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Book Cover
Book
Author Tambiah, Stanley Jeyaraja, 1929-2014.

Title The Buddhist saints of the forest and the cult of amulets : a study in charisma, hagiography, sectarianism, and millennial Buddhism / Stanley Jeyaraja Tambiah
Published Cambridge [Cambridgeshire] ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1984

Copies

Location Call no. Vol. Availability
 W'PONDS  294.365709593 Tam  AVAILABLE
 W'PONDS  294.365709593 Tam  AVAILABLE
Description xi, 417 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Series Cambridge studies in social anthropology ; 49
Cambridge studies in social anthropology ; 49
Contents Introduction and manifesto -- The arahant and the path of meditation -- The hagiography of a Buddhist saint: text and context, the politics of sectarianism -- The cult of amulets: the objectification and transmission of charisma -- Conceptual and theoretical clarifications
Summary The central actors in this book are some reclusive forest-dwelling ascetic meditation masters who have been acclaimed as 'saints' in contemporary Thailand. These saints originally pursued their salvation quest among the isolated villages of the country's periphery, but once recognized as holy men endowed with charisma, they became the radiating centres of a country-wide cult of amulets. The amulets, blessed by the saints, are avidly sought by royalty, ruling generals, intelligentsia and common folk alike for their alleged powers to influence the success of worldly transactions, whether political, economic, martial or romantic
Analysis Thailand Theravada Buddhism Monks
Notes Includes index
Bibliography Bibliography: pages 348-393
Notes Cambridge studies in social anthropology no:49 0068-6794
Subject Buddhism -- Thailand.
Buddhist cults -- Thailand.
Buddhist monks -- Thailand.
LC no. 83015113
ISBN 0521259843
0521277876