sabaijai Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Temporary Ordination for Character Transformation: A Diasporic Practice with Transnational Connections D. Mitra Bhikkhu Abstract This essay explores an appropriation of the practice of temporary ordination in Toronto. For the last decade or so, Bangladeshi Buddhists have regularly congregated at a Sri Lankan temple to maintain their Buddhist identity. Their practice of temporary ordination distinguishes them from Sri Lankan Buddhists who are amused with the practice, which is not a part of the Sri Lankan Buddhist tradition. In recent times, however, some Sri Lankan monks inspired by diasporic experience in Malaysia, have introduced temporary ordination to Sri Lanka with a new emphasis: character transformation. This has challenged, but not disrupted, the long-held Sri Lankan Buddhist discourse of "ordination for life." Analyzing temporary ordination in Toronto in relation to its counterparts in Sri Lanka and in the Sri Lankan diaspora in Malaysia, this essay argues that temporary ordination, a ritual traditionally practiced for the benefit of others, has been appropriated for the benefit of oneself in the diaspora. This appropriation facilitates the transmission of the Buddhist tradition to the second generation, but it also redefines what Theravada Buddhism is in the context of the Sri Lankan diaspora as well as in their country of origin, Sri Lanka. full text: http://www.globalbuddhism.org/12/mitra11.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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