Kengo KONISHI - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Kengo KONISHI
Nihon Bunka Jinrui Gakkai Kenkyu Taikai happyo yoshishu, 2011
Nihon Bunka Jinrui Gakkai Kenkyu Taikai happyo yoshishu, 2008
This paper clarifies how the Bonpos maintain their traditions in the contemporary context through... more This paper clarifies how the Bonpos maintain their traditions in the contemporary context through anthropological field research in Amdo Shar-khog (Shar khog). It concerns what tradition really means for them, and using the practice of Sngon 'gro as an example, we discuss that transcending their own local history and the lama-disciple relationship is one of the essential aspects of maintaining their tradition in the local context. Many scholars, including both Western Tibetologists and Tibetan scholars, have tried to clarify the actual meaning of Bon and its position among the vast Tibetan religious culture. As Kvaerne (1985: 9-10) indicated, the word Bon has had at least three meanings: 1) "ancient Bon," which includes various rituals and worships before the spread of Buddhism, 2) "yungdrung (G.yung drung) Bon," which gradually systematized their doctrine and monastic system, which was believed to be historically connected with ancient Bon, and 3) "nameless religion," as mentioned by Stein (1993), which includes various non-systematized ritual traditions from around the Himalayan region. These meanings cannot be clearly divided or placed in straightforward historical order. From the viewpoint of Tibetan Buddhist history, contemporary Bonpo tradition has been constructed through the constant influence of Buddhism, for example, Bon's three phases of transformation: Rdol-bon, 'Khyar-bon, and Bsgyur-bon. However, as Snellgrove (2010: 1-2) emphasized, the distinction between "old" Bon and "systematized" Bon (e.g., Hoffman 1961) should not be simply paralleled with that between pre-Buddhist religion and Buddhist-influenced Bon; various elements have continuously interacted with one another to gradually form the vast complex of Tibetan religion. Shifting focus from doctrine to the practice of Bon in the contemporary world, the 219 Bonpos' identity has been broadly discussed. Bonpos are referred as religious minorities because of their small number and limited political presence compared with Buddhists among the Tibetan population. With the spread of Tibetans beyond the national borders in the last century, Bonpos needed to establish their own identity that would be compatible with the Tibetan identity connected with being Buddhist. In this process, based on both the knowledge brought by Tibetology and restored textual and oral knowledge, Bonpo intellectuals have defined Bon as the indigenous religion or tradition of Tibet (e.g., Cech 2008; Tsering Thar 2006). Although this definition involves some problem of the actual origin of Bon, which concerns the transmission of knowledge from outside Tibet such as 'Ol mo lung ring, it has become one of the important Bonpo identity markers in contemporary Tibetan society. This paper tries to clarify what Bonpos in Amdo transmit and preserve through religious practice in the recent socioeconomic context of western China. Bonpos have experienced the age of destruction and the restoration of their religion in the last 60 years, and under rapid economic development, they are seeking the way to maintain their own traditions. In this paper, we define "tradition" not only as the transmission of religious knowledge by professionals but as what monks and laypeople together consider valuable and intend to continue. 1 Focusing on the level of actual religious practice by laypeople and monks in a local community, this paper tries to approach the aspect of religious value shared among them, which is also an essential element of their living as Bonpos. 2. Bonpo in Shar-khog in the age of reform and opening 2.1 Shar-khog and Bon Shar-khog corresponds to the northern part of Songpan (Zung chu) County in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. As shown in the map, it is situated in the mountainous area of Sichuan Province. The population of Songpan County is 74,213, which includes 32,286 Tibetans (Aba zhou difanzhi bianweihui 2011: 404). Villages in Shar-khog are situated in the wide valley of the Minjiang River and mostly consist of Tibetan residents called Shar-ba (Shar ba). This area is historically a borderland between the residences of the Han people and Tibetans. Several villages made federations called sho khag, which were governed). Northern Studies Association Bulletin 13: 4-12.
Memoirs of the Research Department of the Toyo Bunko, 2017
This paper examines the social aspect of Tibetan Bon religion in contemporary Tibetan society on ... more This paper examines the social aspect of Tibetan Bon religion in contemporary Tibetan society on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. 1) Bon (Bön) has been generally regarded as a religion with an origin that predated the introduction of Buddhism into Tibet in the seventh century. Academic studies of Bon have rapidly developed since the mid-20 th century and reveal that Bon is not simply a "primitive religion," as believed by some early Western scholars, but rather a rich tradition that supports Tibetan basic culture. Kvaerne (2000: 7) pointed out that the study of Bon in the West has attempted to clarify the relationship among the following forms: (1) early, pre-Buddhist Bon and present Bon, (2) present Bon as a religious school and Tibetan Buddhism, (3) Bon in either sense of the word and as a popular, non-monastic religion. In this context, present Bon, or Yungdrung Bon (g.yung drung bon), refers to the systematized religion with a monastic system and doctrine that developed after the 11 th century because of its close interactions with Buddhism. When the term "Bon" is used in this paper, it refers to this tradition. 2) Materials analyzed in this paper were gathered through anthropological field research in the Shar-khog (shar khog) District over the course of 18 months from 2006 to 2013. Specific research on the annual ritual of the monastery was conducted from 2007 to 2009. Shar-khog is in the northern part of Songpan (Zung chu or Zing chu) County in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, in a mountainous area of Sichuan Province. The population of Songpan County was 76,233, which includes 33,598 Tibetans in 2015 (Aba zhou difanzhi bianweihui 2016: 341). Villages in Shar-khog are situated in the wide valley of the Minjiang River and mostly consist of Tibetan residents called Sharba (shar ba).
