Religious rituals

This paper investigates the historical and folkloric interface between Gurumapa, the child-eating ogre of indigenous Newar folklore, and Guru Marpa Lotsawa (1012-1097 CE), the historical founder of the Tibetan Kagyu school of Buddhism. Scholars traditionally treat these figures independently-Marpa within Tibetan hagiography and Gurumapa within Newar urban mythology. By applying a deconstructive, cross-cultural framework, this study analyzes how eleventhcentury trans-Himalayan economic shocks and monastic recruitment strategies were integrated into local folklore. We argue that the myth of Gurumapa represents a localized, reactionary metaphor generated by hereditary Newar householder Buddhists (Vajracharyas) to resist the extraction of local youth into celibate Tibetan monastic networks. This cultural trauma was further codified through phonetic drift, behavioral friction, and the material impact of Tibetan gold dust within the monastic courtyard of Itum Bahal.

This project investigated the symbolism represented through art in the Yewe and Tro Mami Worship in Klikor, Ghana. The research questions were-what are the symbols expressed through art of the two religions and how do these symbols serve the religions. In order to do this I conducted informal interviewing, participant and non-participant observations on several different occasions. Through this I was able to learn about the various relics and the function that they play in worship. The material I collected suggests that art symbolism play a vital role in religion.

This project investigated the symbolism represented through art in the Yewe and Tro Mami Worship in Klikor, Ghana. The research questions were-what are the symbols expressed through art of the two religions and how do these symbols serve the religions. In order to do this I conducted informal interviewing, participant and non-participant observations on several different occasions. Through this I was able to learn about the various relics and the function that they play in worship. The material I collected suggests that art symbolism play a vital role in religion.

This article explores the vital roles that religious and secular rituals play in the processes of conflict resolution and reconciliation. Drawing on an interdisciplinary framework combining ritual studies, communication theory, and theological perspectives, the study argues that ritual acts function as more than symbolic markers of a resolved conflict. As presentational symbols, rituals have the potential to address the emotional and relational dimensions of conflict. They can serve as active, transformative tools for psychosocial change, initiating healing processes and reframing broken relationships. Furthermore, the study explores the differences between secular and religious-particularly Christian-reconciliation rituals. It emphasizes that Christian rituals are grounded in the reconciliation between God and humanity in Christ, understood both as a gift and a responsibility: to live out God's forgiveness and mercy in interpersonal relationships. The article also examines how rituals contribute to the transformation of worldviews, the humanization of former adversaries, and the formation of new social frameworks. These theoretical insights are illustrated by a brief case study of the long-term process of Czech-German reconciliation following World War II.

From the mid-Ming to early Qing dynasties, Mount Jizu 雞足山 in Yunnan achieved unexpected prominence within China’s Buddhist sacred landscape—an event of regional, national, and transnational significance. Employing an explicit comparative lens that juxtaposes Jizu with China’s core-region sacred sites like Mount Wutai and Emei, this study investigates the timing, regional dynamics, institutional mechanisms, and causal drivers behind the rapid ascent. Rejecting teleological narratives, it traces the mountain’s trajectory through four developmental phases to address critical historiographical questions: how did a peripheral Yunnan site achieve national prominence within a remarkably compressed timeframe? By what mechanisms could its sacred authority be constructed to inspire pilgrimages even across vast distances? Which historical agents and processes orchestrated these transformations, and how did the mountain’s symbolic meaning shift dynamically over time? Departing from earlier scholarship that privileges regional and secular frameworks, this work not only rebalances the emphasis on religious dimensions but also expands the analytical scope beyond regional confines to situate Mount Jizu within national and transnational frameworks. Eventually, by analyzing the structural, institutional, and agential dynamics—spanning local, imperial, and transnational dimensions—this study reveals how the mountain’s sacralization emerged from the convergence of local agency, acculturative pressures, state-building imperatives, late-Ming Buddhist revival, literati networks, and the strategic mobilization of symbolic capital. It also reveals that Mount Jizu was not a static sacred site but a dynamic arena of contestation and negotiation, where competing claims to spiritual authority and cultural identity were perpetually redefined.

Preaching is a popular religious practice in Africa with potential implications for development. This article is an interdisciplinary contribution from the fields of homiletics and religion and development with the aim of developing a homiletical praxis theory that can help make preaching a life-giving, decolonising faith practice in the service of meaningful development. With this aim in mind, the context of the practice of preaching and development in Africa is firstly brought into perspective, specifically the sub-Saharan African context where texts are exegeted and interpreted. Secondly, the usage of the main text for preaching in Africa, namely the Bible, as well as certain aspects of hermeneutics is discussed. Core insights that have been obtained from the nascent field of religion and development and specifically the decolonisation of development are then brought into conversation with the main challenges and opportunities that preaching currently faces in Africa. As a conclusion, a preliminary homiletical praxis theory is presented.

This article offers an in-depth examination of the religious challenges and creative adaptations that emerged during the March-April 2020 COVID-19 lockdown. Adopting an interfaith and ecumenical perspective, the study draws on semi-structured interviews with Christians, Muslims, and Jews in Rome and Bucharest. The analysis shows that the theological language of the Church as the Body of Christ, together with its connection to the Eucharistic celebration shared by both Orthodox Christians and Catholics, shaped the perception of the pandemic by critically engaging with state limitations on religious practice. By contrast, Jewish and Muslim practices of purification-linking ablution, hygieneoften rendered sanitary measures more theologically and ritually coherent. A marked contrast thus emerges: While many Catholic and Orthodox respondents expressed pronounced dissatisfaction rooted in ecclesiological understandings of the Church as the "body of Christ," Jewish and Muslim participants tended to integrate pandemic measures within established frameworks of ritual purity. Despite divergent responses in other domains, death and burial practices acted as a unifying element across traditions, as all communities confronted similar constraints and grief under governmental biopolitical regulations concerning the treatment of bodies. Finally, the article examines the proliferation of "homemade" rituals-such as the domestic Seder or Friday prayer-and the inherent limitations of digital technologies in reproducing the sensory and embodied dimensions of traditional religious practice. Notably, the shift to domestic ritual life often intensified personal engagement, relocating R R OBSERVING THE SABBATH responsibility from collective institutions to individual practitioners and underscoring the centrality of the body in contemporary theological reflection.

