Rite of Passage or Ethnic Festival?Shan Buddhist novice ordinations in northern Thailand

Author: Eberhardt, Nancy

Source: Contemporary Buddhism, Volume 10, Number 1, May 2009 , pp. 51-63(13)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

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Abstract:

Buddhist novice ordinations have long been an important focus of ritual activity in rural Shan communities. In recent years, large numbers of Shan have been moving into urban areas of northern Thailand, notably the city of Chiang Mai. Many of these are cross-border migrants fleeing unstable conditions in Burma. Others are long-term residents of Thailand's rural border provinces pursuing educational and economic opportunities. With the new concentrations of Shan in Chiang Mai, novice ordinations are becoming an important annual event in the city, but their structure and format deviate from the older rural form in critical ways. This article describes some of the key differences in these ordination rituals as well as the larger context of shifting ethnic relationships that make these changes significant.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1080/14639940902968913

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