ChineseBuddhistshaveneverremainedstationary.Theyhavealwaysbeenonthemove.InMonksinMotion,JackMeng-TatChiaexploreswhyBuddhistmonksmigratedfromChinatoSoutheastAsia,andhowtheyparticipatedintransregionalBuddhistnetworksacrosstheSouthChinaSea.ThisbooktellsthestoryofthreeprominentmonksChukMor(1913-2002),YenPei(1917-1996),andAshinJinarakkhita(1923-2002)andexaminestheconnectedhistoryofBuddhistcommunitiesinChinaandmaritimeSoutheastAsiainthetwentiethcentury.MonksinMotionisthefirstbooktoofferahistoryofwhatChiaterms“SouthChinaSeaBuddhism,“referringtoaBuddhismthatemergedfromaswirlofcorrespondencenetworks,forcedexiles,voluntaryvisits,evangelizingmissions,institution-buildingcampaigns,andtheorganizationaleffortsofcountlessChineseandChinesediasporicBuddhistmonks.DrawingonmultilingualresearchconductedinIndonesia,Malaysia,Singapore,China,HongKong,andTaiwan,Chiachallengestheconventionalcategoriesof“ChineseBuddhism“and“SoutheastAsianBuddhism“byfocusingonthelesser-known--yetnolesssignificant--ChineseBuddhistcommunitiesofmaritimeSoutheastAsia.BycrossingtheartificialspatialfrontierbetweenChinaandSoutheastAsia,MonksinMotionbreaksnewground,bringingSoutheastAsiaintothestudyofChineseBuddhismandChineseBuddhismintothestudyofSoutheastAsia.
MOTION HONGKONG SINGAPORE CHINA MALAYSIA
