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Beyond the Mainland: Buddhist Communities in Maritime Southeast Asia
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Beyond the Mainland: Buddhist Communities in Maritime Southeast Asia

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 22595

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jack Meng-Tat Chia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of History, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117573, Singapore
Interests: Buddhism and Chinese popular religion in maritime Southeast Asia; transnational Buddhism; Sino–Southeast Asian interactions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mention “Southeast Asian Buddhism” and what comes to mind is often Theravāda Buddhism, the dominant religion in the mainland Southeast Asian states of Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. Needless to say, scholars of Southeast Asia have long been interested in studying how Buddhism shaped the history, culture, and politics of mainland Southeast Asia. In contrast, maritime Southeast Asia conjures the image of the Malay Archipelago, consisting of the Muslim-majority states of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei, as well as the Catholic Philippines and East Timor. Singapore, on the other hand, is deemed an anomaly because of its predominant Buddhist and Chinese population. Scholars of Southeast Asia tend to highlight the cultural and historical differences between mainland and maritime Southeast Asia by emphasizing the religious contrast between mainland Theravāda Buddhism and maritime Islam and Catholicism when conceptualizing the religious diversity of Southeast Asia as a region.

Recent scholarship over the past decade has started to pay more attention to the presence of Buddhist communities in the Islamic Malay world, the Catholic Philippines, and the Chinese-majority Singapore (Blackburn 2012; Chia 2020; Dean 2018; Dy 2015; Hue 2020; Johnson 2013; Kitiarsa 2010; Samuels 2011; Tan 2020; Zhang 2018). Building on these recent studies, this Special Issue aims to bring together a collection of articles that examines the diverse beliefs and practices of Buddhist communities in the maritime Southeast Asian states of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and East Timor. It invites empirical and theoretical contributions on any aspect of Buddhist traditions in the maritime region of Southeast Asia since the nineteenth century.

To be considered for publication in this Special Issue, please send a title and a 250-word abstract to the guest editor, Jack Meng-Tat Chia ([email protected]), by May 31, 2021. Authors of accepted proposals will be contacted soon thereafter and will be invited to submit full manuscripts (6000–8000 words) by December 31, 2021. All papers will be subject to blind peer review.

References

Blackburn, Anne M. 2012. Ceylonese Buddhism in Colonial Singapore: New Ritual Spaces and Specialists, 1895–1935. Singapore: Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore.

Chia, Jack Meng-Tat. 2020. Monks in Motion: Buddhism and Modernity across the South China Sea. New York: Oxford University Press.

Dean, Kenneth. 2018. Whose Orders? Chinese Popular God Temple Networks and the Rise of Chinese Mahāyāna Buddhist Monasteries in Southeast Asia. In Buddhist and Islamic Orders in Southern Asia: Comparative Perspectives, edited by R. Michael Feener and Anne M. Blackburn. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press, 2018, pp. 99–124.

Dy, Ari C. 2015. Chinese Buddhism in Catholic Philippines: Syncretism as Identity. Mandaluy-ong City: Anvil Publishing, Inc.

Hue, Guan Thye. 2020. The Buddha Lights of Lion City: The Hundred-Year Development of Buddhism in Singapore. Hong Kong: Chinese University of Hong Kong Press.

Johnson, Irving Chan. 2013. The Buddha on Mecca’s Verandah: Encounters, Mobilities, and Histories along the Malaysian-Thai Border. Seattle: University of Washington Press.

Kitiarsa, Pattana. 2010. Buddha-izing a Global City-State: Transnational Religious Mobilities, Spiritual Marketplace, and Thai Migrant Monks in Singapore. Mobilities 5: 257–275.

Samuels, Jeffrey. 2011. “Forget Not Your Old Country": Absence, Identity, and Marginalization in the Practice and Development of Sri Lankan Buddhism in Malaysia. South Asian Diaspora 3: 117–132.

Tan, Lee Ooi. 2020. Buddhist Revitalization and Chinese Religions in Malaysia. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.

Zhang, Wenxue. 2018. “Interactions between Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism in Colonial Singapore.” In Theravada Buddhism in Colonial Contexts, edited by Thomas Borchert. New York: Routledge, pp. 42–58.

