In this Book
- Champions of Buddhism: Weikza Cults in Contemporary Burma
- Book
- 2014
- Published by: NUS Press Pte Ltd
summary
Hidden at the margins of Burmese Buddhism and culture, the cults of the weikza shape Burmese culture by bringing together practices of supernatural power and a mission to protect Buddhism. This exciting new research on an often hidden aspect of Burmese religion places weikza in relation to the Vipassana insight meditation movement and conventional Buddhist practices, as well as the contemporary rise of Buddhist fundamentalism. Featuring research based on fieldwork only possible in recent years, paired with reflective essays by senior Buddhist studies scholars, this book situates the weikza cult in relation to broader Buddhist and Southeast Asian contexts, offering interpretations and investigations as rich and diverse as the Burmese expressions of the weikza cults themselves. Champions of Buddhism opens the field to new questions, new problems, and new connections with the study of religion and Southeast Asia in general.
Table of Contents
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- List of Illustrations
- pp. vii-viii
- Acknowledgements
- pp. xvii-xviii
- Note on Transcription
- pp. xix-xx
- Part One: Locating Weikza Cults in the Burmese Religious Landscape
- Chapter 2: The Longevity of Weikza
- pp. 60-81
- Part Two: Defenders of Buddhism: Weikza Rituals for Safeguarding Religion
- Part Three: Technologies and Figures of Power: Weikza Specialists as Diagram-Makers, Diviners, and Exorcists
- Postscript: What Kind of Buddhism is That?
- pp. 244-255
- Bibliography
- pp. 259-274
- Contributors
- pp. 275-279
Additional Information
ISBN
9789971698065
Related ISBN(s)
9789971697808
MARC Record
OCLC
967531854
Pages
286
Launched on MUSE
2017-01-05
Language
English
Open Access
No