SUMERU » Buddhism

Studying Buddhism in Practice

Yönten — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:10:51 +0000

Studying Buddhism in Practice
John S. Harding, editor

Paperback, 200 pages, $29.95
Published by Routledge, January 2012
ISBN: 978-0415464864
Hardcover and e-book also available

About the author:

JOHN S. HARDING is Associate Professor and Chair of the Religious Studies Department at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada. His books include Introduction to the Study of Religion with Hillary P. Rodrigues (2008) and Wild Geese: Buddhism in Canada with Victor Sōgen Hori and Alexander Soucy (2010).

From the publisher:

This book introduces the rich realities of the Buddhist tradition and the academic approaches through which they are studied. Based on personal experiences of Buddhism on the ground, it provides a reflective context within which religious practices can be understood and appreciated. The engaging narratives cover a broad range of Buddhist countries and traditions, drawing on fieldwork to explore topics such as ordination, pilgrimage, funerals, gender roles, and film-making. All the entries provide valuable contextual discussion and are accompanied by photographs and suggestions for further reading.

The narratives include:

Coronation at Kōyasan: how one woman became king and learned about homeland security and national health care in ancient Japan (Pamela D. Winfield)
Buddhism through the lens: a study of the study of Buddhism through film (Lina Verchery)*
Voice and gender in Vietnamese Buddhist practice (Alexander Soucy)*
Feasting for the dead: Theravāda Buddhist funerals (Rita Langer)
Buddha for our time: images of a Sri Lankan culture hero (John Clifford Holt)
Shifting signposts in Shikoku pilgrimage (John S. Harding)*
From texts to people: developing new skills (Mavis L. Fenn)*
Merit, gender, and Theravāda Buddhist practices in times of crisis (Monica Lindberg Falk)
Encounters with Jizo-san in an aging Japan (Jason A. Danely)
Amitabha’s birthday and the liberation of life (Paul Crowe)*
Preaching as performance: notes on a secretive Shin Buddhist sermon (Clark Chilson)
The insides and outsides of a Tibetan Buddhist ritual on the outskirts of Sujata village (James B. Apple)*
Practicing the study of Buddhism: cross-cultural journeys and renewed humanism in the history of religions (William R. Lafleur)

* Articles by Canadian scholars

The Sumeru review:

Studying Buddhism in Practice was conceived as a complement to standard undergraduate textbooks on the study of Buddhism. Its approach is closest in style to ethnographic anthropology, insofar as it comprises observation of Buddhist ritual and personal reflection by the observers, who are self-proclaimed “outsiders.” In the introduction, the editor takes pains to explain that this hybrid approach is somewhat unorthodox, chosen to elucidate both the lived experience of practitioners and also that of the scholarly observer. In other words, the book is as much about how we study Buddhism as how Buddhists practice Buddhism, within their specific cultural contexts.

The largest issue this book raises for me is its reticence about the increasingly blurry boundaries between scholars, practitioners and scholar-practitioners. Indeed, the notion of scholar-practitioner does not even appear in the front-matter of the book. That is a serious problem.

As Buddhist practice has matured in the west, we have seen a concomitant growth in the number of Buddhist teachers who can speak and write deeply about the practice of Buddhism, its history and its philosophical perspective across many cultural expressions. Nobody looks at Robert Thurman and says, “Oh gee, he can’t be an objective scholar because he used to be a monk and is obviously a practicing Buddhist!” That is just one exaggerated example to make the point. Scholars who cling to the notion that they can somehow be objective, independent, impartial and above the fray are merely demonstrating their service to a different ideology – that of secular humanism. This book has an aura of spiritual tourism about it. The essays veer frequently into the territory of “Oh gee, I studied Buddhism and it changed me.”

I am not proposing that there is no place for objective, independent observation and the attempt to see events within larger systems of context. However, since Charles Prebish proposed the designation of scholar-practitioner, we have yet to see academia embrace it en masse as a valid perspective. I couldn’t hep feeling, while reading Studying Buddhism in Practice, as if I were a CIA operative trying to figure out why “those people over there” do what they do so I could categorize and respond to them better, while firmly entrenched within my own ideological bunker. It was not a good feeling.

As a practitioner of Buddhism, I seek to see the spiritual in everyday life. The narratives in this book seek to explain the spiritual in terms of everyday life. That’s kind of like looking through a telescope from the wrong end!

Be that as it may, for the right audience (young adults with no experience of Buddhist practice in their own culture), in the right context (an undergraduate university course where the material can be discussed), this is a good book. The sincerity and backgrounds of the authors are solid.

