Kelzang Tashi

This project investigates religious syncretism between Buddhism and Shamanic Bon in Bhutan, with a particular focus on the roles of art, symbols, ritual music, and architecture in shaping and mediating the process of ritual syncretism. It examines how these elements influence both the perception and the practice of syncretic Buddhist rituals, arguing that ritual syncretism not only serves to maintain cultural continuity but also plays a significant role in safeguarding the Buddhist doctrinal purity. The project engages with ongoing academic discourse surrounding syncretism, which often raises concerns about the 'impurity' that may result from the amalgamation of incompatible religious traditions and instead reframes syncretism as a negotiation of religious boundaries and legitimacy. The project offers a new lens through which to view Buddhism’s resilience, its capacity for radical reinvention, and the ways in which religion can both shape and be shaped by the political and cultural forces that seek to control it.