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Hidden at the margins of Burmese Buddhism and culture, the cults of
the weikzaweikza in relation to the Vipassana insight meditation
movement and conventional Buddhist practices, as well as the
contemporary rise of Buddhist fundamentalism. Featuring research
based on fieldwork only possible in recent years, paired with
reflective essays by senior Buddhist studies scholars, this book
situates the weikza cult in relation to broader Buddhist and
Southeast Asian contexts, as the Burmese expressions of the weikza
cults themselves. Champions of Buddhismopens the field to new
questions, new problems, and new connections with the study of
religion and Southeast Asia in general.
In dramatic contrast to the reported growing influence of doctrinal
and fundamentalist forms of religion in some parts of Southeast
Asia, the predominantly Buddhist societies of the region are
witnessing an upsurge of spirit possession cults and diverse forms
of magical ritual. This is found in many social strata, including
the urban poor, rising middle classes and elite groups, and across
the different political systems of Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and
Vietnam. This volume reveals both the central historical place of
spirit possession rituals in the Buddhist cultures of mainland
Southeast Asia and their important contemporary roles to enhance
prosperity and protection. This book examines the increasing
prominence of spirit mediumship and divination across the region by
exploring the interplay of neoliberal capitalism, visual media, the
network cultures of the Internet, and the politics of cultural
heritage and identity. It advances beyond critiques of the
"secularization" and "disenchantment" theses to explore the
processes of modernity that are actively producing magical
worldviews and stimulating the rise of spirit cults. As such, it
not only challenges the assumptions of modernization theory but
demonstrates that the cults in question are novel ritual forms that
emerge out of inherently modern conditions.
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