Download or read book Myanmar Burma since the 1988 Uprising written by Andrew Selth and published by ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. This book was released on 2022-01-24 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Updated by popular demand, this is the fourth edition of this important bibliography. It lists a wide selection of works on or about Myanmar published in English and in hard copy since the 1988 pro-democracy uprising, which marked the beginning of a new era in Myanmar’s modern history. There are now 2,727 titles listed. They have been written, edited, translated or compiled by over 2,000 people, from many different backgrounds. These works have been organized into thirty-five subject chapters containing ninety-five discrete sections. There are also four appendices, including a comprehensive reading guide for those unfamiliar with Myanmar or who may be seeking guidance on particular topics. This book is an invaluable aid to officials, scholars, journalists, armchair travellers and others with an interest in this fascinating but deeply troubled country.
Download or read book The Prima Materia of Myanmar Buddhist Culture written by Shwe Lu Maung and published by Khan Publications. This book was released on 2016-01 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The prima materia of Myanmar Buddhist Culture Laukathara of Rakhine thu Mrat ISBN 10: 1-928840-15-9 ISBN 13: 978-1-928840-15-2 Library of Congress Control Number: 2015956223 Overview In 1990, Senior General Saw Maung, the Myanmar military ruler, announced that he would rule the country according to Laukathara. In the recent days, since 2007, the world is seeing the rise of "Buddhist nationalism" with the symptoms of racial and religious intolerance and violence in Myanmar. Lauka-thara, in its poetic verses, teaches how to be a Buddhist, how to build a Buddhist society, and how to be a Buddhist king. Accordingly, the prima materia that forms the cultural fabrics of Myanmar Buddhist nationalism can be found in Laukathara. Hence, understanding of Laukathara means the understanding of Myanmar culture and society, including her political fabrics. Objectives of the translation There are two objectives in my endeavor of translating Laukathara into English. The first objective is: To present the international community with a piece of Myanmar classic cultural philosophy which has a significant political bearing. The second objective is: To give a glimpse of a Myanmar classic literature to the world and especially to the Myanmar diaspora who may not have the opportunity of learning Myanmar language and literature. Culture and literature Lauka-thara teaches how to be a Buddhist, how to build a Buddhist society, and how to be a Buddhist king. In its poetic verses, Lauka-thara illustrates the fabrics of Myanmar Buddhist culture with bright and colorful words. From learning Laukathara, one can also gain mastery of Myanmar literature. Laukathara or 'Essence of the World' is based on the Theravada Buddhism. Hence, the Theravada Buddhism or 'Elder's Doctrine' is the prima materia of the teaching. Therefore, a student of Laukathara will also be rewarded with proficiency in Buddhist teaching and in the way it is practiced day-to-day. Author and history Laukathara is a manual written in verses in 1333 CE by a Rakhine Buddhist Bikkhu, known as Rakhine Thu Mrat or Rakhine Holy Man, to teach his students. It was a summary of his teachings. He was the teacher of King Mun Hti (r.1279-1385 CE, Laung Krut Dynasty). Culture and Politics Laukathara has been in use as a guiding source of law and order, rules and regulations, ethics and philosophy, and traditions and cultures in the society as well as in the royal administration of Myanmar since the days of Rakhine King Mun Hti (r.1279-1385 CE, Laung Krut Dynasty) and King Sao Swa Ke (r.1367-1404 CE) of Ava. Thus, it has been the heart of Myanmar culture for more than 700 years. It has three parts. Part 1 is the advice to the people at large or the commoners. Part 2 is addressed to the king and the royals and Part 3 to the Ponna or the intellectuals of the Vedic culture and science, including the medicine. The advice given to the king in Part 2 is comparable to The Prince of Niccolo Machiavelli (1498-1527 CE), in view of the government mechanism.
Download or read book Reflections on Myanmar written by Reshmi Banerjee and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-02-17 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Myanmar is known for its engaging history, rich cultural heritage, and diverse ethnic communities. Its tumultuous political past has been discussed by academics and policy makers for decades; however, the land of the Shwedagon cannot only be defined by conflict and contestation. Myanmar is complex and multi-layered with innumerable issues shaping its identity and manifold interpretations creating its distinctiveness. A deeper comprehension of its past glory with thoughtful deliberation on its socio-economic challenges helps to understand the country better. This book fills this gap by focusing on four broad themes––reminiscence, restoration, re-evaluation, and resurrection. It studies interconnected issues ranging from nostalgia and belonging to Myanmar’s contribution to art and heritage (through its museums, cinema, folk traditions); from the problems of landlessness, resource dispossession, and climate change to the experience of marginalized groups. The author weaves these themes into a common narrative of discovering Myanmar through a holistic lens. The book aims to explore the country through its history, culture, communities, and challenges. A unique contribution, the book highlights the myriad facets of Myanmar by contemplating on its inherent strengths and visible weaknesses. It would be indispensable for scholars and researchers of Southeast Asian studies, Asian studies, area studies, Myanmar studies, political studies, cultural studies, and sociology.
