Induizzati, degenerati da convertire; interpretazioni del buddhismo newar della Valle di Kathmandu

Traditional Newar Buddhism of the Kathmandu Valley has two features that set it apart from other varieties of Buddhism: the first is the absence of monks and the second is its rigid caste structure. During the XIV century, the institution of celibate monks has been replaced by the institution of hereditary Buddhist priests who serve the same functions as their Brahman counterparts. The life of the individual as well as the community is regulated by a multitude of complex rituals,many with an easily recognizable Hindu origin. Many western scholars have concluded that Newar Buddhismis corrupt and degenerated or that it is Hinduism in all its aspects but the name. Such descriptions presuppose the (mythical) idea of a pure and original Buddhism. In the first decades of XX century Theravada Buddhism arrived to Nepal, rejecting Newar Buddhism with the ultimate aim of reorienting it towards the ‘original’pattern still existing in countries like Ceylon or Burma. Theravada Buddhism has introduced a change in the self-image of the Newar Buddhists, through direct conversion or through its indirect influence. On the other hand, Theravadins make use of rituals of Newar Buddhism, deviating from the time-honoured pattern they preach. This study critically analyses the categories of purity, orthodoxy and originality, which are used by both Theravada missionaries and western scholars to understand Newar Buddhism.