Religious Tourism in Northern Thailand
Title | Religious Tourism in Northern Thailand PDF eBook |
Author | Brooke Schedneck |
Publisher | University of Washington Press |
Pages | 243 |
Release | 2021-06-18 |
Genre | Social Science |
ISBN | 0295748931 |
Temples are everywhere in Chiang Mai, filled with tourists as well as saffron-robed monks of all ages. The monks participate in daily urban life here as elsewhere in Thailand, where Buddhism is promoted, protected, and valued as a tourist attraction. Yet this mountain city offers more than a fleeting, commodified tourist experience, as the encounters between foreign visitors and Buddhist monks can have long-lasting effects on both parties. These religious contacts take place where economic motives, missionary zeal, and opportunities for cultural exchange coincide. Brooke Schedneck incorporates fieldwork and interviews with student monks and tourists to examine the innovative ways that Thai Buddhist temples offer foreign visitors spaces for religious instruction and popular in-person Monk Chat sessions in which tourists ask questions about Buddhism. Religious Tourism in Northern Thailand also considers how Thai monks perceive other religions and cultures and how they represent their own religion when interacting with tourists, resulting in a revealing study of how religious traditions adapt to an era of globalization.
Phra Farang
Title | Phra Farang PDF eBook |
Author | Phra Peter Pannapadipo |
Publisher | Random House |
Pages | 388 |
Release | 2010-04-01 |
Genre | Body, Mind & Spirit |
ISBN | 1409036804 |
At forty-five, successful businessman Peter Robinson gave up his comfortable life in London to ordain as a Buddhist monk in Bangkok. But the new path he had chosen was not always as easy or as straightforward as he hoped it would be. In this truly extraordinary memoir, Phra Peter Pannapadipo describes his ten-year metamorphosis into a practicing Buddhist monk, while being initiated into the intricacies of an unfamiliar Southeast Asian culture. Phra Peter tells his story with compassion, humour and unflinching honesty. It's the story of a 'Phra Farang' - a foreign monk - living and practicing his faith in an exotic and intriguing land.
Thailand's International Meditation Centers
Title | Thailand's International Meditation Centers PDF eBook |
Author | Brooke Schedneck |
Publisher | Routledge |
Pages | 230 |
Release | 2015-05-15 |
Genre | Social Science |
ISBN | 131744938X |
This book explores contemporary practices within the new institution of international meditation centers in Thailand. It discusses the development of the lay vipassana meditation movement in Thailand and relates Thai Buddhism to contemporary processes of commodification and globalisation. Through an examination of how meditation centers are promoted internationally, the author considers how Thai Buddhism is translated for and embodied within international tourists who participate in meditation retreats in Thailand. Shedding new light on the decontextualization of religious practices, and raising new questions concerning tourism and religion, this book focuses on the nature of cultural exchange, spiritual tourism, and religious choice in modernity. With an aim of reframing questions of religious modernity, each chapter offers a new perspective on the phenomenon of spiritual seeking in Thailand. Offering an analysis of why meditation practices appeal to non-Buddhists, this book contends that religions do not travel as whole entities but instead that partial elements resonate with different cultures, and are appropriated over time.
Living Theravada
Title | Living Theravada PDF eBook |
Author | Brooke Schedneck |
Publisher | Shambhala Publications |
Pages | 273 |
Release | 2023-04-18 |
Genre | Religion |
ISBN | 083484494X |
An illuminating introduction to the contemporary world of Theravada Buddhism and its rich culture and practices in modern mainland Southeast Asia. Theravada translates as “the way of the Elders,” indicating that this Buddhist tradition considers itself to be the most authoritative and pure. Tracing all the way back to the time of the Buddha, Theravada Buddhism is distinguished by canonical literature preserved in the Pali language, beliefs, and practices—and this literature is often specialized and academic in tone. By contrast, this book will serve as a foundational and accessible resource on Theravada Buddhism and the contemporary, lived world of its enduring tradition. Brooke Schedneck has done extensive research on topics such as religions of Southeast Asia, contemporary Buddhism, gender in Asian religions, and religious tourism. Narrowing in on topics such as temples, monastic lives, lay Buddhists, meditation, and Buddhist objects, Schedneck highlights the thriving diversity of Theravada Buddhists today. Exploring Theravada as a lived religion reveals how people apply various expressions in everyday life. She presents to readers the most important practices and beliefs of Theravada Buddhists, illustrated through contemporary debates about what represents proper Theravada practice within Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand in the twenty-first century. Additionally, practical information is provided in appendices about what temples and practice centers readers can visit as well as a temple etiquette guide offering tips for being a respectful visitor. While academics will benefit from and appreciate this overview, the writing offers a refreshing introduction to a complex tradition for readers new to the subject.
Sacred Mountains of Northern Thailand and Their Legends
Title | Sacred Mountains of Northern Thailand and Their Legends PDF eBook |
Author | Donald K. Swearer |
Publisher | University of Washington Press |
Pages | 116 |
Release | 2004 |
Genre | History |
ISBN |
The mountains of northern Thailand inspire fear and awe, respect and love, curiosity and creative imagination. Drawing on the legendary histories of three mountains in the regionDoi Ang Salung Chiang Dao, Doi Suthep, and Doi Khamthis book explores the various ways that mountains in northern Thailand are seen as sacred space, and therefore as an environment to be respected rather than exploited.
Muang Metaphysics
Title | Muang Metaphysics PDF eBook |
Author | Richard Bernard Davis |
Publisher | |
Pages | 334 |
Release | 1984 |
Genre | Social Science |
ISBN |
Buddhism under Capitalism
Title | Buddhism under Capitalism PDF eBook |
Author | Richard K. Payne |
Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
Pages | 281 |
Release | 2022-10-06 |
Genre | Religion |
ISBN | 1350228346 |
This book argues that Buddhism has spread due to globalized capitalism, and explores how capitalism is also impacting Buddhists and Buddhism today. Edited by two leading scholars in Buddhist studies, the book examines how capitalism and neo-liberalism have shaped global perceptions of Buddhism, as well as specific local practices and attitudes. It examines the institutional practices that sustained the spread of Buddhism for two and a half millennia, and the adaptation of Buddhist institutions in contemporary, global economic systems-particularly in Europe and the United States over the last century and half. These innovative essays on the interfaces between Buddhism and capitalism will prompt readers to rethink the connection between Buddhism and secular society. Case studies include digital capitalism, tourism, and monasticism, and are drawn from the USA, Tibet, China, Japan, and Thailand.