Tree Ordination as Invented Tradition
The symbolic ordination of trees as monks in Thailand is widely perceived in Western scholarship to be proof of the power of Buddhism to spur ecological thought. However, a closer analysis of tree ordination demonstrates that it is not primarily about Buddhist teaching, but rather is an invented tra...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Open Library of Humanities
2012-01-01
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| Series: | The ASIANetwork Exchange: A Journal for Asian Studies in the Liberal Arts |
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| Online Access: | http://www.asianetworkexchange.org/articles/11 |
| Summary: | The symbolic ordination of trees as monks in Thailand is widely perceived in Western scholarship to be proof of the power of Buddhism to spur ecological thought. However, a closer analysis of tree ordination demonstrates that it is not primarily about Buddhist teaching, but rather is an invented tradition based on the sanctity of Thai Buddhist symbols as well as those of spirit worship and the monarchy. Tree ordinations performed by non-Buddhist minorities in Thailand do not demonstrate a religious commitment but rather a political one. |
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| ISSN: | 1943-9938 1943-9946 |