A Review of Nancy Lynch Streets In Search of Red Buddha - Book Report/Review Example

A review of Nancy Lynch Street’s book ‘In search of Red Buddha Review of ‘In search of red Buddha Buddhism is one of the oldest organized religions in the world and is approximated to have been started by Gautama Buddha or the ‘Enlightened One’ during the 5th century B.C.E. Even though Buddha was born in Northern India, his teachings soon became an organized religion and became widely accepted in diverse cultures like China, Japan and Ceylon. Over the last one hundred and fifty years, many Western philosophers, historians and students of oriental and Asian studies became aware of the non-violent focus of this great religion. This interest apparently came about due to the writings of early explorers and historians who visited the region. They include experts on Buddhist studies like Alexander Csoma de Köros, Edmond Foucaux,  ean-Pierre Abel-Remusat and Stanislas Julien (Lenoir). The Western fascination for this religious belief grew out the writings of these early pioneers and continues even to this day. This paper attempts to review such a modern literary work by Professor Nancy Lynch Street titled ‘In Search of Red Buddha - Higher Education in China after Mao Zedong, 1985 – 1990’. Professor Street is associated with the Bridgewater State College in Virginia. She has authored several books and is apparently a keen student of all aspects of Chinese society including religion (Buddhism), social life, politics, and business. This is apparent from her varied literary works like American business in China’ and the current book reviewed in this paper. Her area of interest is primarily focused on intercultural relationships in an international setting, but also includes related areas like communication and the Cold War era. She has also acted as editor in works like ‘War and film in America’ co-edited by Marilyn Matelski. It can be assumed that the book under review provide authentic reproduction of her experiences in the impact of Communism and the cultural revolution on the Buddhist psyche in the country in general and the practically unknown (to the outside world), community life in the city of Linfen situated in the province of Shanxi. The work under review is based on her experiences as a traveler and exchange professor between the Chinese government and her University. The focus of the book: The focus of the work is apparently twofold. The first is that the author is attempting at bridging a cultural gap between Communist China, its impact on a philosophical and intellectual religion like Buddhism and transferring them to the Western mind. The author apparently assumes that the detailed tenets of Buddhism are already known to the reader. The second area of focus is the impact on students between the period under study which is a period between 1985 and 1990. The author claims to have visited and stayed in the country for extended periods during this time. In total, the work aims to provide the Western mind, the actual scenario that exists in China under communist regime. Street gives first person accounts and her own experiences to communicate her aim or focus in writing this book. Synopsis and review: Street apparently focuses on the impact of Communism and the Cultural Revolution that had a great impact on Buddhist philosophy ingrained in the minds of Chinese citizens. The start of this impact was the Communist takeover of the country led by Mao which later on led to the Cultural Revolution in 1966. The author claims that the content of the work was based on her personal experience in working in the country within a period between 1985 and 1990. According to the author’s own words, “this book is the result of three journeys into the People’s Republic of China since 1985. My first two journeys were made as the exchange professor from the Bridgewater (Mass) State College to the Shanxi Teacher’s University in the People’s Republic of China. My third journey was sponsored by a Fulbright-Hayes Group Study Grant in 1990” (Street ix). All these assignments helped the author to have a firsthand understanding of the reddening (color of the communist) of the Buddha. This forms the basis of the content in this book. In the process, Street claims to have recorded personal viewpoints which could be in contrast with the concepts of Communism and the Cultural Revolution which over a period of years took the form of anarchy and repression. The author attempts to portray the conflicts that arise between traditional religious beliefs and the concept of a free society which forms the basic tenets of true Marxist ideology. She provides the complex and conflicting interaction between these two ideological beliefs. In the case of Buddhist ideology, there is a concept of a greater power, while in the case of Communist ideology; the power should rest in the hands of the proletariat or the common workers who form the majority of the community. But the author’s work is unique in the sense that it provides a hitherto unknown glimpse into the life of a community which should prove a revelation to Western minds on the impact of Communism and Cultural Revolution on the traditional Buddhist psyche of the ordinary Chinese people. Street’s work takes all these factors into consideration in her book which could be classified in diverse ways depending on the ideology and views of the reader. The title of the work has to be reviewed in two parts. Statues of Gautama Buddha depicted in deep contentment and are finished in the color associated with yellow (mostly as bronze figurines and deities). Any person interested in the orient and Chinese religion will be curious about the word ‘red Buddha’. Such scholars and students would apparently be familiar with the fact that China is country ruled by Communist philosophy. The first impression is how a religion and a state ruled belief that God does not exist could co-exist in such a vast land. The introductory sections provide the basis on how the author became interested in Chinese religion and society. As mentioned earlier, writers have been influenced by pioneering individuals on Chinese religion as well as other modern musings on the this concept. According to Street, the two books that influenced her most in taking up a post as an exchange professor was the literary works of Jian Zhen (seventh century