The Adaptation of Buddhism and Christianity to Asian Soils

Transfer of Buddhism Across Central Asian Networks (7th to 13th Centuries). Carmen Meinert (ed.)., 2016

Tibetan Buddhism has played an important role in Asian politics from the 8th century to the present day. It has provided an ideological underpinning and power status to a variety of Central Asian and Chinese empires, including the Mongol empires of Genghis Khan’s heirs and the Manchu rulers of China’s Qing dynasty. While the geopolitical influence of Tibetan Buddhism during this time has waxed and waned over the centuries, it never disappeared. The locus for this influence is in Eastern Central Asia, the crossroads of cultures situated on the overland trading routes known as the Silk Road.

Journal of Global Buddhism, 2001

This article provides an in-depth study of Mon-Khmer, Austro-Asiatic and Tibeto-Burmese people in Indian and how they became the conduit in spreading Buddhism and Hinduism from India to southeast Asian countries.

The present volume offers a collection of original studies of Buddhism in the history of cultural and political relations between Tibet and China. Outside of the special value these contributions may have for students of these two lands in particular, it may be hoped that the work as a whole will be also seen as a stimulus to pursue the investigation of Buddhism in Asian “cross-border” relations more generally.

Sydney Studies in Religion, 2008

This paper explores the globalisation of Tibetan Buddhism that has occurred since the Tibetan diaspora of the 1950s and 60s. Two kinds of related changes have resulted: Tibetan Buddhism itself as understood and practised by Tibetans is changing; and new Westernised forms of Tibetan Buddhism are emerging. These two types of change cannot be entirely separated. This is not surprising since many of the same forces are operational in both cases. Nor is it surprising that these changes have involved Westernisation, since globalisation and Westernisation are difficult to separate. Furthermore, within Tibet itself, Buddhism has been faced by the challenge of communism, a secular ideology of Western origin, based on materialism and on the idea of social progress. Although secularising forces are strong, it cannot be assumed that secularisation, Westernisation and globalisation are necessarily concomitant. As well as exploring some of the changes that are occurring, this paper will consider some of the responses to them. Do the changes promise a rejuvenation of Tibetan Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist traditions or do they demonstrate the corrosive effects of the modern world and global forces on a once integral tradition? Are the changes simply a further readaption to changed circumstances? Massive changes were precipitated by the Chinese occupation of Tibet which culminated in the flight of the Dalai Lama and approximately seventy thousand refugees to India in 1959. At this time Tibet was artificially divided between the 'Tibetan Autonomous Region' and parts of four Chinese provinces, and brought under the control of the Chinese. This subordination of Tibet to China was done in name of progress and freedom. The communist regime was intent on the destruction of Tibetan religious traditions which they saw as nothing but the expression of medieval feudalism. This led to destruction of thousands of monasteries, the imprisonment or death of large numbers of monastics and lay people, and the general persecution of religion.! The height of destructiveness within Tibet was probably in the mid 1960s during the 'cultural revolution' which aimed to eradicate the 'four olds':

This essay examines the events that led to the spread of Buddhism in Southeast Asia in the 1st millennium AD, focusing on the case of Vietnam. It argues that religion spread through a variety of means, including trade, evangelization, and royal patronage, adapting to local cultures and influencing social and political conditions in the region. This article examines evidence for early religious activities at Dong Duang, the main monastic center in the region; the role of Cham kings such as Indravarman II, who established Mahayana Buddhism as the state religion; and the role of Chinese Buddhism in Vietnam; influence of Buddhism, the pluralistic and syncretic nature of Vietnamese Buddhism, which includes elements of Taoism, Confucianism, and folk religion; and various religions that exist in Vietnam, such as Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana Buddhism. This article combines images and text to support their claims and arguments. Keywords: Buddhism, Southeast Asia, Vietnam, transmission, adaptation, diversity

Encyclopedia of Latin American Religions, 2019

escholarship.usyd.edu.au

This paper explores the globalisation of Tibetan Buddhism that has occurred since the Tibetan diaspora of the 1950s and 60s. Two kinds of related changes have resulted: Tibetan Buddhism itself as understood and practised by Tibetans is changing; and new Westernised forms of Tibetan Buddhism are emerging. These two types of change cannot be entirely separated. This is not surprising since many of the same forces are operational in both cases. Nor is it surprising that these changes have involved Westernisation, since globalisation and Westernisation are difficult to separate. Furthermore, within Tibet itself, Buddhism has been faced by the challenge of communism, a secular ideology of Western origin, based on materialism and on the idea of social progress. Although secularising forces are strong, it cannot be assumed that secularisation, Westernisation and globalisation are necessarily concomitant. As well as exploring some of the changes that are occurring, this paper will consider some of the responses to them. Do the changes promise a rejuvenation of Tibetan Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist traditions or do they demonstrate the corrosive effects of the modern world and global forces on a once integral tradition? Are the changes simply a further readaption to changed circumstances? Massive changes were precipitated by the Chinese occupation of Tibet which culminated in the flight of the Dalai Lama and approximately seventy thousand refugees to India in 1959. At this time Tibet was artificially divided between the 'Tibetan Autonomous Region' and parts of four Chinese provinces, and brought under the control of the Chinese. This subordination of Tibet to China was done in name of progress and freedom. The communist regime was intent on the destruction of Tibetan religious traditions which they saw as nothing but the expression of medieval feudalism. This led to destruction of thousands of monasteries, the imprisonment or death of large numbers of monastics and lay people, and the general persecution of religion.! The height of destructiveness within Tibet was probably in the mid 1960s during the 'cultural revolution' which aimed to eradicate the 'four olds':

The China Quarterly, 2012

Review of religion and Chinese society, 2015