This thesis examines the contemporary religious, medical, and communal challenges surrounding male circumcision (khitān) among Muslim communities in the United States and argues for developing specialized, religiously grounded practitioners, here termed khattānūn.

Drawing on Islamic legal scholarship, historical analysis of Islamicate institutional practices, and contemporary sociomedical data, the study situates circumcision within broader systems of communal accountability and ethical transmission. It considers comparative precedents such as the Jewish mohel, whose role integrates ritual authority with procedural expertise. The study combines qualitative interview data with
quantitative survey data to assess current practices, complications, trust, and receptivity to khattānūn. The findings affirm the continued centrality of circumcision while revealing support for practitioners trained in both clinical competence and Islamic jurisprudence.

The thesis argues that formalized training and certification for khattānūn represent a historically grounded reconstruction of integrated religious and technical authority in the American context. By reconnecting procedural expertise with religious accountability, this model seeks to preserve ritual integrity, safeguard bodily well-being, and restore the spiritual significance of circumcision as a religious rite.

educational function of cultural relics. This research underscores the importance of a multifaceted approach encompassing design innovation, effective dissemination, and cultural education. By continuing to explore and expand upon these strategies, the Palace Museum can further enhance its role as a steward of cultural heritage and a pioneer in cultural innovation.

the department of Anthropology and Sociology of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) as an M.A. dissertation. He has unfailingly continued to guide me through all my post-graduate work, advising me on my M.Phil. research report and on this Ph.D. thesis. Throughout my years of study at SOAS, Dr. Spencer provided an indepth evaluation of my work at the different levels of development of my ideas as they began to take shape and be formulated. Thanks also go to all my instructors in social anthropology, all of whom have contributed in one way or another to my intellectual development. I am indebted to Dr. Moses Gollola under whom I did an under-graduate course in history at the University of Eastern Africa in Kenya. Dr. Otieno Munala also greatly influenced my outlook with the exhilarating lectures he gave on the philosophy of communication and on inter-cultural communication at the United States International University in Kenya. Dr. Ibrahim Sahaladin of the Department of Sociology at the American University in Cairo also contributed to and influenced my views on ethnic relations through the courses he taught on ethnic relations in the Arab world. Perhaps before anyone else, my wife, Dr. Aneesa Kassam, provided the intellectual companionship and stimulus for my work. We have collaborated in a number of research projects based at the National Museums of Kenya, many of which led to joint publications. These included studies in ethno-hotany, ethno-ornithology and the study of material culture among the Oromo of Northern Kenya and Southern Ethiopia. I have greatly benefited from her insights into the Oromo language and culture. Without her mediation, the writing of this thesis in English would have been extremely difficult. Above all, she gave me the moral and emotional support I needed to sustain me pyschologically throughout the writing of this thesis. z Reverend Lambert Bartels encouraged my passionate interest in the culture of my own people and set me on the path to anthropology. I am grateful to both him and Dr. Paul Baxter for the great kindness they showed me as a person and for their deep friendship and concern during my long years of study. I am also grateful to the Swedish Agency for Research Cooperation with Developing Countries (SAREC) for the financial support they made available to me for the transcription of the interviews I recorded with experts of the Oromo traditional knowledge. The writing of my thesis would not have been possible without the generous financial assistance of the Hugh Pilkington Charitable Trust, which sponsored my post-graduate studies. I am deeply indebted to the Board of Trustees and to their families for their constant moral support and encouragement in my work. Many more people than can be named have contributed to the realisation of this thesis. This is obvious from the account given in chapter three of the thesis. I would nevertheless like to express my deepest gratitude to all those great intellectuals and teachers who have so patiently and diligently taught me the ancient wisdom of my own culture and have passed on to me some of their learning. In particular, I would like to reiterate my thanks to the two Booran Oromo oral historians and specialists of the traditional Oromo law, Bule Guyyo and Dahassa Guyyo who were my mentors in Kenya; and to the late Jimmale Diimaa in Ethiopia, the Macha Oromo elder who first taught me about the concept of a y aana in an organised manner. They assumed and perpetuated the vital role played in the education begun by my grandfather. Ruda Kura. My thanks also goes to my friend Dominic Rayner, who gave me his time whenever I needed to discuss some of the intracultural communication issues. This gave me the chance to test my African ideas against the ideas of a person with a European background. Last, but not least, I would like to thank the members of the Jirmmaa Kinnato family, and especially the late Abdullahi Jirmma, for the long hours I spent with him discussing and debating the issues we had learnt together, for the role he played in the maturation of my ideas and for the steadfast and dedicated friendship he provided me at all times and in all things. In writing this thesis! have learnt from the recent work of Mudimbe, 'The Invention of Africa: Gnosis, Philosophy, and the Order of Knowledge.' In fact the idea of the Colonizing Structure is borrowed from Mudimbe. I have also benefited from Marcel Griaule's work among the Dogon in West Africa. Griaule took his point of departure from the assumption that '...the ideas of the Dogon may best he understood by considering the forms in which they express them. ' (1954:83). Apart from such underlying assumptions I have tried my best to keep the identity of Oromo knowledge system. Consequently if there are similarities between my work and that of Griaule and Mudimbe it is coincidental.

