Creating Authority: Forum Discussion on Buddhism serves as Petri Dish for Cultivating Meaning

            Buddhism is quite unique in terms of religious authority. Throughout the ages, Buddhism has endured the formation of many different sects, some of which are based on cultural differences. For example, Tibetan Buddhism, Japanese Buddhism, and Korean Buddhism all have unique aspects that make them distinguishably different from each other. Indeed, there are four different schools of thought within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition alone. However, all forms of Buddhism recognize the same goal – human enlightenment. The Buddha directly addressed the issue of human suffering and gave a solution for this problem. The solution can be found in the Four Noble Truths, which ultimately lead to the goal of Nirvana, or enlightenment.

The Four Noble Truths are as follows:

            (1) Life means suffering,

            (2) The origin of suffering is attachment,

            (3) The cessation of suffering is attainable, and

            (4) The path to the cessation of suffering is through the Eightfold Path.

            In an online forum titled “Civilization Fanatics’ Forum,” a group of members discuss the meaning and legitimacy of the Four Noble Truths when compared to the main ideologies of Christianity and Judaism. In this specific thread on the forum, members seem to be negotiating their understandings of the Four Noble Truths and providing the knowledge they already have for the benefit of other users.

User WillJ asks in the thread, “Didn't the Buddha get enlightened and discover this after fasting and meditating, where evil and good spirits started talking/messing/discussing/etc. with him?”

Mrogreturns replies, “As far as my understanding goes- which isn`t very far I have to say- the demons / spirits alluded to in buddhism are a part of one`s own personality.”

Immediately following this post, Kshatriya states, “Mrogreturns is correct. The "demons" are hatred, anger, lust, greed, etc.”

The originally poster then discusses the idea of evil in Christianity, and how some Christians view evil as being able to take on tangible life forms in the shape of demons.

            This discussion is an example of Cheong’s third reality, that of the logic of dialectics and paradox. These forum members are not outright condemning these religions, nor are they strongly promoting them. From this small sample of the forum conversation, it is evident that the users are simply engaging in a process of exchanging knowledge and forging meaning. Some of these meanings and interpretations may be in line with the authority of the traditional religions being discussed – that is, Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism. Other interpretations, however, may not be in line with these authorities. This is where the concepts of dialectics and paradox come into play. As Cheong states,

• …these studies suggest the logic of dialectics and paradox as leaders struggle, negotiate and    builid tensions related to processes of digital mediation in their work as they attempt to reconstruct religious authority. This interesting, complex and somewhat counter-intuitive relationship warrants conceptual expansion and future-focused attention. (Cheong, Authority, p 22)

            Although there are some differences in Cheong’s explanation and the context of this forum, the similarities seem to outweigh the differences. Although the forum members may not be authoritative religious leaders, they are the leaders of their own understanding of religious concepts. They are taking an authoritative and future-focused position in attempting to better understand these traditional religions and the meanings that are inherently attached to them. These individuals are also undergoing digital mediation and are attempting to reconstruct the religious authority in their own personal lives. A conceptual expansion is an inherent aspect of attaining and processing new information. Through this forum conversation sample, one can conclude that perhaps Cheong’s logic of dialectics and paradox is the most applicable reality to the realm of Internet use and religion. 

Finding Identity Online

- Does digital media strengthen or weaken individual's ability to construct or perform their religious identity?

Every individual forms a sense of identity through his or her knowledge and experience. According to Lovheim, one dimension of identity is concerned with “…how the individual is located in relation to meanings, practices, and positions that organize social life” (p 3). In this aspect, the formation of identity can be a very fluid process, changing with new experiences and growing with the intake of new knowledge. Such is the case for religious identity. Digital media creates a platform for the individual to create new experiences and to connect with others. By asking questions about others’ viewpoints on a specific religious matter, the individual is helping to shape his or her own religious identity by obtaining more knowledge on the subject. Digital media, and the Internet in particular, allow individuals to gain access to different meanings, practices, and positions. Thus, digital media can be seen as a way for the individual to shape and strengthen his or her religious identity.

