Deeply Female and Universally Human': The Rise of Kuan-yin Worship in America
American convert Buddhism has always been comparatively aniconic and opposed to supernaturalism. Earlier periods saw popular Asian bodhisattvas, such as Kuan-yin, relatively marginalized in the new Zen communities. With a rise in the number of female leaders, new found appreciation for ritual, and d...
| Published in: | Journal of contemporary religion |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Carfax Publ.
[2008]
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| In: |
Journal of contemporary religion
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| Online Access: |
Volltext (Resolving-System) |
| Summary: | American convert Buddhism has always been comparatively aniconic and opposed to supernaturalism. Earlier periods saw popular Asian bodhisattvas, such as Kuan-yin, relatively marginalized in the new Zen communities. With a rise in the number of female leaders, new found appreciation for ritual, and discovery of the crossover appeal of Kuan-yin, however, bodhisattvas are a visibly growing presence in American Zen and other traditions. Large numbers of converts claim Kuan-yin as an integral part of their Buddhist practice and drawing on and furthering this blossoming of Kuan-yin appreciation is a substantial new industry of bodhisattva-related products, including books advocating devotion to one or more figures. Now even many non-Buddhists have taken interest in Kuan-yin, who is valued for being a feminine figure in a world of mainly male deities. |
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| ISSN: | 1469-9419 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of contemporary religion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/13537900802373270 |