Spirits of the Place is a rare and timely contribution to our understanding of religious culture in Laos and Southeast Asia. Most often studied as a part of Thai; Vietnamese; or Khmer history; Laos remains a terra incognita to most Westerners―and to many of the people living throughout Asia as well. John Holt’s new book brings this fascinating nation into focus. With its overview of Lao Buddhism and analysis of how shifting political power―from royalty to democracy to communism―has impacted Lao religious culture; the book offers an integrated account of the entwined political and religious history of Laos from the fourteenth century to the contemporary era.Holt advances the provocative argument that common Lao knowledge of important aspects of Theravada Buddhist thought and practice has been heavily conditioned by an indigenous religious culture dominated by the veneration of phi; spirits whose powers are thought to prevail over and within specific social and geographical domains. The enduring influence of traditional spirit cults in Lao culture and society has brought about major changes in how the figure of the Buddha and the powers associated with Buddhist temples and reliquaries―indeed how all ritual spaces and times―have been understood by the Lao. Despite vigorous attempts by Buddhist royalty; French rationalists; and most recently by communist ideologues to eliminate the worship of phi; spirit cults have not been displaced; they continue to persist and show no signs of abating. Not only have the spirits resisted eradication; but they have withstood synthesis; subordination; and transformation by Buddhist political and ecclesiastical powers.Rather than reduce Buddhist religious culture to a set of simple commonalities; Holt takes a comparative approach; using his nearly thirty years’ experience with Sri Lanka to elucidate what is unique about Lao Buddhism. This stimulating book invites students in the fields of the history of religion and Buddhist and Southeast Asian studies to take a fresh look at prevailing assumptions and perhaps reconsider the place of Buddhism in Laos and Southeast Asia.
#170270 in Books University of Hawaii Press 1994-05-01 1994-05-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.02 x 1.04 x 5.98l; 1.60 #File Name: 0824815823464 pages
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Lewis set out to reconstruct the ancient navigational traditions of Oceania and to better understand how these people were ableBy Jake ZirkleDavid Lewis’s We; the Navigators highlights the rich navigational history of the people of Oceania. A medical doctor and experienced sailor; David Lewis combined meticulous research with personal experimentation to create a unique narrative illustrating the navigational prowess of the Pacific Islanders. Lewis set out to reconstruct the ancient navigational traditions of Oceania and to better understand how these people were able to travel over long distances without the help of western instrumentation and knowledge. Lewis created a unique book in which he combined personal experience and first-hand accounts with knowledge gained through the study of secondary sources. Lewis recognized that knowledge of the ancient art of seafaring in the Pacific is nearing extinction. He understands the importance of recording and preserving this knowledge for future generations because traditional navigation methods are all but lost. Lewis describes his interviews with surviving navigators who were willing to share their secrets and demonstration them. The lack of written records in Oceania severely hindered Lewis in his task because he was forced to rely on the oral history that has been passed down for generations. Oral histories are tricky because it is possible that they have been altered or information has been lost over the years. Also; as Lewis points out; certain secrets were held by select individuals or families and as those people passed; so did their knowledge. Lewis discussed various traditional navigators (Tevake; Bongi; Hipour) that he interviewed and who agreed to demonstrate their techniques. By using the sun; stars; wind; ocean swells; and bird patters these navigators were able to successfully cross the open sea and reach their intended destination. The success of these experiments supported Lewis’ proposed idea that the population of Oceania was not due solely to accidental drift; but rather from intentional navigation. When discussing the technique of using birds to navigate over long distances; Lewis described the use of different species of birds to provide a specific distance from land. For instance; the noddies indicated that land was within 20 miles; while the boobies had a greater range of 30 miles. Further discussion revealed that certain sub-species of booby could travel farther distances; thus providing the ancient navigator with an abundance of knowledge and information with which to find land. Lewis provides a unique and compelling narrative that showcases the ancient art of seafaring in the Pacific. He masterfully combines information from his extensive research with information that he has acquired from his own experimental voyages to create a comprehensive work that itself supports the author’s arguments. The passion that Lewis had for this subject is truly reflected on each and every page. It is clear that he sought to preserve the traditions of a people who mastered the sea without the help of western knowledge. Lewis does not simply paint a picture of the pacific for the reader; but rather; he takes them on adventure.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Part History; Part textbook; Part Research Paper; All Great Stuff!By PeterA great; fun; interesting; read. Tough to slog through at times because this is NOT an adventure tale but a serious academic research. That means at times in the quest for completeness or thoroughness you feel maybe you are getting bogged down in stuff.... but never for long. Because it is part adventure tale too. The author actually goes out and does these passages between islands with some of the traditional navigators. If this sort of stuff interests you this a wonderful book. Definitely now will be counted among my most treasured on the subject of navigation. Fair warning: You will need to brush up on your geographic knowledge of the pacific islands!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Seminal Writing about the Art of Tran-Pacific NavigationBy CustomerThis is an absolute classic; full of detail but very readable. I gave my first copy to a Cook Island navigator and am ordering a second copy for myself.
