Description

I explore the notion of moral power and focus on the qualities of some monks who have become the object of public worship in contemporary Myanmar. In order to understand the social implications of ‘power’ deeply engrained in its religious and political culture, I explore vernacular terms that pertain to notions of authority, power, and influence that are relevant in people’s social life. I also examine the ideal of an arahant that continues to be the focus for people’s devotional worship despite efforts made by the government to normalise the powers of monks.

Hiroko Kawanami is lecturer in Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religious Studies, Lancaster University, UK. She is fluent in Myanmar (Burmese) language and has conducted research in Myanmar for more than two decades. In 1986‐87, she lived as a Buddhist nun for 16 months, and has done extensive research on the position of Buddhist nuns, Buddhist monastic education and dissemination of knowledge, and the relationship between politics and religion in Southeast Asia. Presently she is conducting research on how international relief organisations have affected the Buddhist community in disaster affected areas.