Domesticating Buddha

Making a Place for Japanese Buddhist Altars (Butsudan) in Western Homes

Bibliographic Data

ID4317810
AuthorsHannah Gould (0000-0003-4260-1085, The University of Melbourne, corresponding author)
Year2019
Volume15
Issue4
Pages488-510
Publication date2019-08-08
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMaterial Religion (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1743-2200 • E-ISSN: 1751-8342
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17432200.2019.1632107
OpenAlexW2960096826
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited22

This paper explores how white, Western followers of Japanese Buddhist schools (primarily Sōka Gakkai) practice Buddhism through acts of purchasing, decorating, and positioning altars (butsudan) in the space of their homes. Drawing on a pilot ethnographic study of altar practice, I detail the oft-overlooked dimension of becoming and being Buddhist that is material consumption. Western consumption of Buddhist popular culture is often critiqued as aesthetically driven and Orientalist. However, aesthetics, “Japanese-ness,” and ease of use are often not the only or primary concerns when crafting an altar. Rather, altar-making can be a continuous process involving significant deliberation, DIY, and compromise. By directing attention to the domestic religious sphere and the concrete artifacts via which Buddhism has crossed oceans, I show how making a place in the home for butsudan is tied up in the process of making Buddhism “at home.”

Aesthetics · Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Art history · Buddhism · Gautama Buddha · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Chinese history and philosophy · History · Japanese History and Culture

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