Dialogue with the Shindré 1
Kikee Doma Bhutia
July 3, 2023 DOI: 10.4324/9781003406693-12 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnography |
|---|---|
| Population | Tibetan Buddhist Lhopo communities of North Sikkim, particularly rural villages |
| Key findings | Argues that beliefs in the shindré ('spirit of the dead') and related ritual practices among the Tibetan Buddhist Lhopo of North Sikkim are frequently based on perceived experiences and arise from complex processes shaped by cultural encounters and informed by local traditions, rather than being simple doctrinal convictions. |
Abstract
This chapter is an ethnographic study of the shindré’s or ‘spirit of the dead’ and the funerary rituals of the Tibetan Buddhist Lhopo of North Sikkim. It looks into oral narratives and experience-related narratives in order to understand both the nature of Buddhist religious belief and the circumstances that lead to such beliefs manifesting. Among the many rural villages in Sikkim, the belief in shindré and the ritual practices related to invoking, negotiating, and interacting with the spirits of the dead are frequently based on perceived experiences. This chapter adopts a phenomenological approach into investigating supernatural beliefs and stories of spirit possession. It shows how such beliefs are the result of complex processes shaped by cultural encounters and informed by local traditions.