Donna Lynn Brown
\nUniversity of Manitoba<\/p>\n
Western scholars have been calling expressions of Buddhism \u201cindividualistic\u201d\u2014or denying the charge\u2014since the 1800s. This article argues that \u201cindividualism\u201d and related terms are sometimes problematic when applied to Buddhism. Because they are associated with Western modernity, they contribute to hegemonic discourses about Asia and Buddhism, skew representations, and reinforce stereotypes. Because their referents have been many and varied\u2014including escaping caste and family, asociality, lay practice, and racism\u2014their use leads to imprecision, confusion, and lack of comparability among analyses. And because they have moral connotations, they can blend observation with valuation and polemic. The article examines selected scholarly works that maintain or deny that Buddhism is individualistic, highlights problems associated with the term, and concludes that, in many cases, more precise and less value-laden descriptors should be found.<\/p>\n
Read article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ISSN 1076-9005 Volume 28, 2021 Is Buddhism Individualistic? The Trouble with a Term Donna Lynn Brown University of Manitoba Western scholars have been calling expressions of Buddhism \u201cindividualistic\u201d\u2014or denying the charge\u2014since the 1800s. This article argues that \u201cindividualism\u201d and related terms are sometimes problematic when applied to Buddhism. Because they are associated with Western modernity, … Continue reading Is Buddhism Individualistic? The Trouble with a Term<\/span>