Thesis Defence: Reclaiming the Shakya Lineage: Buddhist Youth and Memory at Sankisa in Uttar Pradesh
December 5 at 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Manish Kumar, supervised by Dr. David Geary, will defend their thesis titled “Reclaiming the Shakya Lineage: Buddhist Youth and Memory at Sankisa in Uttar Pradesh” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies – Community Engagement, Social Change and Equity theme.
An abstract for Manish Kumar’s thesis is included below.
Defences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Registration is not required for in-person defences.
ABSTRACT
The Youth Buddhist Society of India (YBS) is an organization that was first started in 1986 in the Buddhist sacred site of Sankisa in Uttar Pradesh, India. Members of the group, which now reaches upwards of 25,000 people throughout India, are primarily from low-caste farming groups and are involved in various outreach activities from meditation retreats and regular courses in Buddhist philosophy and practice. Although the YBS are non-sectarian and draw Buddhist connections and inspiration from Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions, they are also actively involved in reclaiming the Shakya identity and ancestry associated with the historical Buddha for their low-caste community. This research will examine the creative ways in which Indian youth are reclaiming their “ancestral roots” and “heritage” that speaks to emergent social, political and ethical self-engagement and how these differ from Dalit Buddhist conversion movements as well as run counter to the wider mobilization of Hindu nationalism in India. By deploying a community-based research methodological approach, this study also speaks to the powerful use of memory and place in reclaiming/reconfiguring certain identities for Indian youth from lower castes and the importance of reviving a Buddhist homeland in Sankisa.
