Table of Contents

Buddhism and politics in Asia - the textual and historical roots; the legacy of tradition and authority - Buddhism and the nation in Myanmar; Buddhism in extremis - the case of Cambodia; politics and Ambedkar Buddhism in Maharashtra; Japanese nationalism and the universal dharma; Buddhism and secular power in the 20th century; Laos - from Buddhist kingdom to Marxist state; first among equals - Buddhism and the Sri Lankan state; centre and periphery - Buddhism and politics in modern Thailand; renewal and resistance - Tibetan Buddhism in the modern era; the quest for enlightenment and cultural identity - Buddhism in contemporary Vietnam.