ABSTRACT
Buddhism, the Internet and Digital Media: The Pixel in the Lotus explores Buddhist practice and teachings in an increasingly networked and digital era. Contributors consider the ways Buddhism plays a role and is present in digital media through a variety of methods including concrete case studies, ethnographic research, and content analysis, as well as interviews with practitioners and cyber-communities. In addition to considering Buddhism in the context of technologies such as virtual worlds, social media, and mobile devices, authors ask how the Internet affects identity, authority and community, and what effect this might have on the development, proliferation, and perception of Buddhism in an online environment. Together, these essays make the case that studying contemporary online Buddhist practice can provide valuable insights into the shifting role religion plays in our constantly changing, mediated, hurried, and uncertain culture.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|55 pages
Methodological Considerations
chapter 2|17 pages
The Middle Way Method
chapter 3|18 pages
Between Network and Story
part II|37 pages
Historical Approaches
chapter 5|14 pages
Online Peer-Reviewed Journals in Buddhism
chapter 6|21 pages
A Virtual Bodhi Tree
part III|38 pages
Buddhism, Media, and Society
part IV|72 pages
Case Studies