Justin Thomas McDaniel

Buddhist ‘nuns’ ( mae chi ) and the teaching of Pali in contemporary Thailand *

This paper presents an ethnographic account of Buddhist ‘nuns’ involved in the teaching of Pali language and Abhidhamma in contemporary Thailand. It also reflects on both the emic-Buddhist (Pali and modern vernacular) and etic-interpretative (English-language) vocabularies which have been used to describe these women and their social role(s) and status(es). The aims of the paper are to go beyond the Weberian vocabulary usually used to describe what we will call ‘professionally celibate Buddhist women’, to escape from the ubiquitous emphasis on the issue of re-establising the Nuns’ Order ( bhikkhunī-s ) in the modern world in scholarship dealing with such women, and to encourage further ethnography and further civilizational interpretation of gender and asceticism.

The agency between images: the relationships among ghosts, corpses, monks, and deities at a buddhist monastery in thailand

ABSTRACT The ghost, Mae Nak, is well-known in Thai Buddhism as a protector of soldiers, pregnant mothers, and young lovers. Her shrine at Wat Mahabut (a monastery in Bangkok) is an important center of worship, astrology, and ritual protection. However, her statue is not alone. It is part of the pantheon of famous monks, “Hindu” deities, and Buddhas at Wat Mahabut. They draw power from each other. The relationship between these images, and what they can teach us about the study of Buddhist material and visual culture, is the subject of this study. The sacredness of a Thai Buddhist image often lies not in its origin and style, but in the relationships it creates and allows. Observing the complexity of Buddhist images and the ritual life surrounding them at this monastery helps expand and question Alfred Gells theory of the agency of images and the “art nexus,” as well as Michael Taussigs theory of “distraction.”

Strolling through Temporary Temples: Buddhism and Installation Art in Modern Thailand

Abstract Thai installation art provides a view into modern, non-monastic experiences of Buddhism. Buddhist practice and scholarship often depend on centuries-old ritual practices and texts, and designated religious sites and persons. However, installation art illumines a fluxing and organic Buddhism – and one that is increasingly globalised and public. An evolving artistic zeitgeist is fused with classical tenets of Buddhism and diverse spiritualties. Each with a unique flair and multi-media repertoire, artists such as Jakkai Siributr, Montien Boonma, Sarawut Duangjampa, Chalermchai Kositpipat and others are offering creative contemplations on Buddhism today. Their works are often experienced in a leisurely fashion by the attending public, amidst social outings or intellectual excursions. People are encouraged to react however they wish to installations, which are themselves fundamentally transient – lasting usually between three and six months. Buddhism is thus asserted as an on-going project: a continual discovery rather than a quest for knowledge from the past.

liberation materiality: thai buddhist amulets and the benefits of selling sacred stuff

There are dozens of websites from which you can order and purchase Thai Buddhist amulets Thai: phra khreuang or phra phim. They advertise “hot promotions” and “internet deals” for these sacred objects. Thai amulets are also found in antique stores and religious markets in Hong Kong, Saigon, Penang, Kyoto, Taipei, and Los Angeles among other places. While most markets and websites advertise their wares in the Thai language, new websites like billionmore.com, thaiamuletsales. com, oldamulet.com, and thailandamulets. se have increasing numbers of amulets advertised and briefly described in English and Chinese. In Thailand, small business owners, monasteries, and urban and rural neighborhood and community committee also advertise in, mostly, Thai language newspapers, amulet magazines, and on billboards and temporary signs. Some have started selling their amulets on the Internet, but most still work in face-toface businesses. Whatever medium these advertisers use, they usually stress the importance of the material the amulet is made of (wood, gold, clay, rope, shell, copper, roots from particular trees, flesh, etc.), the monk, and as we see above, occasionally nun, that made the amulet, the monastery where it was made (often in rural Thailand, but occasionally Malaysia, Burma, Cambodia or Laos), and what the amulet can be used for (charm, fertility, health, love, protection, travel, or luck in gambling, business, or sports matches). Most amulets depict the Buddha or a famous monk or nun, but many depict “Hindu” gods like Ganesha or Vishnu, famous kings, queens, and generals, or particular powerful animals (see Fig. 1). This commodification of Thai amulets has generally been approached by scholars as a reflection of the rise of religious commercialism. Many scholars, monks, nuns, and amateur commentators on internet blogs, listserves, and chatgroups have lamented this commodification. Material objects are seen as getting in the way of Buddhist values like simplicity, non-attachment, and impermanence. These are studies of longing on the other -longing for a Buddhism that fits more in line with a certain Protestant rationality, which eschews materiality in favor of an undefined spirituality. However, if one looks closely at the sacred economy of Thai amulets they will see a powerful economic tool that benefits tens of thousands of mostly poor or middle-class small business owners, craftspeople, and lay communities operating monasteries. First, the profit from amulet “sales” (Thais usually use the verb to “rent,” chao, instead of “sell/buy,” kai/seu) is widely distributed. The consecrations of batches of amulets being prepared for gift distribution or sale are very popular local events often connected to annual monastic fairs. These events attract locals in various provinces, students, monks, as well as pilgrims (Fig. 2). These people need places to eat, sleep, and shop. Therefore, there are hundreds if not thousands of people who profit from these events. Food vendors, carnival ride operators, astrologers, the renters of sound equipment (mics, speakers, stages, cables, etc.), local shop keepers, souvenir makers, florists, motel owners, charter bus companies, and the Justin McDaniel is Professor of Religious Studies and chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. His teaching and research concentrate on Southeast Asian Buddhism. His books include Gathering Leaves and Lifting Words (2008) and The Lovelorn Ghost and the Magic Monk (2011). jmcdan@sas.upenn.edu