The popular generation calculation method in the Tang Dynasty did not include the subject himself. The fifth-generation ancestor was the father of the great-great-grandfather, and the fifth-generation grandson was the son of the great-great-grandson. Mishe and Helu were both fifth-generation descendants of Ištämi, but their fourth-generation ancestor, their great-great-grandfather, was not Tardu. Buzhen was Ištämi’s third-generation descendant or great-grandson, but his second-generation ancestor or grandfather was not Tardu either. Buzhen was actually Mishe’s clan grandfather rather than his clan brother. The “clan brother” recorded in Chinese historical biographies came from an inaccurate translation of the Turkic kinship term äči. The closest common ancestor between the two was Tardu’s eldest brother Silzibul, who was the great-great-grandfather of Mishe and grandfather of Buzhen, and also the great-great-grandfather of Helu. The “Shi Qiaoru Epitaph” itself did not provide new evidence for Mishe’s ancestral genealogy but confirmed the genealogy of Mishe’s descendants. After clarifying Buzhen’s genealogy and related family background, the questions about Huseluo’s age and Yanzhi Yehu’s name in “Huaidao Epitaph” can be reasonably explained. Elucidating the correct genealogy of Mishe and Buzhen will help to enhance a deeper understanding of the long-standing resentment between the two men.

唐代通行的世代计算方式是不连本身，五代祖是高祖之父、五代孙是玄孙之子。弥射与贺鲁都是室点密五代孙，但两人的四代祖即高祖并非达头。步真是室点密三代孙即曾孙，但他的二代祖即祖父也不是达头。步真实为弥射的族祖父而非族兄，汉文史传记载的“族兄”源自对突厥亲属称谓äči的不准确转译，两人的最近共同祖先是达头的长兄西尔吉布尔，此人是弥射的高祖和步真的祖父，同时也是贺鲁的高祖。《史乔如墓志》本身并未为弥射的祖先谱系提供新的证据，但可以确认弥射后裔的谱系。在澄清步真的谱系及相关家世之后，《怀道墓志》中有关斛瑟罗年龄与阏氏叶护名字的疑问都可以获得合理的解释。阐明弥射与步真的正确谱系有助于增进对两人之间积怨的深入理解。

Abstract: This note adds some information to the article published under the same title in the previous issue of this journal. Thus, analysis of the watermark in the Șumuleu Ciuc (Csíksomlyó) Codex indicates that the paper was manufactured in Lucca (Italy) in the first half of the 15th century.
Keywords: codex Csiksomlyoviensis; historiography; Lucca watermark.
Rezumat: Prezenta notă aduce câteva completări la articolul publicat cu același titlu în numărul precedent al acestei reviste. Astfel, analiza filigranului din Codicele de la Șumuleu Ciuc (Csíksomlyó) indică faptul că hârtia a fost fabricată la Lucca (Italia), în prima jumătate a secolului al XV-lea.
Cuvinte-cheie: codex Csiksomlyoviensis; istoriografie; filigran de Lucca.
In the previous number of Acta Musei Napocensis. I, a preliminary report on the codex Csiksomlyoviensis has been published. Since then, I have continued to work on the topic, collecting data on the codex and studying it in detail at the Teleki-Bolyai Library in Târgu Mureș with the aim
of preparing a collection of studies, followed by a facsimile edition of the manuscript.

Introduzione - Quadri di apparati festivi straordinari prodotti in serie e spesso in fretta, e la curiosità di andarli a vedere - Quadri di apparati festivi straordinari in due chiese di ordini religiosi di Milano: Santa Maria del Carmine e Santa Maria del Giardino

Stairway to Heaven: Chinese Alchemists, Jewish Kabbalists, and the Art of Spiritual Transformation


Stairway to Heaven is an incredibly broad ranging new study that stretches from ancient Egypt and Babylon to Jewish and Christian Kabbalists, Chinese Daoists, Hindu Tantra and Haitian Vodun and finally to 19th and 20th century European occult societies, uncovering a hitherto unrecognized common myth that has been employed the world over in roughly the same form since the earliest recorded texts. Beginning with the oldest form of Jewish mysticism and extending this search through the dead sea scrolls, Levenda reveals a consistent emphasis on the number seven and its association with heavenly themes, including those of a chariot, a Throne, a Temple and a divine Being. The author then examines the myths and rituals of egypt, sumer and Babylon to locate the origin of this myth and comes up with some surprising results in the ascent rituals of the middle east. Shifting to the far east, Levenda demonstrates how the mystical practices of China and India display important similarities to these rituals, most notably in the practices of the Chinese alchemists who used a map of seven stars as their ladder to heaven.

Reinforced by visits to the Buddhist shrine of Borobudur in indonesia, Levenda concludes that there was a myth common to peoples across the ancient world that an ascent to the heavens was possible using a ladder of seven stars, a process running parallel to the alchemical idea of the perfection of metals and the perfectibility of the soul.

This concept was enshrined in the rituals of the Western secret societies of the 19th and 20th centuries such as the golden dawn and the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor, and influenced the development of new age occultism. exhaustive in scope and revealing in its scholarship, Stairway to Heaven casts a fascinating new multidisciplinary perspective on the mystical practices of heavenly ascent.

