Exhibiting Buddhist Life Incarcerated: Japanese American National Museum’s Sutra and Bible

This presentation focuses on the exhibit, Sutra and Bible: Faith and the Japanese American World War II Incarceration (Japanese American National Museum/USC Shinso Ito Center of Japanese Religions and Culture), as an interesting case study in the larger conversation on Buddhism and museums. Unlike the more common experience of Buddhist objects presented in a museum setting, this exhibit featured objects and practices created by immigrants over time as their experiences in a new environment prompted them to evaluate their ritual and spiritual needs. Through an examination of key objects and display strategies, this presentation contributes to the broader conversation of how museums and exhibits featuring Buddhism expand the understanding of changing interpretations of Buddhism, and how these interpretations affect the beliefs and practices of Buddhism.