Download or read book The Mists of R ma a written by Michael A. Aung-Thwin and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2017-04-01 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scholars have long accepted the belief that a Theravada Buddhist Mon kingdom, Rāmaññadesa, flourished in coastal Lower Burma until it was conquered in 1057 by King Aniruddha of Pagan—which then became, in essence, the new custodian and repository of Mon culture in the Upper Burmese interior. This scenario, which Aung-Thwin calls the "Mon Paradigm," has circumscribed much of the scholarship on early Burma and significantly shaped the history of Southeast Asia for more than a century. Now, in a masterful reassessment of Burmese history, Michael Aung-Thwin reexamines the original contemporary accounts and sources without finding any evidence of an early Theravada Mon polity or a conquest by Aniruddha. The paradigm, he finds, cannot be sustained. How, when, and why did the Mon Paradigm emerge? Aung-Thwin meticulously traces the paradigm's creation to the merging of two temporally, causally, and contextually unrelated Mon and Burmese narratives, which were later synthesized in English by colonial officials and scholars. Thus there was no single originating source, only a late and mistaken conflation of sources. The conceptual, methodological, and empirical ramifications of these findings are significant. The prevalent view that state-formation began in the maritime regions of Southeast Asia with trade and commerce rather than in the interior with agriculture must now be reassessed. In addition, a more rigorous look at the actual scope and impact of a romanticized Mon culture in the region is required. Other issues important to the field of early Burma and Southeast Asian studies, including the process of "Indianization," the characterization of "classical" states, and the advent and spread of Theravada Buddhism, are also directly affected by Aung-Thwin’s work. Finally, it provides a geo-political, cultural, and economic alternative to what has become an ethnic interpretation of Burma’s history. An electronic version of this book is freely available thanks to the support of libraries working with Knowledge Unlatched, a collaborative initiative designed to make high-quality books open access for the public good. The open-access version of this book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which means that the work may be freely downloaded and shared for non-commercial purposes, provided credit is given to the author. Derivative works and commercial uses require permission from the publisher.
Download or read book If You Meet the Buddha on the Road written by Michael Jerryson and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018-03-27 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is said that the famous ninth century Chinese Buddhist monk Linji Yixuan told his disciples, "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him." The deliberately confounding statement is meant to shock people out of complacent ways of thinking. But beyond the purposeful jolt from complacency there is another intention. This axiom suggests that, for liberation, one should seek the Buddha nature that resides within, rather than a mere Buddha exterior. The metaphor of killing the Buddha dislodges a person from the illusion that enlightenment lies outside the body. The proclamation also highlights the power of violence, even on a symbolic level. Violence abounds in Buddhist thoughts, doctrine, and actions, however unacknowledged or misunderstood. If You Meet the Buddha on the Road addresses an important absence in the study of religion and violence: the religious treatment of violence. In order to pursue an understanding of the relationship between Buddhism and violence, it is important to first consider how Buddhist scriptures and followers understand violence. Drawing on Buddhist treatments of violence, Michael Jerryson explores the ways in which Buddhists invoke, support, or justify war, conflict, state violence, and gender discrimination. In addition, the book examines the ways in which Buddhists address violence as military chaplains, cope with violence in a conflict zone, and serve as witnesses of blasphemy to Buddhist doctrine and Buddha images.
Download or read book Buddhism and Law written by Rebecca Redwood French and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014-07-28 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume challenges the concept of Buddhism as an apolitical religion without implications for law.
Download or read book Myanmar written by Adam Simpson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-09-14 with total page 446 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a sophisticated, yet accessible, overview of the key political, economic and social challenges facing contemporary Myanmar and explains the complex historical and ethnic dynamics that have shaped the country. With clear and incisive contributions from the world’s leading Myanmar scholars, this book assesses the policies and political reforms that have provoked contestation in Myanmar’s recent history and driven both economic and social change. In this context, questions of economic ownership and control and the distribution of natural resources are shown to be deeply informed by long-standing fractures among ethnic and civil-military relations. The chapters analyse the key issues that constrain or expedite societal development in Myanmar and place recent events of national and international significance in the context of its complex history and social relations. In doing so, the book demonstrates that ethnic and cultural diversity is at the core of Myanmar’s society and heavily influences all aspects of life in the country. Filling a gap in the market, this research textbook and primer will be of interest to upper undergraduates, postgraduates and scholars of Southeast Asian politics, economics and society and to journalists and professionals working within governments, companies and other organisations.