Introducción al Servicio de Arrepentimiento de la Gran Compasión

El Arrepentimiento de la Compasión, o Dabei Chan Fa, fue compuesto por el Venerable Maestro Fa Zhi, de la famosa Escuela Tien Tai de la dinastía Sung. La liturgia esté basada en el Sutra Maha-Karunika-Citta Dharani, traducido por el Venerable Bhagavan Dharma en la dinastía Tang. Es una de las liturgias más elegantes y comúnmente interpretadas del Budismo Mahayana chino. El servicio incluye elaboradas postraciones, ofrendas y diversos himnos y cantos. El Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, o Kuan Yin, es la manifestación de la compasión. La historia del Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara está bien descrita en el capítulo veinticinco del Sutra del Loto, la “Puerta Universal del Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara”. En muchas tradiciones, se le presenta como un hombre vestido con la indumentaria de la realeza india. En la tradición china, se la representa como una joven vestida de blanco, con un jarrón de agua bendita en una mano y una vara de sauce en la otra. ¿Quién de nosotros, desde tiempos inmemoriales, no ha obrado mal por codicia, odio e ignorancia? ¿Quién de nosotros no ha ardido de dolor y angustia en su interior? ¿Quién de nosotros no ha anhelado, en momentos de gran estrés, la seguridad y el consuelo del abrazo materno?

El Venerable Maestro Fa Zhi y la Escuela Tien Tai son reconocidos por sus técnicas de meditación. El arrepentimiento es un elemento fundamental de la práctica. Esto se debe a que la mente nunca puede estar serena a menos que esté limpia de ofensas e impurezas. El arrepentimiento, o ksama en sánscrito, consiste en confesar y exponer los propios errores, y pedir perdón ante los Budas, los Bodhisattvas, los Maestros y todos los seres. El Buda dijo una vez: “En nuestro mundo, hay dos tipos de campeones: los que nunca se equivocan y los que se arrepienten y se reforman”. La Bodhisattva Kuan Shi Yin (Avalokiteshvara), la personificación del amor y la misericordia, otorga valor y consuelo. Ella escucha todos los llantos y responde a todas las oraciones. Por lo tanto, arrepintámonos sinceramente y pidamos la bendición de la amorosa y compasiva Bodhisattva Kuan Shi Yin.

This chapter examines the historical evolution, practical operation, and enduring resilience of the Gadaa System as an integrated political, legal, social, military, and cultural order from the sixteenth century to the present. It demonstrates that Gadaa functioned as a fully institutionalised republican democracy grounded in constitutional supremacy (heera), rule of law (seera), periodic eight-year elections, separation of powers, decentralised federal arrangements, and structured assemblies (Caffee), while simultaneously organising society through age-sets, generation-sets, moieties, and clan-based federations. Drawing on Arabic records, Abyssinian chronicles, and European observers such as Bahrey, Bruce, Lobo, Plowden, D’Abbadie, and Reclus, the chapter reconstructs how Oromo polities practised representative governance, balanced opposition, delegated councils, and consensus-based legislation across local, regional, and confederate levels. It further traces the system’s decentralisation, adaptations, and partial transformations during the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, including brief monarchical experiments in limited regions, while emphasising its continued vitality among communities such as the Boorana, where complex councils (Aduulaa, Meddhichaa, and Garbaa) still function within a structured triadic framework. By situating Gadaa within debates on antiquity—ranging from early first millennium BCE claims to firmly documented sixteenth-century maturity—the chapter argues that its longevity, adaptability, and institutional sophistication qualify it not merely as an indigenous governance model but as a "heritage of humanity,” a survivor system that has endured suppression, decentralization, and political conquest while retaining its constitutional core and democratic ethos.

This chapter reconstructs and systematises the unwritten Gadaa Constitution (heera Gadaa) as the foundational legal and philosophical framework of Oromo democracy, drawing extensively on Asmarom Legesse’s identification of its core principles and supplementing them with additional constitutional doctrines embedded in Oromo political practice. The chapter explains that the Gadaa Constitution—summarised in the maxim “Heerri shantama; seerri dhibba shaniif shantama” (fifty constitutional principles and five hundred fifty laws)—is preserved through oral transmission, periodically audited and amended by the Caffee (national assembly), and safeguarded by senior legal scholars (hayyuu guddicha). It elaborates key constitutional principles, including supremacy of the law, accountability of leaders, subordination of military power to deliberative assemblies, man-made legislation through consensus, single-term office, orderly and staggered succession, balanced opposition, separation of political and ritual domains, generational power distribution, and representative governance. Beyond these, the chapter identifies additional indigenous principles such as equality, unity, covenant, five-party structure, generation-sets, age-sets, assembly norms, ethnological integration (moggaasaa), asylum and protection, holistic peace (nagaa), development philosophy (finna), harmonious balance (safuu), sovereignty (birmadummaa), and dual moiety organisation. These principles portray the Gadaa Constitution as a sophisticated, participatory, and morally grounded system of governance that integrates law, ritual, generational order, and social harmony into a coherent democratic tradition sustained through collective memory and cyclical renewal.

This chapter examines the structural foundations of the Gadaa System by distinguishing and interrelating age-sets and Gadaa-grades as two core yet analytically distinct institutions. It explains that age-sets are universal eight-year biological cohorts organising the Oromo life cycle into developmental, mature, and retirement phases, while Gadaa-grades are genealogical-generation–based political stages through which members of a Gadaa party progress toward leadership (Luba) and subsequently retire through descending grades. The chapter clarifies that although the two systems ideally align for “right-born” sons—those born during the father’s designated dhaloota period—they are structurally independent, and misalignment is common. It further elaborates the forty-year generational separation between fathers and sons, the five-party succession system, and the principle of staggered power transfer, demonstrating how ritual timing, passage rites, military training, property rights, leadership formation, and civic responsibilities are integrated into a coherent socio-political order. By separating biological age from political progression, the chapter resolves terminological confusion and presents the Gadaa System as a complex, adaptive institution grounded in cyclical time, generational balance, and structured civic development.

