Sipsong Panna, in Yunnan (China), has been long part of the ‘cultural region of the tham script’ in mainland Southeast Asia. Nevertheless, tham texts, and with them temple education as a whole, struggle to find its relevance today. While textual knowledge is valued among village communities, the temporary nature of ordination accounts for the little interest most Lue monastics show toward the study of Buddhist and vernacular books. Since the state led development of a reformed, simplified alphabet for Tai language in the 1950s circumscribed the use of tham texts to the temple, present day Lue novices and young monks in particular seem to attach more value to the mastering of contemporary mediums of communication whose main language of communication is Mandarin.

Dienstag, den 7. November 2017
Zeit: 14:00-16:00
Ort: Raum 232
Universität Hamburg
Asien-Afrika Institut
Edmund-Siemers-Allee 1,
Flügel Ost

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