Buddha in a box: the materiality of recitation in contemporary chinese buddhism

Buddha-recitation devices (nianfo ji ???) use modern technology to reproduce the name of the Buddha endlessly, offering this function in the form of portable plastic boxes akin to small radios or iPods. These devices raise key questions for our understanding of contemporary Buddhism: Why is a specia...

Description complète

Enregistré dans:  
Détails bibliographiques
Auteur principal: Heller, Natasha (Auteur)
Type de support: Électronique Article
Langue:Anglais
Vérifier la disponibilité: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
En cours de chargement...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Publié: Taylor & Francis [2014]
Dans: Material religion
Année: 2014, Volume: 10, Numéro: 3, Pages: 294-314
Sujets non-standardisés:B Pure Land
B Recitation
B Buddhism
B Son
B China
B Taiwan
B nianfo
B Recording
B device
Accès en ligne: Volltext (Resolving-System)
Description
Résumé:Buddha-recitation devices (nianfo ji ???) use modern technology to reproduce the name of the Buddha endlessly, offering this function in the form of portable plastic boxes akin to small radios or iPods. These devices raise key questions for our understanding of contemporary Buddhism: Why is a specialized device necessary? How is the device shaped by earlier traditions of recitation and sound? The Buddha-recitation device uses packaging and ornamentation to establish its status as a religious object, thereby sanctifying the ordinary function of producing sound. Although this mechanized recitation appears to replace that of human voice, analysis of miracle tales, personal testimonials, and doctrinal discussions shows that these devices more closely emulate the sacred sounds spontaneously produced in the environment of the western paradise where Buddhists aspire to be reborn.
ISSN:1751-8342
Contient:Enthalten in: Material religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.2752/175183414X14101642921384