Each essay is arranged in three parts: a narrative, discussion and readings. The readings refer to writings by other Canadian scholars of Buddhism as well.

Call for Papers (Conference): “Icons of Impermanence: Contemporary Buddhist Art”

Yönten — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:41:48 +0000

UBC’s Buddhism and Contemporary Society Program, funded by The Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Foundation, will hold a conference on contemporary Buddhist art July 6-8, 2012 at the University of British Columbia’s Point Grey campus. Part of event series for Summer 2012 that includes the “Visions of Enlightenment” exhibition (May 10 – September 30), sponsored by the Canadian Society for Asian Arts, at the Museum of Anthropology, UBC.

Abstract submission deadline: April 10, 2012
Conference weekend: July 6-8, 2012

In Buddhism, as in other major religions, the visual arts have played a central role. Buddhist artists and artisans created images that inspired by their form and function. As Buddhism spread from place to place, it adapted local artistic traditions, creating styles and symbol-sets that not only represented Buddhism but, simultaneously, remained in touch with local sensibilities and culture. Portrayals of the Buddha and other important figures in stone, wood, bronze, and ink, for example, continue to anchor local communities, serve as their ritual center, and convey their teachings to new generations.

Today, a number of prominent Buddhist styles and symbols are recognized the world over—forming what is called “traditional” Buddhist art. In the face of this broad recognition of the traditional, it is easy to forget that the processes of localization, transformation, and creation are still at work. As demonstrated by Nam Jun Paik’s “Buddha” (1989), Mariko Mori’s “Enlightenment Capsule” (1998), Xu Bing’s “Where Does the Dust Itself Collect?” (2004), or Gonkar Gyatso’s “Buddha in Our Time” (2007), contemporary artists draw upon Buddhist iconic, conceptual, and ritual traditions to create works that speak to present day struggles with identity, politics, social practice, and consumer culture. Buddhist artists combine new and old media and display influences from the many kinds of training available in a mobile, globalized world: whether in traditions descended from the European fine arts, apprenticeship in the creation of Buddhist icons, or in the enclaves of the avant-garde.

How to submit an abstract:
We invite the submission of paper abstracts (150 words) and a brief CV (no more than 1 page) to bcsprogram@gmail.com by April 10, 2012. We encourage papers that explore (1) any facet of contemporary Buddhist art, or (2) contemporary issues in relation to Buddhist antiquities and traditional art objects. Papers may, for example:

- explore definitions of “contemporary Buddhist art”
- interpret form or content of art works using theory in the visual arts
- describe specific works, particular artists, or artistic communities
- examine the transnational linkages of contemporary Buddhist art
- explore local and global issues in the preservation, management, trade, and exhibition of Buddhist antiquities
- examine the deployment of traditional Buddhist art for contemporary political, cultural, or religious purposes that differ from original context and use

Designer Babies Welcome in Buddhism

Yönten — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:54:23 +0000

Suwanda Sugunasiri, Canadian Buddhist scholar and community activist, weighs in on Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis, an important aspect of bioethics, with a Buddhist perspective: http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=44144

“An American Buddhist Life” review in Journal of Buddhist Ethics

Yönten — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:43:14 +0000

Reviewer Nicole Libin writes…

AN AMERICAN BUDDHIST LIFE: Memoirs of a Modern Dharma Pioneer

“… this book is a gem.

I strongly recommend American Buddhist Pioneer as a learning tool. Prebish, it seems, has seen it all and is more than willing to share his lessons with the reader. He offers keen insights into the field of American Buddhist studies, the challenges of academic life, and the difficulties of pursuing one’s passion as a scholar, a practitioner, and a husband and father. Prebish shows that the road to academic success is neither straight nor without its own share of suffering, but he does so with wit, humor, and intelligence. This memoir is informative without being overly didactic, entertaining without losing its focus, and an example of both passionate and compassionate scholarship.”

Here’s the link to the full review: JBE-Libin

Numata Lectures, Nov 10 (Hamilton), Nov 11 (Toronto)

Yönten — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 22:41:03 +0000

M Wang Numata program 2011-12

Buddhism & Psychology Student Union @ U of T

Yönten — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 11:31:25 +0000

This is a very recently-formed organization.

Here is their mission statement:

The Buddhism and Psychology Student Union (BPSU) is a child of the ongoing dialogue between Buddhism and the mind sciences. Our main aim is to offer a forum for University of Toronto students to openly investigate and uncover whatever implications this dialogue may bring.