An example of this can be seen within the conversations in online religious forums. People ask questions and receive answers, which then allows them to interpret their own stance on the situation. The forum “Buddhism without Boundaries” is just one example of a virtual space where the strengthening of religious identity can take place. In one specific thread from January 2012, a forum member asks, “Is anyone else drawn to aspects of both Mahayana and Theravada?” The member explains his stance on the issue, and then states, “Then we come to Mahayana, based on my understanding, which admittedly could be wrong so please correct me if it is…”. Here, the member specifically states that he is not sure if his relation to the meaning of this concept is correct or not, and is asking for help if his understanding is incorrect. Once he gains the proper understanding of the concept of Mahayana, he can then go forth to make a decision on the concept, which is helping to shape a part of his religious identity. There were 46 different replies to this post, which indicates the sharing and building of meaning, practice, and personal position to a particular situation; this, in turn, suggests the strengthening of this member’s religious identity in terms of his specific question.

The link for the specific forum on Mahayana and Theravada: http://www.buddhismwithoutboundaries.com/showthread.php?2067-Is-anyone-else-drawn-to-aspects-of-both-Mahayana-and-Theravada

The link for the general forum “Buddhism without Boundaries”:

http://www.buddhismwithoutboundaries.com/forumdisplay.php?14-Buddhism-for-Beginners&s=ab23ec6fbc71cddfa2f862adbe502bd6

Buddhist Ritual Online: The Mantra and the Prayer Wheel

         The ability to perform religious rituals online is inherently changing some of the dynamics between the devotee and his or her lived religion. Although the authenticity and effectiveness of ritual online is still being debated, more and more people use the Internet to supplement their offline involvement with their religion. Many religions have found ways to transfer their rituals into a virtual format; Buddhism is no exception. One can find hundreds of digital variations of repeated mantras and spinning prayer wheels online. Mantras are prayers that involve sacred sounds. A popular Tibetan mantra is Om Mani Padme Hum, which is believed to hold all the teachings of Buddha in its meaning, and for which there is no set translation. A mantra can either be said to oneself, spoken aloud, or written and spun on a prayer wheel, also referred to as a mani wheel. Spinning the prayer wheel and reciting the mantra aloud are thought to have the same effect. Performing the mantras in either way is supposed to bring one wisdom and good karma.

          These rituals are quite easily replicated online. There are animated version of the prayer wheel and numerous videos of a prayer wheel being spun while the mantra is chanted along with it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCjjQqQDjwE&feature=related). This viewing, however, is more of a passive approach. In order to take a more active approach, one could use a moving animated image of a prayer wheel and recite the mantra him or herself. This website (http://www.dharma-haven.org/tibetan/digital-wheels.htm) has a lot of information regarding digital prayer wheels, and it even has a link for interactive prayer wheels that can be ordered, but the website of the link is in French. It is also believed that the disk drive of a computer can be turned into a prayer wheel. According to Deb Platt on her webpage titled Click Here for Good Karma:

• "To set your very own prayer wheel in motion, all you have to do is download this mantra to your computer's hard disk. Once downloaded, your hard disk drive will spin the mantra for you. Nowadays hard disk drives spin their disks somewhere between 3600 and 7200 revolutions per minute, with a typical rate of 5400 rpm. Given those rotation speeds, you'll soon be purifying loads of negative karma."

         Online prayer wheels and mantra chanting are believed to have spiritual efficacy equal to the same rituals performed offline. According to Glimpse, “…rumours abound on the Internet that the Dalai Lama himself has said that having a digital prayer wheel – or even just the text of the mantra om mani padme hum on your spinning hard drive is the same as using a traditional prayer wheel” (Madsen, 2011, p. 49). Although scholars and religious officials debate the legitimacy of online rituals of any religion, it seems as though the efficiency of the online ritual depends on the individual involved. This issue is examined in the article “Virtual Buddhism: Buddhist Ritual in Second Life” by Louise Connelly. Connelly explores the efficacy behind virtual meditation in the Buddha Center, a location in the virtual world of Second Life. Connelly concludes, “The Buddhist ritual online can be said to be analogous with the ritual offline as both provide an opportunity to gain merit through action which in return directly contributes to the ultimate goal of Buddhism: liberation from the continual cycle birth and rebirth (samsara) and the obtainment of enlightenment or nirvana” (Connelly, p. 11). This viewpoint is applicable to all forms of Buddhist ritual online, including the practices of the prayer wheel and the mantra. 

New Media and the Shramana Tradition

In this blog, I plan to explore how religions of the Shramana movement face challenges and appropriate the use of digital media. I will especially focus on Buddhism and how members of this religion use technology and different digital mediums in their every-day lives. Knowing how a religion will respond to new technology is dependent on one's understanding of the religion itself. Therefore, I will also explore how officials of the Buddhist religion view the use of new media technology, and how the use of new media interferes with and/or facilitates the main goals laid forth by this religion.