October 23, 2015
Cliff Hopping and 4AM Chants: Researching Pure Land Buddhism's Revival in a Chinese Monastery
When organizing an ethnographic case study at Donglin Monastery in Jiangxi, China, little did Helaina expect her summer would entail midnight prayers over recently deceased laywomen, speed ginger peeling, inconspicuous baptisms, and the witnessing of medical miracles. Through the participation of daily activities and interviews with the temple's monks, laypeople, and visitors, Helaina was let into a monastic microcosm. She was given glimpses of how new state and political tolerance towards Pure Land Buddhism mapped out on the personal lives of those who live their faith.
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