Entering the Mountains and Forests

Abstract

Ch’an/Zen and the Thai Forest Tradition are revivalist Buddhist movements in their shared self-understanding as claimants to the Buddha’s original intention. The central project of both movements is defined as a pragmatic-soteriological quest for liberation/awakening and is posited as a key disposition in generating unanticipated cross-school similarities. The value of a social movement paradigm is argued for as required for understanding a voluntary loosely organized action system in tension with normative institutions. The self-presentations and imaginings of the schools will be the primary focus over structural, organizational, and historical evidence. The research data is drawn from multiple sources, primary written/audio materials, secondary anthropological/historical studies, and participant observation field study, including open-ended interviews. A brief preview of forthcoming chapters is presented.