South Asian Theravada Buddhism and Dai Village Community Economy: A Comparative Study of China's Xishuangbanna

Author: Tan Leshan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: In Southeast Asia, Theravada Buddhism is the state religion, supported and protected by monarchs or governments. However, since 1950 in China, political movements, the influence of Han culture, and the impact of the market economy have formed a unique variant of Theravada Buddhism in the Xishuangbanna Dai society. Compared to Southeast Asian Buddhism, the Theravada Buddhism practiced by the Dai people can be largely described as secularized. For example, Nirvana, the ultimate goal in standard Buddhist liberation theory—liberating oneself from the cycle of rebirth by extinguishing the self and passion—is regarded by Dai Buddhists as the highest heaven, the best place to live, called "Mengni Ban." The Dai seek merits not for worldly happiness but for worldly dignity. Buddhist rituals are primarily performed to pursue secular fulfillment, with religious goals taking a secondary role. Merits are more often used to build personal networks, enhance social status, and strengthen economic reciprocity, rather than as a means to improve one's status in the next life. Monks and bhikkhus rarely adhere to the strict rules and precepts of orthodox doctrine. The author lived in a Buddhist Dai village as a member of its community for 7 years and conducted extensive fieldwork over the past 15 years, on the basis of which this article provides a comprehensive account of the religious life of a TAI-speaking ethnic group in southwestern China that practices Theravada Buddhism.