ABSTRACT

The division between Buddhist monastic practices and those of general Chinese public during these dynastic epochs reflected a wide gulf between monastic spiritualism and Chinese popular religiosity. It also reflected a spiritual distance between the two groups where the monastics of the Buddhist sangha remained cloistered in monastery and led a life that was far removed from the Chinese villagers. During the nineteenth century and the first half of twentieth century, Buddhist monks arrived in the Nanyang region and the port of Singapore to provide religious rituals and funerary needs to early migrants. With the growth of the Chinese community, a small group of Buddhist monks with training in traditional Chinese medicine also established benevolence halls and provided traditional Chinese medical services to the Chinese migrants. The religious orientation of sangha members is a crucial factor in determining the direction of individual Buddhist temples and organisations. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.