Download or read book The Religious Landscape in Myanmar s Rakhine State written by Melyn McKay and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rakhine’s recent conflicts and humanitarian crises can be understood as an intersection of numerous grievances—many of which are not explicitly religious. Interethnic tensions, economic inequalities, and political drivers all contribute to violent conflict. To date, few influential religious leaders and religious social service networks have been engaged by aid, policymaking, and peacebuilding actors—whether national or international. This lack of engagement has sustained pervasive mistrust of the international community at all levels of Rakhine society. Key opportunities to build trust with the religious sector include engaging religious actors in consultations, needs assessments, and aid distributions and providing dispute resolution training to religious leaders across all communities. International nongovernmental organizations need to be sensitive to the concerns that religious actors and networks have about engaging with them on social issues. When engaging with religious actors in programming, it is essential to bear in mind that though religious figures and networks may be able to influence community perspectives and attitudes, they rarely have the power to enforce broad behavior change. Furthermore, ordination is not essential to religious influence in Rakhine (and in Myanmar more broadly). The elderly and members of local religious committees and networks, including women’s and youth groups, are regularly cited as sources of religious influence despite their being lay persons.
Download or read book Why I Am Not a Buddhist written by Evan Thompson and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2020-01-28 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A provocative essay challenging the idea of Buddhist exceptionalism, from one of the world's most widely respected philosophers and writers on Buddhism and science. Buddhism has become a uniquely favored religion in our modern age. A burgeoning number of books extol the scientifically proven benefits of meditation and mindfulness for everything ranging from business to romance. There are conferences, courses, and celebrities promoting the notion that Buddhism is spirituality for the rational; compatible with cutting-edge science; indeed, "a science of the mind." In this provocative book, Evan Thompson argues that this representation of Buddhism is false. In lucid and entertaining prose, Thompson dives deep into both Western and Buddhist philosophy to explain how the goals of science and religion are fundamentally different. Efforts to seek their unification are wrongheaded and promote mistaken ideas of both. He suggests cosmopolitanism instead, a worldview with deep roots in both Eastern and Western traditions. Smart, sympathetic, and intellectually ambitious, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in Buddhism's place in our world today."--Provided by publisher.
Download or read book The Art of Not Being Governed written by James C. Scott and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2009-01-01 with total page 465 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the acclaimed author and scholar James C. Scott, the compelling tale of Asian peoples who until recently have stemmed the vast tide of state-making to live at arm’s length from any organized state society For two thousand years the disparate groups that now reside in Zomia (a mountainous region the size of Europe that consists of portions of seven Asian countries) have fled the projects of the organized state societies that surround them—slavery, conscription, taxes, corvée labor, epidemics, and warfare. This book, essentially an “anarchist history,” is the first-ever examination of the huge literature on state-making whose author evaluates why people would deliberately and reactively remain stateless. Among the strategies employed by the people of Zomia to remain stateless are physical dispersion in rugged terrain; agricultural practices that enhance mobility; pliable ethnic identities; devotion to prophetic, millenarian leaders; and maintenance of a largely oral culture that allows them to reinvent their histories and genealogies as they move between and around states. In accessible language, James Scott, recognized worldwide as an eminent authority in Southeast Asian, peasant, and agrarian studies, tells the story of the peoples of Zomia and their unlikely odyssey in search of self-determination. He redefines our views on Asian politics, history, demographics, and even our fundamental ideas about what constitutes civilization, and challenges us with a radically different approach to history that presents events from the perspective of stateless peoples and redefines state-making as a form of “internal colonialism.” This new perspective requires a radical reevaluation of the civilizational narratives of the lowland states. Scott’s work on Zomia represents a new way to think of area studies that will be applicable to other runaway, fugitive, and marooned communities, be they Gypsies, Cossacks, tribes fleeing slave raiders, Marsh Arabs, or San-Bushmen.
