Contemporary Buddhism. Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press, 2020. ix, 255 pp. US$68.00, cloth. ISBN 978-0-8248-8118-4.
In the realm of tourism, Buddhist attractions draw both believers and non-believers. Religion is deeply entrenched in society, and for any person participating in cultural tourism, it is necessary to make references to religion to understand the values, practices, habits, heritage, and social life of the host society.
Adding up the populations of predominantly Buddhist countries, it is roughly estimated that there are more than 530 million Buddhists around the world. It is unsurprising that Buddhism in Asia is diverse in its manifestations, interpretations, and practices. It has been variously embraced, appropriated, and commercialized into tourism. This diversity—both in breadth and depth—is well covered in this collection.
The book has 12 chapters, including an introduction and cases from Singapore, India, Thailand, China, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Japan. The cases are organized into three broad sections, namely, “Buddhist Imaginaries and Place-Making,” “Secularizing the Sacred,” and “Commodification and its Consequences.” Organizing the chapters into these themes is not easy as each chapter could fit into the other themes as well. Regardless, the themes point to the salient issues embedded in Buddhist tourism (or in religious tourism, generally).
Courtney Bruntz and Brooke Schedneck, editors of the book, have provided a succinct introduction that maps the terrain in this volume. They highlight the theoretical issues behind each section, and describe the dominant features of individual chapters. The introduction helps the reader navigate through the contrasting chapters.
In the first section, David Geary shows how Buddhism has been imagined as “peaceful” when history (and current situations in Myanmar, India, and Sri Lanka, for that matter) shows otherwise. And what constitutes Buddhism is thrown into question, as John N. Miksic explores how Chinese folk religious practices and Buddhism are blended not only at the popular Tiger Balm Gardens in Singapore but also in wider Singaporean society. What constitutes Buddhism is subject to discussion even among believers.
The open interpretation of Buddhism is managed differently across Asia, whether that is to protect the religion, to secularize the sacred, or to commodify the religion and make it more attractive to tourists. Authorities in secular China and Singapore see religion as a cultural resource for tourism and economic development that is difficult to forego; Buddhism is easy to sell and is internationally recognized as a tourist product (Can-Seng Ooi, “Branding and the accreditation approach: Singapore,” in Destination Brands: Managing Place Reputation, eds. N. J. Morgan, A. Pritchard, and R. Pride, Oxford: Elsevier, 2011, 185–196).
So, will Buddhist interpretations and practices be more strongly policed and regulated in Buddhist countries? Chapter 3 on Thailand, by Brooke Schedneck, provides fascinating insights into how domestic and international visitors in temples behave differently, and are perceived differently by monks. What is considered appropriate behaviour by Thai monks, local laypersons, and international (Western) visitors differs; many monks criticize the Thai public for their lack of interest in Buddhist teachings and focus on merit making, while these monks praise some foreign visitors for their desire to calm their minds and improve their lives. The openness of Buddhism, as Schedneck points out, is defended by monks and that openness embraces differences and permits constant contestations in temple spaces. Arguably, this ambiguity and vagueness in the faith allows for the myriad of believers and visitors to feel included in their contrasting interpretations of the religion.
There are three cases that address China in this collection. The absence in these chapters of any extensive discussion concerning the communist country’s politics and contradictions is notable. Were the authors navigating their scholarship in a politically sensitive arena? The chapters are varied, as they deal with how a sacred Buddhist mountain is invented or claimed (chapter 4, by Justin R. Ritzinger), with the need to modernize Buddhist practices (chapter 7, by Courtney Bruntz), and in finding the middle way between religious practices and commodification (chapter 9, by Brian J. Nichols). Bruntz comes closest to addressing the political circumstances in China by presenting the strategies used by Chinese monks to disseminate the Dharma in new technological and engaging ways, so as to build Buddhist soft power in China. Implicit of the strained circumstances in Tibet, authorities in Ladakh have used Tibetan Buddhism to create the city’s unique selling points (chapter 11, by Elizabeth Williams-Oerberg). The Ladakh example contrasts to the earlier China examples; readers may then draw comparisons between the development of Buddhist tourism in China and the persecution of members of Falun Gong, a banned Buddhist sect, and to the political situation in Tibet.
This collection highlights and documents the variety of interpretations and imaginaries of Buddhism. It addresses dominant tourism-in-society issues, including commodification, bastardization of culture, and authenticity. This volume differs from many other tourism studies books that focus on business school disciplines. The insights come from diverse social science perspectives and are aligned more closely to contemporary Buddhism studies. As an anthropologist and also a tourism studies researcher, I find the book refreshing, critical, and insightful. The editors have successfully reminded us that Buddhism and tourism practices in Asia must be understood in layered and nuanced ways. This book indicates how a religion has become a commercial resource for tourism, and how tourism has been appropriated, adopted, and embraced for religious practices.
Can-Seng Ooi
University of Tasmania, Tasmania