Dr. Jack Meng-Tat Chia
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Buddhism
  • Buddhist institutions
  • Buddhist practices
  • maritime Southeast Asia
  • Brunei
  • East Timor
  • Indonesia
  • Malaysia
  • Philippines
  • Singapore

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

3 pages, 258 KiB  
Editorial
Beyond the Mainland: An Introduction
by Jack Meng-Tat Chia
Religions 2022, 13(4), 357; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13040357 - 13 Apr 2022
Viewed by 1327
Abstract
Mention “Southeast Asian Buddhism” and what comes to mind is often Theravāda Buddhism, the dominant religion in the mainland Southeast Asian states of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Beyond the Mainland: Buddhist Communities in Maritime Southeast Asia)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

18 pages, 369 KiB  
Article
“Contramodernist Buddhism” in a Global City-State: Shinnyo-en in Singapore
by Keng Yung Phua
Religions 2022, 13(3), 265; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13030265 - 21 Mar 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3212
Abstract
This article outlines the arrival and adaptation of Shinnyo-en as an example of contramodernist Buddhism in Singapore. Shinnyo-en’s contramodernist spirituality focuses on its founding Itō family. The arrival of Shinnyo-en is situated within the larger contexts of the Singapore–Japan relationship. Social memories of [...] Read more.
This article outlines the arrival and adaptation of Shinnyo-en as an example of contramodernist Buddhism in Singapore. Shinnyo-en’s contramodernist spirituality focuses on its founding Itō family. The arrival of Shinnyo-en is situated within the larger contexts of the Singapore–Japan relationship. Social memories of the Japanese occupation lingered within the population amidst increasing Japanese Foreign Domestic Investments in Singapore. These transnational migration trends brought Shinnyo-en practitioners and Shinnyo-en itself to Singapore. Simultaneously, Singapore’s government had been actively monitoring and regulating religious groups in order to maintain religious harmony, societal wellbeing, and ensure the separation of religion and politics in Singapore. This study explores the adaptations of Shinnyo-en’s organisational structure, religious practices, and activities in Singapore from 1983 to 2021. It argues that Shinnyo-en has actively adapted to the Singapore context and has actively courted the state for its political survival, adjusting its activities to gain social recognition from Singapore society as a Buddhist organisation. Despite these adaptations, Shinnyo-en Singapore retains its contramodernist Buddhist spirituality, focusing on its founding Itō family. This article highlights the integration of Shinnyo-en’s contramodernist beliefs within Shinnyo-en’s activities and how this contramodernist spirituality mobilises support for selected social causes through its practitioners. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Beyond the Mainland: Buddhist Communities in Maritime Southeast Asia)
17 pages, 349 KiB  
Article
Buddhist Modernism in the Philippines: Emerging Localization of Humanistic Buddhism
by Aristotle Chan Dy
Religions 2022, 13(3), 220; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13030220 - 04 Mar 2022
Viewed by 7153
Abstract
Mahayana Buddhism is well known for being successfully implanted in various cultures. Chinese Buddhism, considered one of the three great religions of China along with Confucianism and Taoism, is a classic example. From China, Buddhism traveled further and, in the twentieth century, developed [...] Read more.
Mahayana Buddhism is well known for being successfully implanted in various cultures. Chinese Buddhism, considered one of the three great religions of China along with Confucianism and Taoism, is a classic example. From China, Buddhism traveled further and, in the twentieth century, developed a particular way of engaging the world. Humanistic Buddhism, a particular form of engaged Buddhism that grew out of twentieth-century Chinese Buddhism, has been present in the Philippines since the 1990s and signaled a new phase in the growth of Buddhism in the country. In particular, the Philippine initiators of Foguangshan and Ciji did not limit themselves to the ethnic Chinese community from the outset, and both movements have achieved modest success in the last thirty years. By building on previous research with new inputs from key informants, this article explores the emerging localization of Foguangshan and Ciji in the predominantly Catholic Philippines, identifying the particular ways in which the two groups adapted their missions in the country. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Beyond the Mainland: Buddhist Communities in Maritime Southeast Asia)
15 pages, 235 KiB  
Article
The Birth of Buddhist Organizations in Modern Indonesia, 1900–1959
by Yulianti Yulianti
Religions 2022, 13(3), 217; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13030217 - 03 Mar 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2800
Abstract
