ABSTRACT
Heinz Bechert saw the origins of Buddhist modernism in 1870s Sri Lanka (Ceylon), when Buddhists began to challenge Christian missionaries to public debates. "Early Meetings with Modernity", presents case studies of various Buddhists figures who sought to come to terms with modernity in East Asian contexts (pre-war Japan, Republican China, colonial Korea), ranging from socialists to nationalists, and from lay intellectuals and monastic drop-outs to figures of authority within the Sangha. "Revivals and Neo-traditionalist Inventions", looks at two ex-communist regions where Buddhism is re-establishing itself (Kalmykia and Mongolia), and the related case of the recent invention of a modern ethnic religion in Sikkim. "Contemporary Sangha-state Relations", focuses on different instances of modern-day entanglements of Buddhism with the state. "Institutional Modernity", contains four case studies where modernity has put pressure on Buddhist institutions to adapt.
