Embodying the Dharma : Buddhist Relic Veneration in Asia

Examines the practice of relic veneration in a variety of forms of Buddhism. EMBODYING THE DHARMA......Page 2 CONTENTS......Page 8 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 10 1. INTRODUCTION: BEYOND SUPERSTITION Kevin Trainor......Page 12 2. BUDDHIST RELICS IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE: BEYOND THE PARALLELS John S. Strong......Page 38 3. LIVING RELICS OF THE BUDDHA(S) IN TIBET David Germano......Page 62 4. BUDDHIST RELICS AND JAPANESE REGALIA Bernard Faure......Page 104 5. THE FIELD OF THE BUDDHA’S PRESENCE Jacob N. Kinnard......Page 128 6. SIGNS OF THE BUDDHA IN NORTHERN THAI CHRONICLES Donald K. Swearer......Page 156 7. ON THE ALLURE OF BUDDHIST RELICS Robert H. Sharf......Page 174 CONTRIBUTORS......Page 204 B......Page 206 D......Page 207 I......Page 208 N......Page 209 S......Page 210 V......Page 211 Z......Page 212 "Embodying the Dharma explores the centrality of relic veneration in Asian Buddhist cultures. Long disregarded by Western scholars as a superstitious practice reflecting the popularization of "original" Buddhism, relic veneration has emerged as a topic of vital interest in the last two decades with the increased attention to Buddhist ritual practice and material culture. This volume includes studies of relic traditions in India, Japan, Tibet, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, as well as broader comparative analyses, including comparisons of Buddhist and Christian relic veneration."--Jacket