The Buddha in the Jungle
by Kamala Tiyavanich
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Book Summary Information
Author: Kamala TiyavanichEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-02
ISBN: 0295983728
Number of pages: 380
Publisher: University of Washington Press
Book Reviews of The Buddha in the Jungle
Book Review: Thai Buddhism in a Historical and Social Context
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a book which I :
(i) looked forward to reading (after reading the favorable reviews),
(ii) wasn't sure about the quality of the book half-way through reading it, but
(iii) was convinced that it is an important book upon finishing the final chapter.
Broadly, it is a book about Thai Buddhism in a historical and cultural context. It attempts to relate what Thai Buddhism was like before state-led reformations (which began during the rule of King Mongkut, 1851-68) changed the institution. The story told is very subtle - it discusses, amongst others, the role that monks played in the local Thai society during this period. The method that the author employs is very peculiar - the book reads like a personal narrative that is sourced from personal interviews (with senior surviving monks), written recollections by monks as well as 'farang' diarists. This approach, which I thought was almost akin to an oral history is, I think, inevitable given the form and availability of the information on the subject. This approach also makes the book very readeable and appealing as it manages to impart to the reader the feeling of how the past feels like. Stories surrounding the sometimes supernatural feats of monks wandering in forests adds a 'folklore' dimension to Buddhism as practised by Thais that I think is not often conveyed. The stories about individual monks were the ones I enjoyed reading the most. I cared less about 'farang' writings even though their observations sometimes proved informative. Not all the book is centered around Thai Buddhism. For example, the author discusses views on the status of women in Thai society towards the end of the book (chapter 43). The book is partly a social commentary about how Thai Buddhism and society have changed. I sense a tinge of sadness about these changes but the author does not quite say it outright whether the past reforms were mistakes. This is quite understandable, given the sensitivity of the issue due to the exalted status and high esteem in which past and present Thai kings are held. One of my favourite chapter is the last one - the tale of a Dutchman who stole a jade Buddha statue from a forest, only to return it later and to ultimately find the true meaning of life (as a Buddhist monk). The last few words of this chapter (uttered by the Dutchman) was, for me, very memorable: "All our European haste and disquiet has fallen away from me. I have come to realize that quite equanimity is the highest good that we can achieve in this life". Tiyavanich certainly knows how to choose her words very well. This is a book which I read and savoured slowly - one to two chapters daily, every night, before I slid into pleasant dreams. Tonight, upon finishing the book, I lament the fact that I will need to find another good read tomorrow night.
Summary of The Buddha in the Jungle
In "The Buddha in the Jungle", real-life stories about 19th and early 20th century Buddhist monks in Thailand are ingeniously intermingled with experiences recorded by their Western contemporaries. The stories tell of giant snakes, bandits, boatmen, midwives, and guardian spirits and collectively portray a Buddhist culture in all its imaginative and geographical concreteness. By juxtaposing these eyewitness accounts, Kimala Tiyavanich presents a new and vivid picture of Buddhism as it was lived and of the natural environments in which the Buddha's teachings were practiced.Worship & Devotion Books
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