Presentation Transcript
Buddhism in Popular Culture http://www.quangduc.net/BoTatQuangDuc/25photo.html: Buddhism in Popular Culture http://www.quangduc.net/BoTatQuangDuc/25photo.html
Three Main Topics: Three Main Topics Brief History of Spread of Buddhism
Introduction of Buddhism to the United States
American-Buddhism; American Buddhism in Popular Culture
Early Spread of Buddhism: Early Spread of Buddhism Buddhism begins in India; Buddhists are currently less than 1% of the population
250 BCE King Ashoka spread Buddhism to Burma
Buddhism mixes with local/indigenous religions
Map
Buddhism Comes to US: Buddhism Comes to US 1893 World Parliament of Religions, in Chicago, introduction of American scholars to Buddhism and Buddhist scriptures
Is Buddhism a religion or ethics?
Among topics are the afterlife, heaven and hell, as well as moral precepts.
Buddhism appeals to Western philosophers who are looking beyond Christian Theology.
Slide6: Akira Kurosawa’s Cultural Influence Yojimbo-1961: Fist Full of Dollars, High Plains Drifter, Pale Rider
Character: Sanjuro Kuwabatake, ex-Samurai, detached killer
First character to be a religious outlaw
Slide7: Oriental Monk and the Western Outlaw is reconfigured in religious terms
the specifically religious tensions of the Western are emphasized
The outlaw provides vengeance or retributive justice without responsibility
Slide8: The Oriental Monk and Orientalism The stereotype “The Oriental Monk”- in Film Broken Blossoms or the Yellow Man and the Girl, 1919
“Orientalism”: a network of representations of countries and people of the East; instead of an unbiased portrayal, these representations betray interests and concerns of the West
Music Industry of 60’s and 70’s: Music Industry of 60’s and 70’s The Beatles and the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
“Nirvana” (90’s)
“The Tao of Physics”
The Karate Kid
Recap : Recap The cultural nihilism of Europe and the West, as well as imperialism and exploration created the conditions for the entry of new philosophies and religions.
Buddhism appealed to the intellectual trend of Western philosophy (and theology).
Buddhism in America: Buddhism in America How do we understand the proliferation of Buddhist images in popular culture?
Do these images conform to the local Buddhisms of Japan or China (or to traditional Buddhism)?
Is Orientalism at work in these cultural texts?