Cover; Title Page; Copyright Page; Dedication; Table of Contents; List of figures; List of tables; Acknowledgments; Transliteration of Thai terms; 1 Imagining Buddhism; 2 Theravāda Buddhism and the history of modern vipassanā; 3 The field of international engagement with Thai meditation centers; 4 Narratives of international meditators' experiences; 5 Meditation for tourists in Thailand: commodifying a universal and national symbol; 6 Pedagogical techniques for translating vipassanā meditation; 7 Embodying meditation; 8 The future of Thailand's international meditation centers; Bibliography
Summary
This book explores contemporary practices within the new institution of international meditation centers in Thailand. It discusses the development of the lay vipassana meditation movement in Thailand and relates Thai Buddhism to contemporary processes of commodification and globalisation. Through an examination of how meditation centers are promoted internationally, the author considers how Thai Buddhism is translated for and embodied within international tourists who participate in meditation retreats in Thailand. Shedding new light on the decontextualization of religious practices, and raisi