Following the upheavals of the Cultural Revolution; the People's Republic of China gradually permitted the renewal of religious activity. Tibetans; whose traditional religious and cultural institutions had been decimated during the preceding two decades; took advantage of the decisions of 1978 to begin a Buddhist renewal that is one of the most extensive and dramatic examples of religious revitalization in contemporary China. The nature of that revival is the focus of this book. Four leading specialists in Tibetan anthropology and religion conducted case studies in the Tibet autonomous region and among the Tibetans of Sichuan and Qinghai provinces. There they observed the revival of the Buddhist heritage in monastic communities and among laypersons at popular pilgrimages and festivals. Demonstrating how that revival must contend with tensions between the Chinese state and aspirations for greater Tibetan autonomy; the authors discuss ways that Tibetan Buddhists are restructuring their religion through a complex process of social; political; and economic adaptation. Buddhism has long been the main source of Tibetans' pride in their culture and country. These essays reveal the vibrancy of that ancient religion in contemporary Tibet and also the problems that religion and Tibetan culture in general are facing in a radically altered world.
#3516018 in Books 1994-07-13Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 1.40 x 6.34 x 9.29l; #File Name: 0520081811530 pages
Review
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful. New Age Practitioners: Hang on a minute; read this bookBy A CustomerA very interesting hypothesis and probably right on track. It is easy to believe that the grandeur of the "Hopi Prophecies" is merely a product of charlatan spoof that has precipitated ridiculous misconceptions and notions of a very important aspect of Hopi culture. Perhaps some elements of these prophecies are based in truth but what Armin Geertz has shown is that because of polital factionalism and intracultural bias many of these myths of Hopi religion were created merely to make certain non-Hopi individuals a great deal of money and to substantiate the political (and thus prestigious) ambitions of particular Hopi leaders. Before you jump onto the "New Age" bandwagan and start beating the drum to the dance of your commercial kachina; you should probably purchase this book and study it closely. In the end; just try thinking!
