World of Taima (Record of the Living Ritual "Playing the Bodhisattva" in Tujia Folk Religion)

Author: Lei Xiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: The ritual activities of the Tima (shaman) can be divided into three main types: the village collective sacrificial "Jumping Shuaishou," the family vow-repaying "Playing the Bodhisattva," and the individual exorcism "Releasing Evil." Among these, due to the complete change in social organization, the Jumping Shuaishou has completely lost its sacrificial nature and has become mostly an annual cultural entertainment activity organized by local cultural institutions. The exorcism function is singular, short in duration, and limited in content. Only the "Playing the Bodhisattva" ritual is the key to understanding the Tima, learning about the original religious beliefs of the Tujia people, and even tracing the original social structure of the Tujia ethnic group.
According to records from Qing Dynasty local gazettes and investigations by local ethnic cultural workers, the "Playing the Bodhisattva" ritual was once widely practiced in the You River Basin and surrounding areas. However, due to historical prohibitions and the influence of mainstream culture, its popularity gradually shrank, and the degree of devotion to it decreased. Especially after the Great Leap Forward movement in the 1950s, which brought about a massive change in social structure, the remaining activities in the surviving regions were also forced to stop abruptly. Since the 1980s, efforts to rescue and revitalize ethnic culture have led some surviving Tima to attempt to restore the activities. However, due to the long-standing disruption of the vow-repaying chain, most of them have not been able to continue. Currently, spontaneous "Playing the Bodhisattva" activities in the are extremely rare.