced in that period could show traces of exchange between these two religious communities. Previous studies, however, concentrate on the religious exchanges and do not consider the Uyghurs’ literary tradition, their historical background, and the language development in Old Uyghur. This paper re-examines the materials cited in previous studies, reconsiders exchanges between the two religious communities under Uyghur rule, and addresses the results of this survey.

Conflict sensitivity/Do No Harm (DNH) through an everyday peace lens: analysing a Rohingya–Rakhine program in Myanmar

ABSTRACT This paper examines conflict-sensitivity/DNH through the lens of everyday peace. It draws on data from a local non-government organisation program working on development and peacebuilding between Rohingya Muslim and Rakhine Buddhist communities in Rakhine State, Myanmar. That program is framed around the everyday peace concept, the social practices commonly adopted by ordinary people as they seek to get on with daily life in ways that minimise risk, and perhaps work to deepen inter-communal relationships. Everyday peace thus has obvious overlaps with the DNH concept of “local capacities for peace” (LCPs). This paper analyses this program to make several contributions to the understanding of conflict-sensitivity from this framework, including expanded conceptions of LCPs and new warnings of potential harm inherent in what are often perceived as LCPs, unless power imbalances are concurrently addressed. These findings aim to improve conflict-sensitivity/DNH practice.

PENGEMBANGAN KREATIVITAS MAHASISWA, WAKAKA™: WAHANA KARYA KEBIJAKSANAAN

Two students of the Buddhist Business and Management Study Program and a student of the Buddhist Counseling Psychology and Education Study Program, along with a lecturer at the Sriwijaya Buddhist College (STABN), the only group representing the Sriwijaya STABN won a competitive grant for the Student Creativity Program (PKM) in Entrepreneurship, 2022. Plastic waste is a life problem in many developing countries, including Indonesia. Various sophisticated tools have been invented through science and technology to recycle plastic waste into economically valuable recycled materials. Together with producer partners, the PKM-K group obtains finished products from t-shirts and hoodies. Inspired by the simplicity and wisdom of zen manifested in the artwork and calligraphy of Catera Zebuart™ design, which has intellectual property rights, the PKM-K group uses it as a screen-printed design on t-shirts and hoodies. Thus, the resulting product is named with the WAKAKA™ trademark: Wahana Karya Wisdom. PKM-K WAKAKA aims to (1) proclaim saving the earth by reducing plastic waste (reduce) reusing items that have been used (reuse), and using items from recycled materials (recycle); (2) inspiring the community through zen wisdom; (3) and for students themselves to practice Buddhist entrepreneurship that has been studied theoretically. Using Buddhist economic principles, 8% of the income from the sale of these WAKAKA products is funded by the Indonesian Buddhist Religious Paramitha Fund Program by the Directorate General of Buddhist Community Guidance, Ministry of Religion, Republic of Indonesia. During the four months the program has been running, from September to December 2022, up to 80 pieces have been sold, with a net profit of IDR 940.80, - (Nine hundred forty thousand eight hundred rupiahs). Based on its objectives, this program has been successfully implemented properly

The "Party Branch Established in the Wat": Social Cooperation between Local Authorities and Religion in the Theravada Buddhist Community of South-west China

:The Communist Party of China enhanced its local presence by establishing a branch in the Theravada Buddhist wat in Dehong. Such direct political engagement in a religious venue, however, does not lead to grievances from the locals. This article finds that if the purely ideological differences can be well managed at the local level, the religion and the Party can cooperate with each other and maintain a harmonious relationship. This article reflects on the state–religion antagonism paradigm and argues that an alternative paradigm—an interests-based paradigm—should be prioritised when studying relations between the state and religion in China.