Jewels, Jewelry, and Other Shiny Things in the Buddhist Imaginary

Jewels, Jewelry, and Other Shiny Things in the Buddhist Imaginary
Author :
Publisher : University of Hawaii Press
Total Pages : 383
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780824889524
ISBN-13 : 0824889525
Rating : 4/5 (24 Downloads)

Book Synopsis Jewels, Jewelry, and Other Shiny Things in the Buddhist Imaginary by : Vanessa R. Sasson

Download or read book Jewels, Jewelry, and Other Shiny Things in the Buddhist Imaginary written by Vanessa R. Sasson and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2021-09-30 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Renunciation is a core value in the Buddhist tradition, but Buddhism is not necessarily austere. Jewels—along with heavenly flowers, rays of rainbow light, and dazzling deities—shape the literature and the material reality of the tradition. They decorate temples, fill reliquaries, are used as metaphors, and sprout out of imagined Buddha fields. Moreover, jewels reflect a particular type of currency often used to make the Buddhist world go round: merit in exchange for wealth. Regardless of whether the Buddhist community has theoretically transcended the need for them or not, jewels—and the paradox they represent—are everywhere. Scholarship has often looked past this splendor, favoring the theory of renunciation instead, but in this volume, scholars from a wide range of disciplines consider the role jewels play in the Buddhist imaginary, putting them front and center for the first time. Following an introduction that relates the colorful story of the Emerald Buddha, one of the most famous jewels in the world, chapters explore the function of jewels as personal identifiers in Buddhist and other Indian religious traditions; Buddhaghosa’s commentary on the Jewel Sutta; the paradox of the Buddha’s bejeweled status before and after renunciation; and the connection in early Buddhism between jewels, magnificence, and virtue. The Newars of Nepal are the focus of a chapter that looks at their gemology and associations between gems and celestial deities. Contributors analyze the Fifth Dalai Lama’s reliquary, known as the “sole ornament of the world”; the transformation of relic jewels into precious substances and their connection to the Piprahwa stupa in Northern India and the Nanjing Porcelain Pagoda. Final chapters offer detailed studies of ritual engagement with the deity known as Wish-Fulfilling Jewel Avalokiteśvara and its role in the new Japanese lay Buddhist religious movement Shinnyo-en. Engaging and accessible, Jewels, Jewelry, and Other Shiny Things in the Buddhist Imaginary will provide readers with an opportunity to look beyond a common misconception about Buddhism and bring its lived tradition into wider discussion.


Jewels, Jewelry, and Other Shiny Things in the Buddhist Imaginary Related Books

Jewels, Jewelry, and Other Shiny Things in the Buddhist Imaginary
Language: en
Pages: 383
Authors: Vanessa R. Sasson
Categories: Religion
Type: BOOK - Published: 2021-09-30 - Publisher: University of Hawaii Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Renunciation is a core value in the Buddhist tradition, but Buddhism is not necessarily austere. Jewels—along with heavenly flowers, rays of rainbow light, an
New Earth Histories
Language: en
Pages: 392
Authors: Alison Bashford
Categories: Science
Type: BOOK - Published: 2023-11-06 - Publisher: University of Chicago Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A kaleidoscopic rethinking of how we come to know the earth. This book brings the history of the geosciences and world cosmologies together, exploring many trad
The Buddha: a Storied Life
Language: en
Pages: 281
Authors: Vanessa R. Sasson
Categories: Religion
Type: BOOK - Published: 2023 - Publisher: Oxford University Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Retellings of the Buddha's life story have animated and sustained Buddhist thought and practice through some 2,500 years of history. To this day, Buddhist holid
The Buddha's Tooth
Language: en
Pages: 366
Authors: John S. Strong
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 2021-10-22 - Publisher: University of Chicago Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Part One: The Portuguese and the Tooth Relic -- Chapter One: The Tale of the Portuguese Tooth and Its Sources -- Chapter Two: Where the Tooth Was Found: Traditi
Living Treasure
Language: en
Pages: 547
Authors: Holly Gayley
Categories: Philosophy
Type: BOOK - Published: 2023-06-06 - Publisher: Simon and Schuster

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Senior scholars and former students celebrate the life and work of Janet Gyatso, professor of Buddhist studies at Harvard Divinity School. Inspired by her contr