The Nexus of Migration and Buddhism - Methodological and Theoretical Reflections

Migration is conventionally attributed to human and animal agents, and less often used to describe the movement of traditions or religions. When is come to Buddhism in the Chinese sphere, similar expressions are used such as “spread” and “expansion”. Nevertheless, at our “age of migration” (de Haas, Castles & Miller 2020 ), one of the enduring features of religion worldwide is mobility, which is more often than not, inherently connected to the migration of living agents. Buddhism too, migrates, constantly.
Since the initial migration of Buddhism to Chinese soil almost two millennia ago, it has influenced, transformed, and shaped Chinese societies in various aspects of life. Different traditions, teachings, and communities within this world religion have also been shaped in their interaction with elements of Chinese culture and have therefore developed through adaptability and transformation (Zürcher 2007; Kieschnick 2006). Very broadly, Buddhism has had an immense impact on Chinese society and culture and is today one of the most dominant religions in the People’s Republic of China, a prominent religion and living tradition in Taiwan, as well a in other Chinese spheres such as Hongkong and Singapore.
In regard to Buddhism; Ideas, concepts, practices, prohibitions, and cosmologies circulate beyond cultural and political boundaries in ways ranging from intentional to spontaneous, which can be loosely referred to as “Diasporic Buddhisms” (Nelson 2016). Buddhist traditions are migrating through individual agents, transnational networks, institutions, and materials from and into Chinese spaces. These processes have diverse levels of impact on the creation of “trans-localized Chinese identities” (Toyota 2003), and also on the other non-Chinese agents and communities. Within the growing scholarly attention to the globalization of religious traditions, we witness more and more studies conducted on the various facets of this phenomenon. Accordingly, there is now also a necessity to problematize existing conventions, engage with challenges, and discuss new directions in the research on this multifaceted topic.
Treating Buddhism broadly and inclusively, and looking at Chinese societies in their multiplicity, this round table engages in a critical investigation of the migration of Buddhism within contemporary Chinese societies. By coming together and sharing different approaches the presenters in this session will reflect on the rich and complex Nexus of Migration and Buddhism. However, we do not strictly define a timeline for modern migration of Buddhism, since each topic and case study within this nexus entails not only temporal data and case studies, but also carries a wider historical baggage.
Furthermore, the roundtable is grounded in the assertion that the migration of Buddhism in the Chinese context is not one-dimensional nor one-directional. One stream of the Buddhism and migration nexus relates to the relocation and duplication of Buddhist agents, traditions and institutions to other areas of East Asia, Europe, and North America. Early Chinese Buddhist transnational and global networks can be traced back to the early modern period (Meng-tat Chia 2020; Pham 2015;) and have become more frequent in the twentieth century (See Pittman Citation2001; Turner, Cox, and Bocking 2013; Ritzinger 2016). Throughout the past decades Buddhist communities, institutions and linages originally based in China and Taiwan have increasingly established communities and institutions abroad, catering to both Chinese migrant and local populations in their new environments. These endeavors include the physical and spiritual establishment of religious spaces and communities and social and philanthropic endeavors (Huang 2005; Chandler 2005).
Another stream of the Buddhism and migration nexus is the introduction of Buddhist movements which can be demarcated as foreign or non-Chinese, into Chinese areas. This materializes for example in the spread and revival of Tibetan Buddhism in China and Taiwan (Tuttle 2005; Jagou 2018), in East Asian monks and nuns who travel to live and practice in Chinese and Taiwanese monasteries, and in East Asian Buddhist traditions establishing communities in Chinese cities.
Relating to the different facets of this nexus, our roundtable session aims to explore hands-on methodological tools and suggest relevant theoretical considerations that scholars are facing when doing research in the Nexus of Migration and Buddhism. The session will therefore focus on research practices, challenges in collecting data, positionality, data triangulation, and other particular demands related to research on communities, institutions, and agents of Buddhism in Chinese areas and overseas Chinese communities.
A second aim of this roundtable is to critically question normative definitions of migration and the manner this concept is pertinent to describing the modern migration of Buddhism in Chinese societies. Among other questions we aim to relate to, and open paths for discussion regarding the following: how does Buddhism migrate within the contemporary Chinese sphere? What are the routes and technologies of circulation in the migration of Buddhism into to and from Chinese societies? To what degree does the migration of Buddhism depend upon official agents and institutions? What is the role that Buddhism plays among Chinese migrant communities outside of Chinese spaces? Who is a Chinese Buddhist (overseas)? How does gender play a role in the overseas Buddhist life of nuns, monks, and lay people? What are the boundaries and delineation of spaces for Buddhism beyond Chinese soil? How does Buddhism inform overseas Chinese identities? Giving place to discussions around these questions, the roundtable will attempt to broadly pave a path for future theorizing about Buddhist transnational manifestations across diverse Chinese spheres.
To unpack these two aims, panelist 1 will challenge the Sinocentric perspective on the Sinosphere, emphasizing diverse sources of Buddhist transmission, by looking at the multi-directional flow of Buddhism between Vietnam, Taiwan, and beyond. “American Buddhism”, will be critically explored by panelist 2, by positioning lesser-known Asian Buddhists in its narrative, and evaluate how the border-crossing of Chinese monastics in understanding of ethnic and religious identities. Panelist 3 will explore the question of who counts as a Chinese Buddhist in a global context, while addressing questions of ethnicity, language, orthodoxy, and orthopraxy. Panelist 4 will further explore the challenges in developing theoretical frameworks for multi-site ethnographic studies. Attention will also be put to positionality, where panelist 5 will explore the dual role of both a Buddhist practitioner (insider) and a researcher (outsider). Exploring Chinese Buddhist institutions overseas and their multi-faceted structures, panelist 6 will stress paying attention in research to the convergence of the institutions’ goals such as for example: community building, migrant integration and soft power.
The scholars presenting in this session work in the intersection of sociology, anthropology and religious studies. Through a critical, timely and engaged manner we wish to collaboratively open a conversation about the Nexus of Migration and Buddhism, but also contribute methodological and theoretical insights to our respective disciplines more broadly.