Nihon Bunka Jinrui Gakkai Kenkyu Taikai happyo yoshishu, 2011
Nihon Bunka Jinrui Gakkai Kenkyu Taikai happyo yoshishu, 2008
This paper clarifies how the Bonpos maintain their traditions in the contemporary context through... more This paper clarifies how the Bonpos maintain their traditions in the contemporary context through anthropological field research in Amdo Shar-khog (Shar khog). It concerns what tradition really means for them, and using the practice of Sngon 'gro as an example, we discuss that transcending their own local history and the lama-disciple relationship is one of the essential aspects of maintaining their tradition in the local context. Many scholars, including both Western Tibetologists and Tibetan scholars, have tried to clarify the actual meaning of Bon and its position among the vast Tibetan religious culture. As Kvaerne (1985: 9-10) indicated, the word Bon has had at least three meanings: 1) "ancient Bon," which includes various rituals and worships before the spread of Buddhism, 2) "yungdrung (G.yung drung) Bon," which gradually systematized their doctrine and monastic system, which was believed to be historically connected with ancient Bon, and 3) "nameless religion," as mentioned by Stein (1993), which includes various non-systematized ritual traditions from around the Himalayan region. These meanings cannot be clearly divided or placed in straightforward historical order. From the viewpoint of Tibetan Buddhist history, contemporary Bonpo tradition has been constructed through the constant influence of Buddhism, for example, Bon's three phases of transformation: Rdol-bon, 'Khyar-bon, and Bsgyur-bon. However, as Snellgrove (2010: 1-2) emphasized, the distinction between "old" Bon and "systematized" Bon (e.g., Hoffman 1961) should not be simply paralleled with that between pre-Buddhist religion and Buddhist-influenced Bon; various elements have continuously interacted with one another to gradually form the vast complex of Tibetan religion. Shifting focus from doctrine to the practice of Bon in the contemporary world, the 219 Bonpos' identity has been broadly discussed. Bonpos are referred as religious minorities because of their small number and limited political presence compared with Buddhists among the Tibetan population. With the spread of Tibetans beyond the national borders in the last century, Bonpos needed to establish their own identity that would be compatible with the Tibetan identity connected with being Buddhist. In this process, based on both the knowledge brought by Tibetology and restored textual and oral knowledge, Bonpo intellectuals have defined Bon as the indigenous religion or tradition of Tibet (e.g., Cech 2008; Tsering Thar 2006). Although this definition involves some problem of the actual origin of Bon, which concerns the transmission of knowledge from outside Tibet such as 'Ol mo lung ring, it has become one of the important Bonpo identity markers in contemporary Tibetan society. This paper tries to clarify what Bonpos in Amdo transmit and preserve through religious practice in the recent socioeconomic context of western China. Bonpos have experienced the age of destruction and the restoration of their religion in the last 60 years, and under rapid economic development, they are seeking the way to maintain their own traditions. In this paper, we define "tradition" not only as the transmission of religious knowledge by professionals but as what monks and laypeople together consider valuable and intend to continue. 1 Focusing on the level of actual religious practice by laypeople and monks in a local community, this paper tries to approach the aspect of religious value shared among them, which is also an essential element of their living as Bonpos. 2. Bonpo in Shar-khog in the age of reform and opening 2.1 Shar-khog and Bon Shar-khog corresponds to the northern part of Songpan (Zung chu) County in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. As shown in the map, it is situated in the mountainous area of Sichuan Province. The population of Songpan County is 74,213, which includes 32,286 Tibetans (Aba zhou difanzhi bianweihui 2011: 404). Villages in Shar-khog are situated in the wide valley of the Minjiang River and mostly consist of Tibetan residents called Shar-ba (Shar ba). This area is historically a borderland between the residences of the Han people and Tibetans. Several villages made federations called sho khag, which were governed). Northern Studies Association Bulletin 13: 4-12.
Memoirs of the Research Department of the Toyo Bunko, 2017
This paper examines the social aspect of Tibetan Bon religion in contemporary Tibetan society on ... more This paper examines the social aspect of Tibetan Bon religion in contemporary Tibetan society on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. 1) Bon (Bön) has been generally regarded as a religion with an origin that predated the introduction of Buddhism into Tibet in the seventh century. Academic studies of Bon have rapidly developed since the mid-20 th century and reveal that Bon is not simply a "primitive religion," as believed by some early Western scholars, but rather a rich tradition that supports Tibetan basic culture. Kvaerne (2000: 7) pointed out that the study of Bon in the West has attempted to clarify the relationship among the following forms: (1) early, pre-Buddhist Bon and present Bon, (2) present Bon as a religious school and Tibetan Buddhism, (3) Bon in either sense of the word and as a popular, non-monastic religion. In this context, present Bon, or Yungdrung Bon (g.yung drung bon), refers to the systematized religion with a monastic system and doctrine that developed after the 11 th century because of its close interactions with Buddhism. When the term "Bon" is used in this paper, it refers to this tradition. 2) Materials analyzed in this paper were gathered through anthropological field research in the Shar-khog (shar khog) District over the course of 18 months from 2006 to 2013. Specific research on the annual ritual of the monastery was conducted from 2007 to 2009. Shar-khog is in the northern part of Songpan (Zung chu or Zing chu) County in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, in a mountainous area of Sichuan Province. The population of Songpan County was 76,233, which includes 33,598 Tibetans in 2015 (Aba zhou difanzhi bianweihui 2016: 341). Villages in Shar-khog are situated in the wide valley of the Minjiang River and mostly consist of Tibetan residents called Sharba (shar ba).