The Buddha's Tooth: Western Tales of a Sri Lankan Relic

by John Strong and John S. Strong

Book Overview

John S. Strong unravels the storm of influences shaping the received narratives of two iconic sacred objects.

Bodily relics such as hairs, teeth, fingernails, pieces of bone--supposedly from the Buddha himself--have long served as objects of veneration for many Buddhists. Unsurprisingly, when Western colonial powers subjugated populations in South Asia, they used, manipulated, redefined, and even destroyed these objects in an effort...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 022680173X
• ISBN13: 9780226801735
• Release Date: October 2021
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.14 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 8.9"