The Oxford Handbook of Buddhist Practice

This volume redefines Buddhist practice, exploring the significance of embodiment, ritual, and emotional engagement within diverse traditions, as seen in The Oxford Handbook of Buddhist Practice.

Popular portrayals of Buddhism often present it as a spiritual and disembodied practice, seemingly devoid of ritual significance. However, The Oxford Handbook of Buddhist Practice challenges this notion by emphasizing the importance of embodiment, materiality, emotion, and gender in how Buddhists engage with their traditions. The essays within this volume delve into the dynamic and contested nature of individual and group identities, moving beyond the simplistic categorization of Buddhism into static schools and traditions.

This collection serves as a corrective to the prevalent misconception that Buddhist practice is limited to seated meditation and that ritual activities lack importance. The authors explore the transformational aspects of practices that require participants to move, gesture, and express emotions in specific ways. Moreover, they reflect on how their own embodied experiences influence their research methodologies, highlighting the interconnectedness of practice and scholarship.

In The Oxford Handbook of Buddhist Practice, the role of the body is foregrounded, with a focus on how senses, gender, emotions, and material interactions shape religious experiences. The essays also showcase the variety of methods and theoretical frameworks utilized by scholars in the study of Buddhism, including fieldwork, textual analysis, and historical research. This volume ultimately poses an intriguing question: What defines a practice as Buddhist in the context of its fluid and diverse nature?