This journal’s Letonica special issue, "Folklore Revivals in Non-Democracies", reflects on the non-democratic circumstances during the socialist era in which many of Europe’s folklore and folk music revivals developed. The issue is an outcome of the research project Folklore Revival in Latvia: Resources, Ideologies and Practices (2022–2024), funded by the Latvian Council of Science, and therefore the majority of analyses and reflections are written from the Latvian perspective. However, our goal was to analyze broader issues relevant to a wider geographical area, and we are deeply thankful for the valuable contributions that widen the scope of the discussion, including Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Hungarian, and to some extent Estonian revival histories; also, several articles touch on the Latvian diasporas in the West in the context of Cold War divide. Mostly, articles analyze the revivals emerging in the second half of the 20th century in the Soviet Union and its satellite states; still, some of the articles touch on earlier revival processes. In this introductory article, we have been cautious about extrapolating our conclusions to other countries besides Latvia, leaving it to experts of each geopolitical area. Yet, the Baltic and post-Soviet perspective of our research remains central.

This chapter explores the fundamental concept of homo ritualis, arguing that ritualistic behavior is a defining characteristic of the human species across all cultures and eras. The authors examine how rituals function as a symbolic language that helps individuals navigate life transitions, strengthen social bonds, and articulate spiritual beliefs. Within a Christian theological framework, the text highlights the essential interplay between sacred Scripture, physical embodiment, and communal action, specifically through practices like baptism and the Eucharist. It also addresses the evolution of these ceremonies, cautioning against empty ritualism while advocating for rites that remain deeply connected to both the biblical narrative and contemporary human experience. Ultimately, the text presents ritual as a vital tool for human self-understanding and a primary means of experiencing a relationship with the divine.

The present study intends to examine the dynamics between the anorexic subject and the Big Other and explore the significance of anorexia nervosa for the individual through the lens of Lacanian psychoanalysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five women diagnosed with restrictive type anorexia nervosa. The questions "How do we position anorexic subjects in their relationships with significant others?", "How is family dynamics in anorexia nervosa?" and "What is the meaning of anorexia nervosa for the anorexic subject?" formed the basis of these interviews. A theoretical reflexive thematic analysis approach was utilized, and four main themes were generated from the data. The themes were "all-knowing and has everything: Inseparable (m)Other, between presence and absence: the father, power of the gaze: am I ideal, to be or not to be: striving to "exist." The result of the study was discussed in light of the associated literature and clinical implications.

距俄羅斯遠東區符拉迪沃斯托克約60 公里的穆拉維因納亞灣，近年發現一方鐫有「廟誌」碑題，雙面刻記共400餘字的漢文石碑。這方可上溯至1894年的碑記尚未獲得學界注意，而筆者有幸研讀碑文，發現當中記錄了此地曾經存在一座供奉媽祖的「天后」廟。
媽祖是華人圈最負盛名的女神，在中國沿海及東南亞僑區都有廣大信仰社群。但我們大概不會預期在俄羅斯遠東如此偏遠的北地，也能發現媽祖廟的蹤跡。據碑文記載，這座位於大崴子灣（今穆拉維因納亞灣）廟宇，由此地聚集的華人所建，藉之感謝天后聖母庇佑財貨日增，「華夷相安」的神恩。
本文將介紹廟碑發掘背景，透過遺存碑文隱含的線索，關照其與立碑時期的史實所存在的可能關聯。經由這篇初步的探討，筆者希望將這個特別的發現帶入學術討論範疇，為媽祖信仰在世界各地的流傳，以及19世紀俄羅斯遠東華人社群發展，尋回被遺忘的一頁。
The two-side stele inscribed with the title “Miao Zhi”, “Temple Gazetteer”, written in over 400 traditional Chinese characters and dated to 1894, was found in recent years at Murav'inai͡a Bay, about 60 km away from Vladivostok, Russia Far East. The author had the luck to read the stele and found it dedicated to a Tianhou Miao, Temple of “Celestial Empress”, which is an official title conferred by the Qing emperor to Mazu. This stone receives no attention from researchers; the temple itself has unfortunately gone.
Mazu is the most well-known Chinese goddess that has the greatest population of believers mostly among the Sinosphere. Her worship spread throughout China’s coastal regions and overseas Chinese communities throughout Southeast Asia, but one may not expect to see Mazu temple in a northland as remote as Vladivostok, Russia. The surviving classical Chinese text tells about the construction of a temple in the Tavaĭza Bay (present-day Murav'inai͡a Bay), where the Chinese had accumulated in large proportions. As the text states, the temple was contributed to the divine mercy of the “Celestial Empress and Sacred Mother” in gratitude for the constant growth of wealth and peaceful life in mutual harmony of the “Chinese and barbarians”.
This paper will introduce the background of stele discovery. From messages revealed in the context and clues of the remains, the author will examine the possible connection of this unique case to historical facts that happened in the time around the temple’s construction. By bringing up preliminary exploration, this article intends to put forward more academic discourses, recovering a forgotten page of Mazu belief circulation around the world and the 19th-century Chinese community in the Russia Far East.

No. 23 at Ombahal. It was constructed during Malla period and its historically associated with the Shakya community. Even though its prominence, the exact date of its establishment, the identity of its founder, and its historical events, cultural activities, and characteristics remain unknown. This paper aims to examine the founder historical development, features, and cultural practices of Nabahī. The study employs a qualitative research design, focusing on human activities and relevant primary sources such as inscriptions. By offering a comprehensive analysis of these sources, the paper provides rich historical context about Nabahī. The findings suggest that the original name of the Bahī was Khoitānaka, and its foundation, evolution, and cultural activities closely mirror those of other vihāras and Bahī s. Furthermore, the current condition of Nabahī deviates from traditional Bahī vāstuśāstra as outlined in the vāstuśāstra.

