In traditional China, Buddhism was not a separate religious tradition or culture practiced in isolation from the rest of Chinese religious culture. This applied not only to people outside the monastic context, but also to people within that context. Even shamanic and medium practices could take place within a Buddhist context. Shamanic is here defined as spirit travel or communication whilst the practitioner stays him- or herself, whereas a medium would be possessed and temporarily become the other spiritual being. Finally, future research should look at the way in which these practices may have been influenced and/or partially replaced by other forms of contact with the divine or supernatural world, such as dreams and visions.
目次
Problems of Terminology 203 Shamans and Mediums 206 Seeing Ghosts and Speaking With Gods 212 Enlisting Seers Within Buddhist Culture 218 Alternative Forms of Communication 222 Concluding Comments 225