AD) and the more modern philosophical work (combined with Western machinery) by Robert Persig titled ‘Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance’. This confirms the fact that current writers on Buddhism are influenced by old and new literary works in Chinese philosophy in general and Buddhism in particular. The second part of the title could discourage serious students of religion since it has a direct connotation to education and that too within a period of five years. Readers could be mislead into thinking that the book is primarily concerned with education rather than on the conflict of ideologies mentioned above. But a closer examination of the book indicate that Street has gone in for a much in-depth study of Chinese community during the period of the Communist regime and Cultural revolution and its impact on the religion prevalent in the country during that time. So, the title of the work need not be a deterrent for Western students of religion, politics, and sociology to have a mistaken belief regarding the overall contents of Street’s book. It would be difficult to classify the genre of Street’s work. Critics can classify the current publication under review in this paper as a travelogue, a future part of an autobiography, a modern historical document, or just musings of observations that interested the author. But in any case, it can be said that Street did not attempt an armchair literature effort, writing her opinions within the confines of her home. There is no literature that opposes the view of the author which illustrates the fact that critics have no apparent reason to doubt her findings. The writing style of Street is also a factor to be considered. She apparently writes in first person which is evident in the whole of the book. The impression that one gets of the book when a person starts reading is that it could be a travelogue or sojourn rather than a history or findings of community life in Communist China confused with the concept of Cultural Revolution. But as one goes deeper, it becomes apparent that valuable insights can be gained by an interested student or reader regarding this aspect. She begins her book with the proper acknowledgments, and a forward which will immediately provide the reader regarding the purpose of this literary adventure in history, religion and culture. Street also provides a list of important dates of events at the start of the book which will provide the reader an overall view of the contents of the work. A map, apparently showing the areas visited by Street is also given. Nancy Lynch Street’s "In Search of Red Buddha" illustrates the life and works of a sojourner who spends her time and efforts as one of the first Westerner to teach in the formerly closed city in Linfen. The book offers a valuable opportunity for the reader to comprehend Chinese social and cultural backdrops and how they design their social and cultural life. The book also concentrates the influence of Western culture and education among the Chinese people. Through numerous interviews and case studies, Nancy Lynch Street examines Chinese education policy and various factors that contribute diversity in the fields of higher education. Street’s work explains the process of Western adaptation in China in the fields of education and social life. In her provoking and insightful presentation, author gives vivid picture of social, historical, geographical and Cultural Revolution of China. Because of its authentic style and well organized structure, critics received this book as a wonderfully informative account of modern China. In his review of In Search of Red Buddha, Donald Fishman of Boston College , stated that "Dr. Streets vivid account of the history, culture, geography and ideology of China, particularly the impact of the Cultural Revolution, is thought-provoking and insightful” (Peter Lang). Dr. Street had worked as an exchange professor to Shanxi University in Linfen, Shanxi Province. In addition, author has also made other journeys to China. Through the help of these personal experiences, Dr. Street develops her work as a startling piece of information about modern China. Author says that Chinese teaching Universities kept some remarkable distinguishes from the similar institutions from United States. The author provides a well organized picture of Chinese education system through her own personal experiences. It is significant to notice that students pay nothing to go to the teaching colleges and universities. One can simply admit that Nancy Lynch Street’s "In Search of Red Buddha” as a significant source of information about Chinese cultural revolution and its after effects. Author keeps her interminable desire to know and experience Chinese culture and it revealed through ideas and concepts in her book Street’s "In Search of Red Buddha”. Dr. Street explains the term ‘revolution’ in a scrupulous concept of citizenship, especially for the young. The case study about Shi Hong, a Chinese student gives interesting information for the readers about the cultural diversity of Chinese students and how the process of revolution occurred in the field of higher education. Policy makers of China recommended foreign teachers and technologies as a part of educational reforms. It is important to mention that the new educational reforms that mentioned in Dr. Street’s book underlines the ideas of James W. Neuliep. The book entitled “Intercultural Communication” concentrates the possibility of studying various cultures and intercultural interactions (Neuliep, 2002, 4). Dr. Street’s book obviously remarks the growth of English and Japanese language in Chinese universities and other teaching institutions. Dr. Street describes revolution as a means to become humane and serving all people. Street’s observations permit the reader to understand the landscape, people and their culture in detail. It is obvious that author made some marvellous effort to catch the characteristics of the land and its people. The concept of studying other cultures mentioned by James W. Neuliep, gets maximum importance in Dr. Street’s book. The author gives valuable information about the Civil War, Anti-Japanese War, and the Liberation War and how the above mentioned wars affect Chinese civilization. Emergence of Chiang Kai-shek as a powerful ruler gives relevant information about the role of Western forces