Rethinking Tibetan Buddhism in Post-Mao China, 1980–2015

Abstract

The literature on Tibetan Buddhism in post-Mao China presents a bifurcated history: ethnic nationalism and (traditional) identity are foregrounded in scholarship on the revitalization of Tibetan Buddhism in Tibet; consumption and/or (global) modernism are emphasized in studies of its spread in Sinophone China. Although there are considerable historical and social differences between these different constituencies, these characterizations do not fully capture the social differences, as well as convergences, that have shaped everyday engagements with Tibetan Buddhism among Tibetans and Chinese. Drawing on ethnographic data collected in northeastern Tibet and other recent ethnographic studies, I attempt to complicate this picture, arguing that we need to pay greater attention to the affective dimension of Chinese engagements, the social embeddedness of Tibetan Buddhist institutions in the Tibetan context, and the transformations that have taken place in Tibetan areas, as elsewhere in China.

What is the value of a Tibetan prayer wheel?

“…The typical customer at the market is Tibetan, but over the past decade it has increasingly catered to the growing numbers of affluent Han Chinese converts to Tibetan Buddhism, and cashed in on the broader trend dubbed ‘Tibet Chic’ (Brox, 2021; Caple, 2020; Jones, 2011; Smyer Yü, 2012). In response, producers and sellers have developed various ways of packaging prayer wheels to insert them into narratives that communicate their value as efficacious objects.…”

“…Given the ubiquity of prayer wheel practice among Tibetans, this text is likely there for its effect on Chinese consumers. Tibetan script communicates mediative value by invoking the association between Tibet and spirituality, authenticity and purity shared by many Han Chinese and Tibetans alike (Caple, 2020).…”

Spiritual places: Spatial recognition of Tibetan Buddhist spiritual perception

“…Its influence is extensive and profound, spanning multiple domains such as society, art, psychology, and geographical space [ 1 ]. Compared to the superficial understanding common in the Western academic community and the general populace—such as monks, temples, and rituals—in the East, particularly in Tibetan-influenced regions and their surrounding cultural spheres, the influence of Tibetan Buddhism extends far beyond these visible symbols [ 2 ]. It constructs an ineffable "spiritual place" in people’s minds, forming not only the core of individual and collective spiritual pursuits [ 3 ] but also a symbol of cultural identity and social cohesion.…”

Religious Commodities or Cultural Elements?

“…bla ma Ch. shangshi 上师), for guidance in their individual practice and visit Tibetan Buddhist institutions or communities for practice, Buddhist festivals, and initiations (Esposito 2008;Bianchi 2004Bianchi , 2017Bianchi , 2018Jones 2011;Caple 2020). This phenomenon is connected to an ongoing revival of Tantrism in China, known generally as Tantric Fever (mijiaore 密教热), which began at the start of the twentieth century (Bianchi 2004).…”