Download or read book Buddhist Hermeneutics written by Donald S. Lopez and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 1992-01-01 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Buddhist Approaches to Human Rights written by Carmen Meinert and published by Transcript Publishing. This book was released on 2010 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The demonstrations of monks in Tibet and Myanmar (Burma) in recent times as well as the age-old conflict between a predominantly Buddhist population and a Hindu minority in Sri Lanka raise the question of how the issues of human rights and Buddhism are related. The question applies both to the violation of basic rights in Buddhist countries and to the defence of those rights which are well-grounded in Buddhist teachings. The volume provides academic essays that reflect this up to now rather neglected issue from the point of view of the three main Buddhist traditions, Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana. It provides multi-faceted and surprising insights into a rather unlikely relationship.
Download or read book When China Rules the World written by Martin Jacques and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2009-11-12 with total page 631 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Greatly revised and expanded, with a new afterword, this update to Martin Jacques’s global bestseller is an essential guide to understanding a world increasingly shaped by Chinese power Soon, China will rule the world. But in doing so, it will not become more Western. Since the first publication of When China Rules the World, the landscape of world power has shifted dramatically. In the three years since the first edition was published, When China Rules the World has proved to be a remarkably prescient book, transforming the nature of the debate on China. Now, in this greatly expanded and fully updated edition, boasting nearly 300 pages of new material, and backed up by the latest statistical data, Martin Jacques renews his assault on conventional thinking about China’s ascendancy, showing how its impact will be as much political and cultural as economic, changing the world as we know it. First published in 2009 to widespread critical acclaim - and controversy - When China Rules the World: The End of the Western World and the Birth of a New Global Order has sold a quarter of a million copies, been translated into eleven languages, nominated for two major literary awards, and is the subject of an immensely popular TED talk.
Download or read book Engaging Buddhism written by Jay L. Garfield and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2015 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Articulating the basic metaphysical framework common to Buddhist traditions, this book explores questions in metaphysics, the philosophy of mind, phenomenology, epistemology, the philosophy of language, and ethics as they are addressed in a variety of Asian Buddhist traditions. Focusing on philosophical problems, in each case the connections between Buddhist and contemporary Western debates are examined, as are the distinctive contributions the Buddhist tradition can make to Western discussions.
Download or read book The Restoration of Borobudur written by Unesco and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This publication traces the history and restoration of Chandi Borobudur, a Buddhist temple built over 1,000 years ago on the island of Java, Indonesia which was successfully restored during 1973-1983 and listed as a World Heritage Site in 1991. It covers the various aspects of the process, including the long and painstaking task of logging the position of the stones, the studies that revealed the underlying sources of decay, and the important archaeological finds that provided clues to the temple's spiritual past; and includes many of the original drawings and photographs taken from the restoration project archives.
Download or read book World Report 2019 written by Human Rights Watch and published by Seven Stories Press. This book was released on 2019-02-05 with total page 847 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The best country-by-country assessment of human rights. The human rights records of more than ninety countries and territories are put into perspective in Human Rights Watch's signature yearly report. Reflecting extensive investigative work undertaken by Human Rights Watch staff, in close partnership with domestic human rights activists, the annual World Report is an invaluable resource for journalists, diplomats, and citizens, and is a must-read for anyone interested in the fight to protect human rights in every corner of the globe.
Download or read book Land Rights of the Indigenous Peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Bangladesh written by Rajkumari Chandra Kalindi Roy and published by IWGIA. This book was released on 2000 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Little is know about the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh (CHT), an area of approximately 5,089 square miles in southeastern Bangladesh. It is inhabited by indigenous peoples, including the Bawm, Sak, Chakma, Khumi Khyang, Marma, Mru, Lushai, Uchay (also called Mrung, Brong, Hill Tripura), Pankho, Tanchangya and Tripura (Tipra), numbering over half a million. Originally inhabited exclusively by indigenous peoples, the Hill Tracts has been impacted by national projects and programs with dire consequences. This book describes the struggle of the indigenous peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts region to regain control over their ancestral land and resource rights. From sovereign nations to the limited autonomy of today, the report details the legal basis of the land rights of the indigenous peoples and the different tools employed by successive administrations to exploit their resources and divest them of their ancestral lands and territories. The book argues that development programs need to be implemented in a culturally appropriate manner to be truly sustainable, and with the consent and participation of the peoples concerned. Otherwise, they only serve to push an already vulnerable people into greater impoverishment and hardship. The devastation wrought by large-scale dams and forestry policies cloaked as development programs is succinctly described in this report, as is the population transfer and militarization. The interaction of all these factors in the process of assimilation and integration is the background for this book, analyzed within the perspective of indigenous and national law, and complemented by international legal approaches. The book concludes with an updateon the developments since the signing of the Peace Accord between the Government of Bangladesh and the Jana Sanghati Samiti (JSS) on December 2, 1997.
