Buddhist Third Places
A Note on the Sattal Structure in Nepal and Dharmasālā in Cambodia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 16901741 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Pisith San (0000-0003-3513-5100, Tallinn University of Technology, corresponding author), Shobhit Shakya (0000-0001-6799-2751, Tallinn University of Technology, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 478 |
| Publication date | 2025-04-08 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Religions (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/rel16040478 |
| OpenAlex | W4409280235 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 22 |
This article discusses key historical architectural structures in Cambodia and Nepal—the dharmasālā of King Jayavarman VII (c. 1122–1218 CE) and sattal (also known as sattra) structure from Licchavi-era Nepal (c. 450–750 CE). These structures have served a variety of purposes for their local communities in the past and continue to fulfill similar roles even today. In historical Asian cities, the central role of these structures, which were evidently influenced by Buddhism, highlights the importance that the community infrastructure had within Buddhism. Such infrastructure not only brought communities together but also served the needs of the saṅgha. Mentions of halls as “mote halls” are not rare within the Buddhist literature either, with mentions of great assembly halls, or santhāgāra, where the members of the community gathered to discuss matters of social and political interest. A notable hall described in the Jātaka is Mahosadha’s great hall from Māhā-ummagga-jataka. These halls, which are central in the concept of urban settlements and their authority within the Buddhist idea of governance, are a form of community-oriented “commons” infrastructures that can be looked at as “third places” that foster action and speech for public participation in governance. This, we propose, should be seen as a crucial element of Buddhist governance
Ancient history · Archaeology · Buddhism · Geography · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Cambodian History and Society · History · Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies
The Oxford Handbook of Material Culture Studies
Governing the Commons
Heritage Institutions and Digital Transformation
Status and Challenges of Reconstruction of Heritage Structures in Nepal After 2015 Gorkha, Nepal Earthquake
Two Medieval Nepalese Buildings
Religious Belief in a Buddhist Merchant Community, Nepal
Buddhist Backgrounds of the Burmese Revolution
The third place
Varṇas in Angkor and the Indian Caste System
Religious Land as Commons
The Sociology of Sociability
| Highly cited | No |
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