This paper examines painted representations from Kucha associated with Buddhist magic in connection with protective texts and spells found along the Silk Road, in order to shed light on the ritual activities in Kucha and the function of the Kucha caves. The study explores texts that provide instructions for protective rituals and shows that they are closely linked to the gods and spirit-deities portrayed in the murals. Taking into account the large number of manuscript fragments in Sanskrit and Tocharian related to magic found in the region-some of which show similarities to the practices described in the Special Methods of the Uṣṇīṣavijayādhāraṇī, which is said to have been transmitted from Kucha to China-the study suggests that protective and magical practices, including those associated with black magic, were performed in Kucha. Based on the connection between the texts related to Kucha and the spirits and gods portrayed in the murals, as well as the architectural features of the caves and traces of soot on the paintings, the study argues that protective rituals, as well as those performed for the deceased, may have been performed in the Kucha caves, highlighting their protective function.

Based on ethnographic research on the aging of the Tunisian community in Italy, this article reflects on what it means to “live death in diaspora”. The life stories and ethnographic materials discussed here highlight the creative ways individuals relate to death, considering the challenges posed by the diasporic condition. For seniors of the Tunisian diaspora in Italy, deciding where to die and which homeland to select as a burial site depends on material factors that necessitate a renegotiation of symbolic meanings, spiritual principles, and religious beliefs. Such a choice also reflects an effort to redefine relationships with ancestors and descendants from a transgenerational perspective. Living death in the diaspora confronts crucial choices about prioritizing kinship ties in defining identities, memberships, and affiliations. In this tension between two territories, two countries, and two orders of values, ties of belonging and multiple identities, the seniors of Tunisian diaspora in Italy reshape ritual practices and symbolic meanings associated with death and the afterlife.

Abstract 
The main aim of this thesis is to study the socio-cultural significance of irreechaa ritual among
the Oromo and to make a particular investigation on Malkaa Ateetee ritual ceremony. The study
was undertaken by descriptively analyzing socio-cultural values among the Oromo of Finfinnee
Surrounding Oromia special zone of Burayyuu Town and Surrounding. 
The study identified that there are gaps in the level of understanding the cultural significance of
irreechaa ritual among the Oromo society and other ethnic groups. 
A qualitative methodological approach is employed in eliciting information from different
sources. In eliciting the necessary data, the study basically relied on primary sources comprising
of officials and functionaries of the local administrations, community elders, women, youths, and
participants in focus group discussions. With regard to collecting the primary data, interview:
semi-structured interview, observation and focus group discussion were used. 
The secondary data was reinforced by conducting detailed review and analysis of literatures that
also helped in formulating the theoretical frame work. According to the analyses and findings of
this study, the irreechaa ritual is celebrated colorfully every year at the beginning of birraa
(spring), new season after the dark and rainy summer season at Malkaa Ateetee, Buraayyuu in
which most Oromo participate. 
The study reveals that, purposely Ateetee and Irreechaa have interconnected and relationship in
the Oromo of the study area.  It has promoted and enhanced understanding and unity among the
Oromo. It has helped to build their common values and shared visions, and consolidated peace
(Nageenya Oromo), tolerance and resilience as cultural contribution of the ritual and also there
is 
a shortage of space where the festival takes place at the study area. Thus, a researcher
provides a possible recommendation for the gaps and applies some anthropological theories to
show
the
cultural
significance
of
irreechaa
ritual

G A o i o te < % U P > C h a ra c ter isa tio n o f h o t m a ter ia l eru p ted fro m IVIahanadi r iv e rb a n k u sin g E D X R F a n d X R D tech n iq u es B M allick'*, T R R autray'-', P K N ayak', V Vijayan', P Singh^, R C B eh era', T P a te l^n d R K C houdhury' * Institute o f P h ysics, Sachivalaya M a ^. Bhubaneswar-751 (K)5. O rissa. India 2 D epartm ent o f P hysics. NIT. |lo u rk cla -7 6 9 0 0 8 , O rissa. India Department o f B asic S cien ces, A K C o lleg e o f E n gin eer|ig, Krishnankoil, Srivilliputhur-62b 190, Tam ilnadu, India ^ D epartm ent o f G eo lo g y , Ulkal Univerj^ty, B h u b an csw ar-751 0 04, O rissa. India ^ D epartm ent o f M etallurgical E nginecriilg. NIT, R ourkela-769 0 0 8 . O rissa, India B mail-bmallick<2^Mopb res.in R e c e iv e d 12 July 2004, a r r e p te d 14 Jan u ary 2 0 0 5 Abstract : A detailed m incralogical study w as carried out on iron-rich hot material oo/;ed out from Mahanadi riverbank, Cuttack in O rissa. Both (jualitative and qu an titative estim ation o f the m u lti-elem en ts o f this com p lex m aterial was carried out by E nergy D isp ersive X -ray F lu o rescen ce (HI)XRF) technique. A m ong the analysed elem en ts, iron is found to be in highest concentration l e 18 whereas K, Ca. Ti and Mn are present as mmoi constituent, and V, Cr, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr and Pb are present in trace quantities. Ditfercnl crystallographic phases like maghemite (>'-Fe20^), himatitc (FcjO^). chrom ite (FeCr^O^), cuprospinel (C'uFe204>, cuprite (CU2O ), zhanghengite (C'uZn), ram sdellite (M iiO t), m ullile (Al^.Si^ O ,), anatase (TiO,). maiokite (C'aMn204). zin coch rom ite (ZnCrjO^) and baddelete (ZrOj) have been observed prom inently. S om e low intense lines o f pota.ssium ihloritc (KCIOj) and karelianite (V ^O ,) are also identified by the X-ray powder diffraction (X R D ) technique.

