Buddhist Storytelling in Thailand and Laos

The Vessantara Jataka Scroll at the Asian Civilisations Museum L. Lefferts, S. Cate and W. Tossa

Summary:

This richly illustrated, full-colour volume offers an innovative study of the long, painted scrolls of Northeast Thailand and Laos that depict the Prince Vessantara Buddhist birth story. Read More »

Caring for the Dead Ritually in Cambodia

Essay by John Holt

Buddhist conceptions of the after-life, and prescribed rites in relation to the dead,were modified adaptations of brahmanical patterns of religious culture in ancient India. In this article, I demonstrate how Buddhist conceptions, rites and dispositions have been sustained and transformed in a contemporary annual ritual of rising importance in Cambodia, pchum ben. Read More »