Flowers on the Rock
Global and Local Buddhisms in Canada
Will be published approx. on 15. August 2014
Book
Paperback/Softback
472 pages
978-0-7735-4338-6 (ISBN)
Description
When Sasaki Sokei-an founded his First Zen Institute of North America in 1930 he suggested that bringing Zen Buddhism to America was like "holding a lotus against a rock and waiting for it to set down roots." Today, Buddhism is part of the cultural and religious mainstream. Flowers on the Rock examines the dramatic growth of Buddhism in Canada and questions some of the underlying assumptions about how this tradition has changed in the West. Using historical, ethnographic, and biographical approaches, contributors illuminate local expressions of Buddhism found throughout Canada and relate the growth of Buddhism in Canada to global networks. A global perspective allows the volume to overcome the stereotype that Asia and the West are in opposition to each other and recognizes the continuities between Buddhist movements in Asia and the West that are shaped by the same influences of modernity and globalization. Flowers on the Rock studies the fascinating and ingenious changes, inflections, and adaptations that Buddhists make when they set down roots in a local culture. It is essential reading for anyone interested in Buddhism, religious life in Canada, and the broader issues of multiculturalism and immigration. Contributors include Michihiro Ama (University of Alaska), D. Mitra Barua (University of Saskatchewan), Paul Crowe (Simon Fraser University), Melissa Anne-Marie Curley (University of Iowa), Mavis Fenn (University of Waterloo), Kory Goldberg (Champlain College), Sarah F. Haynes (Western Illinois University), Jackie Larm (University of Edinburgh), Paul McIvor (independent), James Placzek (University of British Columbia), and Angela Sumegi (Carleton University).
Reviews / Votes
"Flowers on the Rock discusses innovative expressions of Buddhism in Canada and will appeal to a wide audience. Scholars and students of Buddhist studies will benefit greatly from the authors' position that Buddhism is a living culture, constantly changing." Mathieu Boisvert, Departement de sciences des religions, Universite du Quebec a Montreal "This volume is more than simply an anthology of essays about the history of Buddhism's transmission to Canada. The collection's essays also question some of the assumptions about how Buddhism was changed by its transmission to Western cultures. Of partMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Montreal
Canada
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 230 mm
Width: 153 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
694 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7735-4338-6 (9780773543386)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
John S. Harding is associate professor of East Asian religions at the University of Lethbridge.
Victor Sogen Hori, a former Buddhist monk, is associate professor of Japanese religion at McGill University.
Alexander Soucy is associate professor of religious studies at Saint Mary's University.
Victor Sogen Hori, a former Buddhist monk, is associate professor of Japanese religion at McGill University.
Alexander Soucy is associate professor of religious studies at Saint Mary's University.
Content
Contributors Michihiro Ama (University of Alaska), D. Mitra Barua (University of Saskatchewan), Paul Crowe (Simon Fraser University), Melissa Anne-Marie Curley (University of Iowa), Mavis Fenn (University of Waterloo), Kory Goldberg (Champlain College), Sarah F. Haynes (Western Illinois University), Jackie Larm (University of Edinburgh), Paul McIvor (independent), James Placzek (University of British Columbia), and Angela Sumegi (Carleton University).