Many Petals of the Lotus: Five Asian Buddhist Communities on Toronto

Janet McLellan

University of Toronto Press, 1999 - Religion - 264 pages

Toronto sustains a remarkable variety of distinct Buddhist communities. Over sixty Buddhist temples and associations represent a diversity of ethnic, national, and linguistic identities. Here, for the first time, is a rigorous, richly detailed, comparative examination of several groups within five Asian Buddhist communities: Japanese-Canadian, Tibetan, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Chinese.

With an intimate knowledge of her subject matter, McLellan documents each group's establishment in Canada, and the specific shape of that group's practice today. She examines how innovative forms of worship and ritual services developed from the group's confrontation with Canadian social attitudes, constraints, and policies, and how transplantation acts as a catalyst for alterations in gender roles for both Sangha (ordained clergy) and laity. Buddhism, in responding to unstable local, national, and global realities, plays a crucial role in maintaining and reinforcing ethnic identity, and in coping with the stress of emigration.

Shedding light on unfamiliar concepts and presenting a wealth of new information, Many Petals of the Lotus is an essential source book for professionals, and compelling reading for anyone interested in the changing face of Buddhism.

Contents

• Overview of Buddhist Groups in Toronto: 11
• Japanese Canadians and Toronto Buddhist Church: 35
• Tibetan Buddhists in Toronto: 74
• Vietnamese Buddhists in Toronto: 101
• Cambodian Buddhists in Toronto: 133
• Chinese Buddhists in Toronto: 159
• Conclusion: 190
• BUDDHIST GROUPS IN TORONTO 1998: 221
• REFERENCES: 237
• INDEX: 252

About the author

JANET MCLELLAN is a lecturer in the Department for the Study of Religion at the University of Toronto.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Many Petals of the Lotus: Five Asian Buddhist Communities on Toronto; G - Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects Series
• Author: Janet McLellan
• Publisher: University of Toronto Press, 1999
• ISBN: 0802082254, 9780802082251
• Length: 264 pages
• Subjects: History / Canada / General; Religion / Buddhism / General; Social Science / Ethnic Studies / General