Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter 1
2. Contents 7
3. List of Figures 11
4. Acknowledgements 15
5. List of Abbreviations 17
6. Introduction
7. Hypothesis and Research Questions 21
8. Methodology and Research Strategy 24
9. CHAPTER ONE The Roots—Buddhism in Modern China
10. Positioning 29
11. Buddhism under the Chinese Communist Party 30
12. A Buddhist Revival in the Late Twentieth and Early Twenty-First Centuries 35
13. PRC Policy Towards Religion and its Influence on Buddhism 37
14. Laying the Groundwork: Lay Buddhism 43
15. Multiple Liminalities 50
16. CHAPTER TWO The Tibetan Buddhist Fever and the Living Hall Model
17. Introduction 59
18. Tibetan Buddhism in Modern China 60
19. Some Characteristics of Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism 64
20. Between the Tibetan Plateau and Residential Shanghai 67
21. A Layered Community Modality 69
22. Practice and Orthopraxy 71
23. The Birth of The Living Hall Model 78
24. Regulations and Discourse on Religion in the Xi Jinping Era 81
25. Commodification, Enchantment, and Material Culture 85
26. Between Religious Commodities and Cultural Elements 91
27. Conclusion 97
28. CHAPTER THREE The COVID-19 Pandemic—Resilience and Adaptation
29. Introduction 99
30. Practice and Community During the Pandemic—The Pure Light Valley Retreat 103
31. COVID‑19‑related Ritual Economy 109
32. The New Normal or the Old Normal Accelerated? 112
33. Religious Tourism in Tibet 115
34. Conclusion: Resilience, Adaptation, and Permanent Liminality 122
35. CHAPTER FOUR The Rise of a New Urban China—Shenzhen and Hongfa Temple
36. Introduction 125
37. Urbanization and Shenzhen 127
38. The Spatiality of Buddhism in Shenzhen 127
39. Hongfa Temple—an Institutionalized Space for Lay Buddhism 129
40. Modern Orthopraxy—Accelerated Merit Economy 132
41. Lay Practices—Bottom Up or Top Down? 142
42. Conclusion—Clean Worship? 144
43. CHAPTER FIVE The Rise of Urban China—Zooming into an Urban Village in Shenzhen
44. Urban Villages in Shenzhen 151
45. Arriving in Wutong 153
46. Wutong—an Art Village 154
47. Grassroot Buddhist Groups in Wutong 158
48. Ms. Li’s Fermented Lemons 160
49. The Ru Family Tea–Guesthouse – Expanding the Space of Practice 167
50. Nun Niangu’s Buddhist Center 172
51. Between Religion and Culture 174
52. Conclusion—Liminoid and the Future of Buddhism in Wutong 178
53. CHAPTER SIX Cyberspace and Technology—Micro-Practices of Belonging
54. Introduction: The Digital Turn of Religion in Asia and Beyond 181
55. The Context of the PRC 183
56. Regulations Regarding Religion on the Internet 186
57. The Digital Turn and Liminality 188
58. The Little Things—Recitation as Ritual Technology 190
59. Count Your Prayers! Together 193
60. Cybersanghas 194
61. Embedding in The Little Red Book 200
62. “Inspire Lives” 201
63. Esthetics, Symbols, and Performativity 203
64. Visuals and Stories 204
65. Micro-Practices of Belonging 211
66. Tea Drinking Going “Viral”—Tea Practices and Symbolism Replicated 215
67. The Online Presence of Tea Rooms 218
68. Impact of Measures and Regulations—2017–2022 221
69. Conclusion 225
70. CHAPTER SEVEN Buddhist Material Culture—Tea and Buddhist Communities in Taiwan
71. Introduction 227
72. The Material Turn 228
73. Modern Buddhism in Taiwan 229
74. Taiwan and China 231
75. Tea and the “Four Great Mountains” of Taiwan 232
76. Tzu Chi’s “Four Jing” Tea 234
77. Buddhist Practice in the Shanwaishan Organic Tea Farm—Setting 241
78. Community Structure 246
79. Combining Scripture Reading in the Daily Farm Routine 247
80. Tea as More Than a Material 251
81. The Practice of Tea—From the Ground Up 255
82. Lay Agency and Skillful Means 257
83. Conclusion—Between Science and Supernatural Power 259
84. Conclusion—Multiple Liminalities
85. Destabilization of Religious Structures 264
86. Cyberspace as a Locus for Lay Buddhism 265
87. Commodification, Commercialization, Materialization 267
88. Multiple Liminalities—Beyond Positive and Negative 269
89. Bibliography 275
90. Index 293