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I found this book to be both informative and a useful application across disciplines for anyone concerned with regional, national, and transnational identity, rural and urban differences, and community cohesion. The focus on Asian Buddhist communities in Canada necessarily addresses the multiplicity of identities and experiences held by each member and group. McLellan shows how Buddhism provides a link for individuals or families to past traditions, languages, and roles during the process of adaptation to a new environment and culture. Nonetheless, due to the strength of Judeo-Christian religions in Canada, those who follow all alternative religious path remain marginalized and must struggle against quiet coercion to adopt a more popular religious narrative. Through the practice and development of a shared belief system, ethnocultural identity is defined, explored, and legitimated, creating strong social ties and support networks between members of a specific Buddhist group. This comes, at a cost, however, as it discourages interaction and network building between different Buddhist groups and encourages distrust and exclusionary behaviour.
Many Petals of the Lotus is based on a lengthy ethnographic exploration of Asian Buddhist groups in Canada and the author is to be commended on the extensive nature of her investigation. The research includes: attendance at, and participant observation of, formal and informal gatherings, structured and informal interviews with participants, analysis of statistics on immigration. reviews of Buddhist archival materials, a survey administered to Chinese-Buddhist groups, and a content analysis of Chinese newspapers in Toronto.
Chapter 1 provides an overview of the basic beliefs of Buddhism and its prevalence in Canadian society. The author discuses five principle Asian Buddhist communities in Toronto, Canada's largest city: Japanese. Tibetan, Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Chinese. Each community is discussed in relation to its historical unfolding in Canada, as well as its current organization, by comparing the variation of leaders, teachings, practices, and traditions....