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Communication Dans Un Congrès Année : 2023

Dynamics of cultural innovation in the Buddhist Monasteries of Ladakh

Résumé

In this paper I present and examine dynamics of cultural and religious innovation implemented by the main Buddhist monasteries of Ladakh. With a focus on Hemis Monastery, I explore new practices that have emerged in response to major challenges met in the historical past and parallels with the 21st century challenges of globalization, urbanization, and cultural transformation. Historically, the royal monastery of Hemis and its founder, Taktsang Repa (1574-1651) have spearheaded a series of religious practices for the communities of Ladakh, such as the collective Mani recitations and the development of non-monastic centres of advanced practice. Furthermore, while Hemis was closely associated with Tibetan monasteries and Tibetan Buddhist masters, the association with Tibet was drastically challenged by the “Mongol War” (sog po’i dmag, 1679-1684), as from the end of the seventieth century, connections with the new Tibetan State of the Ganden Phodrang were heavily constrained. However, the religious and political leaders of the kingdom of Ladakh resorted to various strategies that not only allowed Hemis to adapt, but also to develop as a powerhouse for the Buddhist practice of the entire Ladakhi community. One of the most successful development was enhanced networking with Bhutan. Another innovation was the creation of the Hemis Festival and other religious festivals at Hemis and its brother monastery Chemrey, revitalizing the Buddhist culture of Ladakh. Parallels can be studied with the innovations implemented at Hemis in the first decades of the twenty-first century and underway. These include international networking –with Bhutan in particular, but also beyond—, the creation and development of the grand Naropa Festival, and the new collective practice of Senge Tsewa, for which thousands of lay and monastic Ladakhis congregate every month.
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Dates et versions

hal-04571442 , version 1 (07-05-2024)

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  • HAL Id : hal-04571442 , version 1

Citer

Estelle Atlan. Dynamics of cultural innovation in the Buddhist Monasteries of Ladakh. 20th Conference of the International Association for Ladakh Studies (IALS), Universität Heidelberg - Südasien-Institut (SAI), 2023, Heidelberg (Germany), Germany. ⟨hal-04571442⟩
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