Our Virtual Materials

One morning in the fall of 2011, in the virtual world of Second Life (SL), my avatar sits on a green meditation cushion. A virtual world is an online environment in which avatars or simulations of operators can move through a crafted landscape in cyber space. ¹ Second Life is a particular virtual environment in which the content is largely created by its in-world denizens, ² who themselves establish virtual spaces, relationships, and economies. Therefore, in Second Life, the Buddhist landscapes, monasteries, and stupas have been created, crafted, and “offered” by the Second Life citizens themselves. I did my research in Second Life primarily in a site called the Buddha Center, which is a non-denominational Buddhist simulation that specializes in meditation sessions and dharma talks (lessons about Buddhist religious texts and practices).