Atmospheric Buddhism: How Buddhism is Distributed, Felt, and Moralized in a Repressive Society

A growing number of lay Buddhist practitioners have sought out alternative ways to incorporate Buddhist teachings in their daily practices and make positive changes in society by “doing good” for others. Sometimes recognized as part of “humanistic Buddhism,” this approach emphasizes general morality...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Cho, Yasmin (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Wiley-Blackwell 2023
In: Journal of religious ethics
Year: 2023, Volume: 51, Issue: 4, Pages: 701-719
Further subjects:B branding Buddhism
B Tibetan Buddhism
B Morality
B Atmospheres
B well-being lifestyles
B Chinese Buddhist practitioners
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Summary:A growing number of lay Buddhist practitioners have sought out alternative ways to incorporate Buddhist teachings in their daily practices and make positive changes in society by “doing good” for others. Sometimes recognized as part of “humanistic Buddhism,” this approach emphasizes general morality and focuses on people who need help as a way to fulfill Buddhist teachings in this world. Some Chinese Buddhist practitioners who follow the Tibetan Buddhist tradition also carry out similar humanistic engagements but use more subtle space-making processes and often “brand” these as Buddhist practices. Drawing on the ethnographic observations of lay Buddhist practitioners in urban China, this article examines how urban practitioners promote (middle-class) morality and well-being lifestyles through what I call “atmospheric Buddhism.” Ultimately, the article argues that an alternative mode of Buddhist practice is emerging in Chinese urban environments in order to cope with politically constrained environments.
ISSN:1467-9795
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religious ethics
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/jore.12458