The culture of giving in Myanmar : Buddhist offerings, reciprocity and interdependence

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Bibliographic Information

The culture of giving in Myanmar : Buddhist offerings, reciprocity and interdependence

Hiroko Kawanami

Bloomsbury Academic, 2020

  • : hb

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Note

Includes bibliographical references (p. [173]-179) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

How can people living in one of the poorest countries in the world be among the most charitable? In this book, Hiroko Kawanami examines the culture of giving in Myanmar, and explores the pivotal role that Buddhist monastic members occupy in creating a platform for civil society. Despite having at one time been listed as one of the poorest countries in the world in GNP terms, Myanmar has topped a global generosity list for the past four years with more than 90 percent of the population engaged in 'giving' activities. This book explores the close relationship that Buddhists share with the monastic community in Myanmar, extending observations of this relationship into an understanding of wider Buddhist cultures. It then examines how deeply the reciprocal transactions of giving and receiving in society - or interdependent living - are implicated in the Buddhist faith. The Culture of Giving in Myanmar fills a gap in research on Buddhist offerings in Myanmar, and is an important contribution to the growing field of Myanmar studies and anthropology of Buddhism.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1. Culture of Giving 2. Laity 3. Buddhist nuns 4. Buddhist monks 5. Donor groups Conclusion Bibliography Index

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