Embodying the Dharma : Buddhist relic veneration in Asia / edited by David Germano and Kevin Trainor.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Germano, David.

Trainor, Kevin.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Gautama Buddha--Relics.

Gautama Buddha.

Relics.

Physical Description:

ix, 201 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Albany, NY : State University of New York Press, [2004]

Summary:

Embodying the Dharma explores the centrality of relic veneration in Asian Buddhist cultures. Long disregarded by Western scholars as a superstitious practice reflecting the popularization of "original" Buddhism, relic veneration has emerged as a topic of vital interest in the last two decades with the increased attention to Buddhist ritual practice and material culture. This volume includes studies of relic traditions in India, Japan, Tibet, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, as well as broader comparative analyses, including comparisons of Buddhist and Christian relic veneration.

Contents:

1 Introduction: Beyond Superstition / Kevin Trainor 1

2 Buddhist Relics in Comparative Perspective: Beyond the Parallels / John S. Strong 27

3 Living Relics of the Buddha(s) in Tibet / David Germano 51

4 Buddhist Relics and Japanese Regalia / Bernard Faure 93

5 The Field of the Buddha's Presence / Jacob N. Kinnard 117

6 Signs of the Buddha in Northern Thai Chronicles / Donald K. Swearer 145

7 On the Allure of Buddhist Relics / Robert H. Sharf 163.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

079146217X

OCLC:

53840111