Reflections on Monastic Ethics, Social Reform, and the Public Sphere in Ladakh and the Indian Himalayas

 This speaker reflects on how Buddhist monasticism enters the public sphere in Ladakh, focusing on reform movements in the post‑Partition nation‑state. The contribution considers how monastic and lay reformers forged alliances to confront practices they identified as “social evils,” including animal sacrifice, alcohol consumption, and polyandry. These reform campaigns generated new discourses of normative Buddhism that often conflicted with vernacular traditions associated with local spirit practices, creating tensions between monastic authorities and lay ritual specialists such as oracles, astrologers, and tantric practitioners. The speaker further reflects on how Buddhist communities navigate the complexities of being Buddhist Indian citizens, negotiating religious identity, national belonging, and the rise of new public spheres shaped by media, state policy, and shifting communal expectations. Through these dynamics, the contribution highlights how monastic ethics become tools for social intervention, moral regulation, and the redefinition of Buddhist identity in contemporary India.