In the Newar (the indigenous people and culture of the Kathmandu Valley) Vajrayana tradition, dance is a spiritual discipline called charya nritya. These once secret practices were known only to the priestly, non-monastic caste of vajracharyas (masters of the Vajrayana tradition) in Nepal. But now, Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya, a 35th generation Vajrayana priest and foremost lineage holder of this thousand-year-old Buddhist tradition is teaching charya nritya and other Newar Vajrayana arts and practices at his base in Portland, Oregon, the Nritya Mandala Mahavihara (Dance Mandala Temple and Study Center). Each charya dance─through mudras, full-body postures, energy-directed movements, symbolic clothing and ornaments, and the accompanying charya-giti─invites and evokes a different tantric deity. Performing and visualizing the deity, the practitioner integrates and embodies its divine presence. The dance movements and vocalizations are conceived to animate the entire body in a process of self-transformation. Prajwal frequently reminds his students: “Without dancing and singing, there is no possibility of enlightenment.”

道教学者杜光庭的天文数术实践为探讨唐宋之际十一曜的形成及道教对外来宗教天文学的回应提供了重要切入点。本文运用文献分析、天象回推等方法重构了杜光庭占测天象的过程，指出罗睺、计都的天文含义至迟在900年已经发生转变，进一步论证《广成集》月孛为白道远地点，认为四余体系在唐末已基本确立，而十一曜是道教的发明。将域外天文学融于斋醮科仪，构成了杜光庭计算宇宙自然和回应动态变化的重要手段，既体现了道教学者对中古外来宗教挑战的主动应对，也展示了环境变化如何使域外天文学成为社会技术秩序变革的对象。研究表明，杜光庭是融合佛教、景教与中国(道教)天文学的学者典范，为推动中外天文学的第一次大规模合流及新发展发挥了关键性作用。在该趋势的影响下，道教在青城山、青罗山等地形成了传播和改造域外天文学的知识社区，再次证明了道教对外来科学文化兼收并蓄的特征。

This study examines the Gwala Raikar Samiti (herders' land tenure committee), a customary selfgovernance institution of the Kham Magar community in Bhume, Rukum East, Nepal, which has historically managed land, livelihoods, seasonal mobility, and local resources. While customary governance remains vital in many Indigenous communities, its role under modern state intervention and socioeconomic pressures is often overlooked. This article explores the structure, functions, and continuing relevance of the Gwala Raikar Samiti in sustaining land use, seasonal pastoralism, dispute resolution, communal activities, and environmental stewardship. Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, data were generated through oral histories, observations, and interviews with 15 participants, including elders, youths, herders, and community leaders, across five villages. The findings reveal that the Gwala Raikar Samiti regulates pastoral migration, sets agricultural product prices, resolves disputes, and leads cultural and environmental stewardship. Although land reforms, decentralization, and shifting livelihoods have weakened its formal role, the institution continues to exist, sustained by cultural legitimacy. However, declining youth engagement and limited state recognition threaten its future sustainability. The study underscores the community efforts to preserve and adapt the Gwala Raikar Samiti, affirming its significance in contemporary discussions of indigenous governance and ecological resilience. It contributes to policy and debates on integrating customary institutions to protect the environment, sustain local autonomy, and promote sustainable rural livelihoods.

Do nDa e n 皇Vi l l a 皇 ei nNo r t h e a s t Th a il a n d: S h a ri n go f Me r i t a n d t h eAs s o c i a t e dS o c i a l Re l a t i o n s h i p so f F u n e r a l Ri t e s Yu k i o H AYAS HI * I n t her i t u a lc o mp l e x o f Do n Da e n g v i l l a g e , t h ef u n e r a lr i t e sa c c o mp a n y i n gn o r ma ld e a t h a r e t h emo s tc o mp l i c a t e do fme r it -ma k i n g( t h a n b u n ) c e r e mo n i e s ,i n v o l v i n g f o u rs t a g e so fr i t u a l : ( 1 ) r i t e sh e l d wh i l et h e b o d y i sk e p ta th o me ,( 2 ) c r e ma t i o n r i t e s , ( 3 )c o l l e c t i o no fb o n e s , ( 4 )c o l l e ct i v e r it e s f o r t r a n s f er r i n g me r i t t o t h e d e a d ･ Al t h o u g ht h e s er i t e sa r eh o u s e h o l d -c e n t e r e d ,c l o s e k i na n dma n yo t h e rv i l l a g e r sc o l l e c t i v e l yp a r t l C I P a t e wi t hma t e r ia l d o n a t i o n sa n dc o o p e r a t i o n . F o rt h e r e l a t i v e s o ft h e d e a d ,t h e h o s t s o f t h e f u n e r a l r i t e s ,t h ema i n o b j e c ti st o ma k eal o to fme r i t a n dt r a n s f e ri tt ot h ed e c e a s e di no r d e rt oe n s u r e a g o o d r e b i r t h ･ Th e y f u l 丘 l la mo r a lo b l i g a t i o n t o t h e d e a d ,b e c a u s e v i l l a g e r s b e l i e v e t h a t t h e a v e r a g ep e r s o n c a n n o ta c c u mu l a t ee n o u g h me r i t Ⅰ は じ め に 本稿 は, 現地 調査 で得 た資料 に も と づ い て, 1 '東北 タイの ドンデ ー ン村 に お け る葬制 * 龍谷大学文 学部 ;Fa c u l t yo fLe t t e r s , Ry u k o k u Un i v e r s l t y ,S h i c h i j o Oh mi ya, S h i mo g y o -k u , Ky o t o6 0 0 ,J a p a n 1 )筆者は1 9 8 3 年 1月より1 0 月にわたって村内に定 着 し,宗教 ･ 儀礼 ･ 世界観に関す る調査 を直 接,参与観察,村人とのインフォーマル ･イン タヴ3 . -によって行なった.その概略について

