Meditation
The Traffic in Hierarchy September 30, 2017 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.21313/hawaii/9780824865948.003.0008
Summary
Meditation is highly esteemed among Burmese Buddhists, viewed as the most admirable practice for both religious and lay individuals. Its prestige is linked to the idea of overcoming vulnerability through withdrawal from interaction. A ten-day meditation retreat focusing on 'insight' meditation highlights the cultural significance of meditation, particularly in valuing male autonomy. This practice embodies a state of invulnerability and serenity that comes from achieving detachment.
Study at a glance
| Population | Burmese Buddhists participating in a meditation retreat |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Meditation's prestige among Burmese Buddhists is tied to its representation of overcoming vulnerability and promoting autonomy. |
Abstract
Many Burmese Buddhists consider meditation the most praiseworthy activity one can undertake as a pious Buddhist, whether religious or lay. This chapter suggests that meditation’s prestige stems from its model of overcoming vulnerability in interaction by withdrawing from it. The chapter relates the course of a ten-day meditation retreat based on the currently more prestigious “insight” rather than “concentration” meditation tradition. It analyzes the prominence of meditation in contemporary Burmese discourse as reflecting the great value placed on autonomy, particularly for males. By instantiating the cessation of interaction, meditation models a condition of invulnerability and serenity that achieving detachment proffers.