Additionally, we hope to provide opportunities for our members to integrate the Dharma into their other academic and personal pursuits. Although BPSU represents students in the Buddhism, Psychology, & Mental Health (BPMH) program, everyone is welcome to attend our academic and social events. More importantly, everyone is encouraged to participate in what we feel is an expansion of what it means to study the body-mind complex.

Here is their contact information:

Buddhism & Psychology Student Union
St. George Campus, University of Toronto
Toronto, ON
M5A 2N4
http://bpsu.blogs.chass.utoronto.ca/
E-mail: ut.bpsu@gmail.com

More contact details can be found on our sister site: www.canadianbuddhism.info

A Song for Tibet: NFB online

Yönten — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 13:49:38 +0000

Ann Henderson’s 1991 film, A Song for Tibet, is available for free online viewing through the National Film Board of Canada’s website: http://www.nfb.ca/film/a_song_for_tibet/

It lends an important contextual perspective to Québec film-maker Geneviève Brault’s new film, Tibet: Land of the Brave, premiering this month (see . . . Read More.

“Tibet: Home of the Brave” Montréal première 9.9.11

Yönten — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 13:29:54 +0000

From the film’s website, http://tibetterredesbraves.net/en/accueil/

A cinematic journey to one of the most remote places on the planet, Tibet: Land of the Brave transports the audience into the everyday lives of Tibetan herders, seen through the eyes of Gyamtso, Marijo and their daughter, Yangchen. Following this Tibetan-Canadian couple, who are expecting their second child in Tibet’s snowy mountains, Tibet: Land of the Brave explores how China’s radical turn toward a market economy has devastating effects on the nomadic lifestyle.

Gyamtso Sotse lives in Canada with his wife, Marijo Demers, a young Quebecker passionate about the Tibetan language and culture. Gyamtso left his native Tibet in 1992, but has not been back in the past thirteen years. With a Canadian passport in hand, he sets out to rediscover for himself and to introduce his wife and daughter to his ancestral heritage without fear of reprisal from the Chinese authorities.

Gyamtso’s community in Tibet have raised yaks for generations and have managed to preserve a nomadic existence for thousands of years. For the young family, the journey is an opportunity to immerse themselves in the local customs and daily tasks, which little Yangchen seems to have no problem with.

Herding yaks, preparing food and crafting wool by hand form the daily routine of Tibetan nomads. Yet to maintain this mode of existence the nomads must fight a daily struggle against China’s rapid modernization which threatens to sweep their traditions aside. Filmed over several years, this documentary is a witness to the effect of China’s sedentarization policies on the nomadic life.

Through the experiences and culture shock of a Westerner, a Tibetan and their daughter, Tibet: Land of the Brave looks at the daily life of Tibetans in China and exposes the dangers threatening their traditional existence.

The film Tibet: Land of the Brave marks the fruition of a long journey that began with director Geneviève Brault’s research on the Tibetan community in Québec in 2001. Geneviève met Marijo Demers while directing two short television stories about the community. She continued to attend various Tibetan events with Marijo and her family, building a level of trust that would allow Geneviève to accompany the couple and their daughter on two different trips to Tibet. In 2005, Geneviève stayed with the family for three months while embedded in a nomad community in the mountains, opening up a unique reporting opportunity with fascinating and dynamic people. This first immersion in Tibet revealed the urgency of a people whose way of life was threatened and compelled her to tell their stories.

Tibetan nomads, who until recently have managed to preserve their ancestral heritage, now face serious threats to their daily lives. The Chinese government, convinced that the nomad population should follow the Western development model, ordered the sedentarization of 80 percent of Tibetan plateau nomads in 2010. During her time there, Geneviève witnessed first-hand the effects of government policies: Tibetans nomads, forced to fence in their herds with barbed wire, are hammering the nails in their own coffins.

Through this highly intimate and original creation process, Tibet: Land of the Brave reflects candidly on the condition and future of the Tibetan people. Giving them a voice and a face, it reveals the vestiges of an ancestral lifestyle under constant threat.

Productions Multi-Monde is proud to announce the première of Tibet: Land of the Brave at Cinéma du Parc in Montréal, Québec, on Friday, September 9, 2011.
Projections at Cinéma du Parc:

Première : September 9, 7pm
September 10, 5pm
September 11, 5pm

“An American Buddhist Life” by Charles Prebish receives another A+ review

Yönten — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:26:25 +0000

Charles Prebish’s newest book, “An American Buddhist Life: Memoirs of a Modern Dharma Pioneer” was recently reviewed on the Full Contact Enlightenment blog.

Here’s the link: http://fullcontactenlightenment.com/

Buddhism, Psychology @ Mental Health Program, U of T: 3.27.11

Yönten — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 23:23:28 +0000

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