Cyber Zen - Imagining Authentic Buddhist Identity, Community, and Practices in the Virtual World of Second Life (Hardcover)

Cyber Zen ethnographically explores Buddhist practices in the online virtual world of Second Life. Does typing at a keyboard and moving avatars around the screen, however, count as real Buddhism? If authentic practices must mimic the actual world, then Second Life Buddhism does not. In fact, a critical investigation reveals that online Buddhist practices have at best only a family resemblance to canonical Asian traditions and owe much of their methods to the late twentieth-century field of cybernetics. If, however, they are judged existentially, by how they enable users to respond to the suffering generated by living in a highly mediated consumer society, then Second Life Buddhism consists of authentic spiritual practices. Cyber Zen explores how Second Life Buddhist enthusiasts form communities, identities, locations, and practices that are both products of and authentic responses to contemporary Network Consumer Society. Gregory Price Grieve illustrates that to some extent all religion has always been virtual and gives a glimpse of possible future alternative forms of religion.

General

Imprint:	Routledge
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Series:	Media, Religion and Culture
Release date:	December 2016
First published:	2017
Authors:	Gregory Price Grieve
Dimensions:	234 x 156mm (L x W)
Format:	Hardcover
Pages:	266
ISBN-13:	978-0-415-62871-6
Categories:	Books > Reference & Interdisciplinary > Communication studies > Media studies Books > Computing & IT > Internet > General Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Aspects of religions (non-Christian) > Religious life & practice > General Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Non-Christian religions > Religions of Indic & Oriental origin > Buddhism > Zen Buddhism Books > Religion & Spirituality > Aspects of religions (non-Christian) > Religious life & practice > General Books > Religion & Spirituality > Non-Christian religions > Religions of Indic & Oriental origin > Buddhism > Zen Buddhism
LSN:	0-415-62871-7
Barcode:	9780415628716

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