In the early twentieth century, Indonesia was a predominantly Muslim majority colony under the Dutch Christian colonial authorities. The 1930 volkstelling (census record) conducted by the Dutch colonial government recorded four religions being practiced in the archipelago; Buddhism was not one of them. [...] Read more.
In the early twentieth century, Indonesia was a predominantly Muslim majority colony under the Dutch Christian colonial authorities. The 1930 volkstelling (census record) conducted by the Dutch colonial government recorded four religions being practiced in the archipelago; Buddhism was not one of them. Nevertheless, sources such as newspapers and private magazines published by various organizations showed that Buddhism was being practiced in Java. In the 1930s, several organizations published books and translations on Buddhism. The first organization that exclusively identified itself as Buddhist, the Java Buddhist Association, was established in 1929 by Dutch Buddhists in West Java. Five years later, Peranakan Chinese in Batavia established a second Buddhist organization. This article seeks to explore two issues, namely: the history and development of Buddhist institutions during the late colonial and early post-Independence Indonesia; and the transnational networks of these institutions in the promotion of Buddhist knowledge in modern Indonesia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Beyond the Mainland: Buddhist Communities in Maritime Southeast Asia)
17 pages, 612 KiB  
Article
The Buddhist Philanthropist: The Life and Times of Lee Choon Seng
by Guan Thye Hue, Chang Tang and Juhn Khai Klan Choo
Religions 2022, 13(2), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13020147 - 07 Feb 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3089
Abstract
This article examines the life and times of Lee Choon Seng (李俊承), exploring his role as a prominent lay Buddhist leader in Singapore and the broader Chinese Buddhist world. Lee Choon Seng’s influence in society, as well as his adherence to Chinese Mahayana [...] Read more.
This article examines the life and times of Lee Choon Seng (李俊承), exploring his role as a prominent lay Buddhist leader in Singapore and the broader Chinese Buddhist world. Lee Choon Seng’s influence in society, as well as his adherence to Chinese Mahayana Buddhism, laid an important foundation for him to carry out philanthropic activities within the Buddhist community in Singapore. Before World War II, Lee Choon Seng acted as a patron of the Dharma, sponsoring Buddhist activities and advocating for the idea of revitalizing China in the spirit of Buddhism. During the Japanese Occupation, Lee Choon Seng initiated and led the Buddhist philanthropy movement, which converged into a huge developmental trend in society. In the postwar period, Lee Choon Seng established and served as the inaugural chairman of the Singapore Buddhist Federation, making him a key figure in unifying the Buddhist community in Singapore. As this article demonstrates, Lee Choon Seng’s socio-religious model, which was comprised of a combination of Mahayana Buddhism with social charity and welfare, was an important factor for the promotion of Buddhism among the Chinese community in Singapore. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Beyond the Mainland: Buddhist Communities in Maritime Southeast Asia)
12 pages, 239 KiB  
Article
Conceptualizing Buddhisization: Malaysian Chinese Buddhists in Contemporary Malaysia
by Lee Ooi Tan
Religions 2022, 13(2), 102; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13020102 - 21 Jan 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2951
Abstract
This article conceptualizes the term “Buddhisization” to understand religious manifestations of Buddhist communities in contemporary Malaysia. By Buddhisization, I refer to a process of influencing or being influenced to be a Buddhist. The purpose of this conceptualization, apart from basic description and definition, [...] Read more.
This article conceptualizes the term “Buddhisization” to understand religious manifestations of Buddhist communities in contemporary Malaysia. By Buddhisization, I refer to a process of influencing or being influenced to be a Buddhist. The purpose of this conceptualization, apart from basic description and definition, is to outline some contexts for the use of Buddhisization and rationale behind the process. Drawing on in-depth interviews with Malaysian Chinese Buddhists, this study proposes six aspects of Buddhisization from the common experiences of Malaysian Chinese Buddhists. These aspects are the formalization of the taking refuge ceremony, participation in Buddhist associations, Buddhist examination, popularization of meditation courses, Buddhist weddings and Buddhist funerals. From experiences in Malaysia, this article suggests that the Buddhist minority context has enabled the process of being Buddhist at individual and institutional levels through initiatives and efforts of the Buddhist community. Urban educated middle-class Chinese Buddhists are inclined towards an acceptance of Buddhisization. As a consequence, it has complicated the journey of nation building in multi-religiosity Malaysia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Beyond the Mainland: Buddhist Communities in Maritime Southeast Asia)
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