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The politics of Buddhism in Nepal

Abstract:
Nepal, as Nepalis never tire of reminding the world and each other, was where the Buddha was born. But did Nepal exist 2500 years ago? Does the fact that the Buddha was born in what is today Nepal mean that the modern nation-state Nepal can claim special ownership of his memory, when the other three significant events in the Buddha’s life—attainment of enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, first sermon at Sarnath, and entry into full nirvana at Kushinagar—all took place in what is now India? Even the very act of asking these questions will irritate some of my Nepali friends, for whom the two most fundamental facts about their country are that it is home to the world’s highest mountain and that it claims the birthplace of the Buddha.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Institution:
University of Oxford
Oxford college:
All Souls College
Role:
Author


Publisher:
Economics and Politics Weekly
Journal:
Economic and Political Weekly More from this journal
Publication date:
2017-05-01
Acceptance date:
2017-04-10
EISSN:
2349-8846
ISSN:
0012-9976


Pubs id:
pubs:694224
UUID:
uuid:7682de76-376c-4cdf-84ed-7870a188b360
Local pid:
pubs:694224
Source identifiers:
694224
Deposit date:
2017-05-12
ARK identifier:

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