中国華厳宗の第四祖とされる澄観（738―839）は、一方で律宗、南北禅宗、三論宗、天台宗など各宗の思想を学びつつ、独自の華厳思想を形成した。従来の研究においては、澄観の思想は禅や天台の影響を受け、実践的立場が強いと説明されてきた。ここで、一つの問題が提出されるだろう。すなわち、「実践思想」という言葉が何を指しているのか、という問題である。
仏教の実践思想とは、一言で言えば、悟りと解脱へ至るための修行法である。その修行法には三つの側面、すなわち「戒」・「定」・「慧」の三学があるとされる。このうち「戒」は「戒」・「律」を身に付けることであり、「定」は雑念を払い、心を安定させることであり、「慧」というのはその戒学と定学に基づいて悟りの智慧を獲得することである。仏道修行の目的は至高の仏の智慧を獲得することにあるが、その智慧や悟りの境地に入るためには、「法」を観察する必要があるとされる。その観察の方法は、「観法」という。本来の観察された「法」は事物や現象の意味に近いが、禅宗や華厳宗などの中国仏教では自らの「心」を観察することが重んじられている。具体的に言うと、私たちの周囲のすべての存在現象は「心」の働きであり、「心」が造り出したものにすぎないため、あらゆる存在は心より現出したものにほかならず、心のほかに何物も存在しないのである。つまり、華厳宗の立場において、観察されたものは外部世界でなく、自らの「心」のすがたであるとされる。
この「観法」とは、心の動きを静めることによって智慧を発し、「心」のありのままのすがたを正しく観察することができ、それによって真理をさとり、仏道が完成される実践法である。つまり、観法は「定」と「慧」によって、悟りを開く方法である。この方法について、澄観はさまざまな具体的な方法を提唱したが、大きく分けて「縁起法門」と「性起法門」の二つに分かれる。縁起法門とは、この現象世界は真如が縁（様々な条件）に従って現れたものであり、一切の現象が互いに対立せず、相互に無限の関係をもって作用し合っていることを理解する修行法である。性起法門とは、自己心中の本来の仏性（本覚）を発見し、成仏する修行法である。澄観の観法論では、法界観、華厳心要観、三聖円融観などの観法が提出されている。このうち、縁起法門に属する法界観は真理と事相の関係（「理」・「事」）を観察し、三聖円融観は毘盧遮那・文殊・普賢の円融関係を観想し、間接的に自分の心を見つめ、人間の心の本性を悟る修行法である。性起法門に属した華厳心要観は直接的に自分の心の本性を見ることである。
大乗仏教の修行者の目的は、究極の智慧を求め、同時に衆生を教化することである。そのため、修行者自身は修行生活の清浄を守る必要があり、それは懺悔の問題にも関係する。つまり、日常的な修行生活において、戒・律を破ればその救済措置である懺悔法も実践の一環となる。そのため、本論文では戒学と合わせて、澄観の懺法についても考察する。
多くの研究はこの観法を中心として澄観の実践思想を論じている。この観法思想は彼の定学と慧学を体現したものと言えるが、一方で、戒学と懺法も彼の実践思想に欠けてはならない要素だろう。また、いままでの研究の視点は澄観の観法思想、禅的な立場などに集中してきたが、彼の実践思想の全貌については、まだ明らかにしなければならない問題が残っている。
そのため、澄観の実践思想の全貌を明らかにするためには、当時の時代背景において、彼の思想を全面的に考察しなければならない。そこで、澄観の伝記と著作に基づいて、彼の学的継承関係、思想体系、活躍した時代背景などを明らかにする必要がある。
本論文はこのような視点から、澄観の実践思想の内容と、禅や天台などの修行法との接触、その成立の時代背景を究明したい。これによって、彼の実践思想の特質を確認すると同時に、澄観思想の従来未解明であった一断面を考察してみたい。

本研究聚焦於道教儀式「讀詞」環節中，用以向神明禀告和祈禱的文書。這篇文書統稱「詞意」，亦稱為青詞、齋意、疏意、意文等。以往研究中，「詞意」通常只被視作儀式文書的一部分，而本研究將其作為獨立主題進行探討。首先，通過重新檢視道教及世俗文獻，分析唐玄宗推行的太清宮禮儀改革，與這類文書起源的關聯。接著，勾勒這類文書自唐代至清代在儀式應用、文體結構和文學風格方面的發展和演變。在明清時期，研究關注新出現的「詞意」範文集現象，引用的資料除了包括清代公開出版的《玄門通事雅宜集》、《靈寶文檢》、《心香妙語》，也包括北京白雲觀藏的《玄壇要旨四六金書》和澳門吳慶雲道院藏的《岡陵獻頌》四冊兩種手抄本。而本研究的核心部分，在於搜集和整理了超過140份道教度亡儀式的意文實例。這些儀式文書主要來自1800至1950年間湖北省、湖南省、重慶市、四川省和雲南省。通過對比道教文獻和這些實例，本研究揭示了「詞意」在該時期的真實面貌。此外，從這些文書中所顯示的正一道士身份及度亡法事內容的信息，可以觀察到地方社會中道士面對的時代挑戰，以及所採取的對變方法。

Masculine literature represents a vast and complex field that reflects, constructs, and interrogates male experience, identity, and power within literary traditions. This essay examines its origins, theoretical underpinnings, and aesthetic features, situating masculine literature within gender studies and literary criticism. Drawing on the works of scholars such as Elaine Showalter, R. W. Connell, and Simone de Beauvoir, the essay argues that masculine literature both expresses and critiques patriarchal ideologies through themes of heroism, power, violence, and alienation.