especially, United States in the process of Cultural Revolution in China. The Second Civil War occurred in 1927 and the war paved the way for a series of conflicts between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CPP). Readers can find some remarkable information about the political circumstances and conflicts in China after reading Dr. Street’s descriptions. The Japanese occupation in the Northern provinces paved the way for the reunification of KMT and CCP. At this juncture, Street helps the reader to understand how Chinese people handle the foreigners. The author includes many interviews with students as well teachers and these interviews often play vital role in the process of understanding. As James W. Neuliep mentions teachers can appreciate different concepts such as cultural- micro-cultural, environmental, social, verbal and non-verbal codes, relationships in organizations and intercultural competence. Author’s experience at Shaanxi Teachers University (STU) makes available relevant information about the ideologies and principles of Confucianism. To handle intercultural conflicts, maintenance of intercultural relations and the management of intercultural relations are described in Neuliep’s book and readers can find those methods in Dr. Street’s experiences. The work also shows the Communist need to be aware of every activity including opening of personal letters. Any material whether received or sent which criticized the country’s government was frowned upon. Street while leaving the country did not send her writings by mail, but carried it in her personal baggage which luckily was not tampered with. This attitude was especially high with regard to foreigners in the country. The western society respected privacy and this could come as a cultural shock to any visitor to the country. The author takes pains to show the attitude of the government towards intellectuals in the country. It became apparent to Street that free speech and intellectual thought was not welcome in the country and such people were exiled to the interiors where they could not be in contact with the outside world. The city in which she worked was such a place. Street then goes on to write about the state of contemporary education system in the country. It was impossible to get higher education especially for the children of those labelled as intellectuals. Moreover, only one child was allowed to follow in the footsteps of their parents. The concept of developing a working class was encouraged in the education system. What is interesting to the Western reader is that it provides an insight into a first person account of the current education system in the country. The author goes on to explain the hardships faced by young students in Communist China. Again a first person account, it describes a scenario where people were forced to work in farms and other occupations by the government (in this case, Inner Mongolia). It vividly describes the hardships faced by the people. The aspect of Chinese religious and social practice is also discussed in the book. Spring is a time when people follow ancient customs like visiting the graves of their ancestors. But this is also a period of high levels of Communist propaganda wherever possible. The book also describes the process Chinese students have to go through if they want to obtain Western education. The philosophy of Deng Xiaoping who stresses on people belonging to the working class is also stated. Students did not have the freedom to choose subjects for higher studies nor did they have the option to choose the University of their Choice. It was chosen on a system based on their scores. This stand has instilled a psyche among students that any form of intellectual pursuit was not an attractive career. The rest of the book is glimpses of the author’s experience before leaving the country. The author writes in a style that is easy to understand and also makes interesting reading. Her first person account of experiences in China makes the reader feel that the account is more of travelogue rather than interpretation of historical facts. But this helps in the sense that even those not interested in Buddhism or (modern) Chinese history to read the book and become more aware of the world around him. The book could be considered useful to students of history and even businessmen planning operations in the country. According to the publishers, “In Search of Red Buddha offers a rare glimpse of the complex society and political foundations of colleges and universities in rural China, never before covered in most books on Chinese higher education” (International Debate Education Association). The one major criticism is that the book deals with cultural education rather than school education and hence the second part of the title could be misleading to some readers. Conclusion: The relevance of Street’s work can be considered of extreme importance in the sense that the world is becoming globalized and is often referred to as a global village. This is apparently due to the advancements in technology which has cut down geographical boundaries. The lack of understanding of cultural and political differences imbalanced by easy to use communication technologies have resulted in a situation whereby conflicts can arise fuelled by those intent on leadership through inciting diversity of culture and religion. It could be said in this context that sincere intercultural understanding and publication of knowledge would help in bringing about a more peaceful and understanding society. ‘In search of red Buddha’ does show how the Chinese education system today has negatively impacted the ancient intellectual Buddhist traditions of the country. It also bridges the gap between Western thought, Buddhism and the current Communist philosophy that is controlling the society in the country. References International Debate Education Association, . "In search of Red Buddha." . International Debate Education Association, 2012. Web. 16 Apr 2012. . Lenoir, F. "The evolution of Buddhism in the west." Frederic Lenoir. N.p., 1999. Web. 16 Apr 2012. . Neuliep, James. Intercultural Communication: A Contextual Approach. SAGE Publications, 2012. Print. Peter Lang,. "In search of Red Buddha.”. Peter Lang Publishing Inc, n.d. Web. 16 Apr 2012. . Street, Nancy Lynch. In search of red Buddha. IDEA Press, 1992. ix. Print. Read More