Buddhist Visnu
Religious Transformations, Politics and Culture
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| Author(s) : Holt, John Clifford |
| Publishers Price : £22.00 |
| Wisdom Price : £17.60(save 20%)
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| Availability : Usually available in 7 day(s) |
| ISBN : 0231133235 | | EAN : 9780231133234 | | Cover : Paperback | | Pages : 442 | | Size : 228 x 152mm | | Publisher : Columbia University Press | | Published : 2005 |
Category : Theravada Buddhism: Sri Lanka
Category 2 : Western Study of Buddhism
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Synopsis:
An examination of the assimilation, transformation, and subordination of the Hindu deity Vishnu within the contexts of Sri Lankan history and Sinhala Buddhist religious culture. Holt begins with a comparative look at the assimilation of the Buddha in Hinduism. He then explores the role and rationale of medieval Sinhala kings in assimilating Visnu into Sinhala Buddhism and argues that political agendas and social forces, as much as doctrinal concerns, have shaped the shifting patterns of the veneration of Vishnu in Sri Lanka.
Shifting to the present, Holt describes the efforts of contemporary Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka to discourage veneration of Vishnu, suggesting that many are motivated by a reactionary fear that their culture and society will soon be overrun by the influences and practices of Hindus, Muslims, and Christians.
"A convincing and timely study of how, outside of monotheistic traditions, religious rejection often follows from religious tolerance and how empathy easily breeds antipathy." Professor Stephen Teiser. |
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