Burma

Burma PDF

Author: Hla Pe

Publisher: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies

Published: 1985-12-01

Total Pages: 227

ISBN-13: 9789971988005

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This selection of lectures by Professor Hla Pe, who has published widely in the fields of Burmese language and literature, and cultural studies, provides an insight into Burmese literature, culture, beliefs and way of life through the author’s own personal life and career. The lectures are divided into six parts: On Literature, On Historiography, On Scholarship, On Language, On Life, and On Buddhism.

Burmese (Myanmar)

Burmese (Myanmar) PDF

Author: John Okell

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 2016-05-10

Total Pages: 455

ISBN-13: 1609092201

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The first volume in a four-part language course, this textbook enables students to start speaking and understanding the spoken language. In the early sections the focus is on familiarizing the learner with the unfamiliar sounds of the language and the structures of Burmese sentences. After this foundation the emphasis changes to acquiring the words and phrases needed for early encounters with Burmese speakers in Burma and elsewhere in the world. Numerous speaking exercises and practice dialogs feature travel topics such as asking for directions, taking taxis, and ordering food and drink, and common conversational topics such as introductions, family, and work. Because Burmese script can be challenging, Okell offers roman transcription alongside the Burmese script for Burmese material throughout the text. Like the other titles in this series, Book 1 is accompanied by audio files and can be used either under the instruction of a teacher or for self-study. The series was developed over a period of several years and was tested, modified, and expanded after use in the classroom. Language professors and their students or those learning Burmese on their own will appreciate the accessible approach and the manageable size of the lessons of the very practical textbooks in this series.

Spirit Possession in Buddhist Southeast Asia

Spirit Possession in Buddhist Southeast Asia PDF

Author: Bénédicte Brac de la Perrière

Publisher: NIAS Press

Published: 2022-03-31

Total Pages: 363

ISBN-13: 8776943097

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In dramatic contrast to the reported growing influence of doctrinal and fundamentalist forms of religion in some parts of Southeast Asia, the predominantly Buddhist societies of the region are witnessing an upsurge of spirit possession cults and diverse forms of magical ritual. This is found in many social strata, including the urban poor, rising middle classes and elite groups, and across the different political systems of Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. This volume reveals both the central historical place of spirit possession rituals in the Buddhist cultures of mainland Southeast Asia and their important contemporary roles to enhance prosperity and protection. This book examines the increasing prominence of spirit mediumship and divination across the region by exploring the interplay of neoliberal capitalism, visual media, the network cultures of the Internet, and the politics of cultural heritage and identity. It advances beyond critiques of the “secularization” and “disenchantment” theses to explore the processes of modernity that are actively producing magical worldviews and stimulating the rise of spirit cults. As such, it not only challenges the assumptions of modernization theory but demonstrates that the cults in question are novel ritual forms that emerge out of inherently modern conditions.

Burmese Administrative Cycles

Burmese Administrative Cycles PDF

Author: Victor B. Lieberman

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2014-07-14

Total Pages: 357

ISBN-13: 1400855853

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This book is the first detailed study of administration and politics in premodern Burma and one of the few works of its kind for mainland Southeast Asia. Originally published in 1984. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Champions of Buddhism

Champions of Buddhism PDF

Author: Kate Crosby

Publisher: NUS Press

Published: 2014-05-14

Total Pages: 294

ISBN-13: 9971697807

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Hidden at the margins of Burmese Buddhism and culture, the cults of the weikza shape Burmese culture by bringing together practices of supernatural power and a mission to protect Buddhism. This exciting new research on an often hidden aspect of Burmese religion places weikza in relation to the Vipassana insight meditation movement and conventional Buddhist practices, as well as the contemporary rise of Buddhist fundamentalism. Featuring research based on fieldwork only possible in recent years, paired with reflective essays by senior Buddhist studies scholars, this book situates the weikza cult in relation to broader Buddhist and Southeast Asian contexts, offering interpretations and investigations as rich and diverse as the Burmese expressions of the weikza cults themselves. Champions of Buddhism opens the field to new questions, new problems, and new connections with the study of religion and Southeast Asia in general.