Buddhism, the Internet, and Digital Media: The Pixel in the Lotus [Paperback]

Buddhism, the Internet and Digital Media: The Pixel in the Lotus explores Buddhist practice and teachings in an increasingly networked and digital era. Contributors consider the ways Buddhism plays a role and is present in digital media through a variety of methods including concrete case studies, ethnographic research, and content analysis, as well as interviews with practitioners and cyber-communities. In addition to considering Buddhism in the context of technologies such as virtual worlds, social media, and mobile devices, authors ask how the Internet affects identity, authority and community, and what effect this might have on the development, proliferation, and perception of Buddhism in an online environment. Together, these essays make the case that studying contemporary online Buddhist practice can provide valuable insights into the shifting role religion plays in our constantly changing, mediated, hurried, and uncertain culture.

1. Introduction Daniel Veidlinger  Part I: Methodological Considerations  2. The Middle Way Method: A Buddhist Informed Ethnography of the Virtual World of Second Life Gregory Grieve  3. Between Network and Story: Analyzing Hyperlinks and Narratives on Websites about Tibet Laura Osburn  4. Towards a Typology and Mapping of the Buddhist Cyberspace Louise Connelly Part II: Historical Approaches  5. Online Peer-Reviewed Journals in Buddhism: The Birth of The Journals of Buddhist Ethics and Global Buddhism Charles S. Prebish  6. A Virtual Bodhi Tree: Untangling the Cultural Context and Historical Genealogy of Digital Buddhism Gregory Grieve Part III: Buddhism, Media and Society  7. The Madhyama is the Message: Internet Affordance of Anatman and Pratitya Samutpl³,