Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Buddhist Rituals of Death and Rebirth: Contemporary Sri Lankan Practice and Its Origins

Buddhist Rituals of Death and Rebirth: Contemporary Sri Lankan Practice and Its Origins

Langer, Rita

Paperback

Series: Routledge Critical Studies in Buddhism

BuddhismGeneral Eastern ReligionsGeneral Racism & Ethnic Studies

ISBN10: 041554470X
ISBN13: 9780415544702
Publisher: Routledge
Published: Apr 29 2009
Pages: 256
Weight: 0.80
Height: 0.54 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English

In Buddhist thought and practice, death has always been a central concept. This book provides a careful and thorough analysis of the rituals and social customs surrounding death in the Theravada tradition of Sri Lanka.

Rita Langer describes the rituals of death and rebirth and investigates their ancient origins, analyzing social issues of the relationship between monks and lay people in this context. This aspect is of particular interest as death rituals are the only life cycle ritual in which Theravada Buddhist monks are actively involved. Drawing on early Vedic sutras and Pali texts as well as archaeological and epigraphical material, Buddhist Rituals of Death and Rebirth establishes that Sri Lankan rituals are deeply rooted in their pre-Buddhist, Vedic precursors. Whilst beliefs and doctrines have undergone considerable changes over the centuries, it becomes evident that the underlying practices have largely remained stable.

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