Buddhism and Transgression: The Appropriation of Buddhism in the Contemporary West (Numen Book Series, 125)

If Buddhism Is To Remain Relevant To The Contemporary Era, Through Providing Effective Solutions To The Proliferating And Protean Discursive Problems Encountered By Its Present-day Practitioners, It Cannot Continue To Ignore The Role Of Discourse In The Formation Of Subjectivity. In The Interest Of Problematizing Such 'ignorance: This Book Explores The Potential Interface Between Foucaultian Discourse Analysis And The Development Of An Indigenous Rationale For The Practice Of Contemporary Western Buddhism, Along With The Growing Significance Of Such A Rationale For 'traditional' Buddhism In An Era Dominated By Disciplinary/bio-power. Through Doing So, This Book Radically Re-conceptualizes The Role Of Buddhism In The World Today By Linking Buddhist Practice With Acts Of Discursive Transgression.--jacket. By Adrian Konik. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. CONTENTS 8 Foreword 10 Preface 14 Acknowledgments 16 List of illustrations 24 List of abbreviations 26 Introduction 28 PART I THE EMERGENCE OF DISCIPLINARY/BIO-POWER AND THE ARISING OF DISCURSIVE TENSION IN WESTERN SOCIETY 44 Chapter One The problem of effective critique 46 Chapter Two Disciplinary/bio-power and rational autonomy 56 Chapter Three Secularized/medicalized confession and the problematization of rational autonomy 68 PART II A REAPPRAISAL OF WESTERN INTEREST IN TIBET AND VAJRAYĀNA BUDDHISM 90 Chapter Four The blank canvas of Tibet 92 Chapter Five Lobsang Rampa's The Third Eye: The Autobiography of a Tibetan Lama 106 Chapter Six John Blofeld's The Wheel of Life: The Autobiography of a Western Buddhist 122 Chapter Seven Anagarika Govinda's autobiographical The Way of the White Clouds 134 PART III ENGAGING WITH THE DISCURSIVE LIMITS OF TRANSGRESSION 148 Chapter Eight The 'technological mind,' discourse analysis, and the emergence of a new type of socially engaged contemporary Western Buddhism 150 Conclusion 194 Afterword 204 Bibliography 206 Index 212 9004178759,9789004178755,9047441109,9789047441106 This book explores the potential interface between Foucaultian discourse analysis and the development of an indigenous rationale for the practice of contemporary Western Buddhism, along with the growing significance of such a rationale for a ~traditionala (TM) Buddhism in an era dominated by disciplinary/bio-power