Nirvana for sale? : Buddhism, wealth, and the Dhammakāya Temple in contemporary Thailand

What is the proper relationship between religion and prosperity? Rachelle M. Scott looks at this issue in a Thai Buddhist context, asking when the relationship between Buddhist piety and wealth is viewed in favorable terms and when it is viewed in terms of conflict and tension. Scott focuses on the Dhammakāya Temple, an organization that has placed traditional Theravāda practices, such as meditation and merit-making, within a modernist framework that encourages personal and social prosperity. The Temple's construction of a massive religious monument in the late 1990s embodied this message, but also sparked criticism of the Temple's wealth and fund-raising techniques and engendered debates over authentic Buddhism and religious authority. Scott situates this controversy within the context of postmodern Thailand and the Asian economic crisis when reevaluations of wealth, global capitalism, and'Asian values'occupied a preeminent place in Thai public discourse. "What is the proper relationship between religion and prosperity? Rachelle M. Scott looks at this issue in a Thai Buddhist context, asking when the relationship between Buddhist piety and wealth is viewed in favorable terms and when it is viewed in terms of conflict and tension. Scott focuses on the Dhammakaya Temple, an organization that has placed traditional Theravada practices, such as meditation and merit-making, within a modernist framework that encourages personal and social prosperity. The Temple's construction of a massive religious monument in the late 1990s embodied this message, but also sparked criticism of the Temple's wealth and fund-raising techniques and engendered debates over authentic Buddhism and religious authority. Scott situates this controversy within the context of postmodern Thailand and the Asian economic crisis when reevaluations of wealth, global capitalism, and "Asian values" occupied a preeminent place in Thai public discourse."--Publisher description Title Page ......Page 5 Contents......Page 9 List of Illustrations......Page 11 Acknowledgments......Page 13 Note on Transliteration and Terminology......Page 15 Introduction......Page 17 1. Buddhism, Renunciation, and Prosperity......Page 35 2. Modernity, Prosperity, and the Dhammakāya Temple......Page 63 3. The Mahathammakai Chedi and Postmodern Merit Making......Page 105 4. The Dhammakāya Controversy: Wealth, Piety, and Authority......Page 145 5. Consumerism and Commercialization of Buddhism......Page 173 Conclusion......Page 197 Notes......Page 205 Bibliography......Page 239 C......Page 255 M......Page 256 S......Page 257 W......Page 258 Rachelle M. Scott. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 223-238) And Index.