Lay Buddhism and Spirituality: From Vimalakīrti to the Nenbutsu Masters. Edited by MichaelPye. Eastern Buddhist Voices. London: Equinox, 2014, Pp. 335. Hardcover, $99.95; paperback, $39.95.

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-121
Author(s):  
Franz Winter
Keyword(s):  
Lay Buddhism

From Temples to Teahouses

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-61
Author(s):  
Gareth Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Cultural Revolution ◽  
Lay Leaders ◽  
Buddhist Art ◽  
Lay Buddhism ◽  
Private Spaces ◽  
Art And Culture ◽  
Lay Buddhists ◽  
Key Events ◽  
State Restrictions

This article presents an overview of the nature of lay Buddhist revival in post-Mao China. After defining the category of lay practitioner, it outlines key events in the revival of lay Buddhism following the end of the Cultural Revolution. Following this, it describes three main aspects of the revival: the grassroots-organized formation of communities of lay Buddhists that gather at temples either to share and discuss the moral teachings of Buddhist-themed media or to engage in devotional activities; devotional and pedagogical activities organized for lay practitioners by monastic and lay leaders at temples and lay practitioners’ groves; and, more recently, the emergence of private spaces for specific practices such as meditation, the appreciation of Buddhist art and culture, and the discussion of teachings from specific Buddhist masters. The article concludes that while government-authorized temples continue to be active spaces for lay practitioners interested in Dharma instruction from monastics, regular devotional activities, and opportunities to earn merit and gain self-fulfillment through volunteerism, greater state restrictions on spontaneous lay-organized practices in temple space are increasingly leading lay practitioners to organize activities in private or semi-private spaces. The introduction of social media has facilitated the growth of Buddhist-related practices for laypersons in nontemple spaces.

The Bodhisattva Ideal

2021 ◽  
pp. 23-40
Author(s):  
Dale S. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Central Character ◽  
Lay Buddhism ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Skillful Means ◽  
The Way

This chapter provides an in-depth look at the central character of the Vimalakīrti Sūtra by analyzing the manner in which the bodhisattva ideal is presented. It examines several aspects of this ideal: the bodhisattva vow, the difference between monastic and lay Buddhism, and the way that Buddhist enlightenment is envisioned. The image of Vimalakirti as a character in the text emphasizes his “skillful means” of teaching the Buddhist dharma and of living his life, his inclusive outreach to all living beings, and the extent to which he overcomes the dichotomy between pure and impure aspects of human life.

Lay Buddhism and the Buddhist Revival in Ceylon

1970 ◽  
Vol XXXVIII (3) ◽  
pp. 255-275
Author(s):  
DONALD K. SWEARER
Keyword(s):  
Lay Buddhism

Lay Buddhism in Contemporary Japan: Reiyūkai Kyōdan

1985 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 304
Author(s):  
Gilbert L. Johnston ◽  
Helen Hardacre
Keyword(s):  
Lay Buddhism

Rediscovering Lay Buddhism

2014 ◽  
pp. 219-234
Author(s):  
Barend J. ter Haar
Keyword(s):  
Lay Buddhism

Lay Buddhism in Contemporary Japan: Reiyukai Kyodan

1986 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 395
Author(s):  
James W. White ◽  
Helen Hardacre
Keyword(s):  
Lay Buddhism

Prelude: Red Pines and Black Sheep

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Mark Shields
Keyword(s):  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Pacific War ◽  
Black Sheep ◽  
Three Generations ◽  
Lay Buddhism

This Prelude to Chapters One through to Six introduces the story of three generations of the Akamatsu family, whose tri-generational patriline illustrates well the changes which shaped institutional and lay Buddhism in the five decades from the Buddhist Enlightenment through the beginning of the Asia Pacific War.

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