Soft Decoloniality and Decolonising the Displays at Chiddingstone Castle, Kent
Keywords:
Buddhism, Decolonization, Decoloniality, Museum Studies, Buddhist ModernismAbstract
Popular misconceptions and misunderstandings regarding South Asian religions often have roots in colonial-era encounters and the oversimplifications which inevitably arise when viewing e.g. Buddhist thought through the lens of European philosophical concepts. This constitutes a form of colonisation of thought. Models of the world which were deemed fit for purpose in the past but which more recent scholarship has proved to be problematic still endure in the minds of many. As such, decolonising practices are relevant for the unlearning of misconceptions relating to Buddhist thought, practice, and material culture. This article explores the issue from the perspective of decolonisation practices in the public sphere, and in so doing draws a distinction between ‘ hard decoloniality’ which addresses global social justice and ‘soft decoloniality’ addressing global cognitive justice. The focus of the article is on recent decolonisation practices at Chiddingstone Castle, a small independent museum in Kent, England.References
Amgueddfa Blog. 2021. “Decolonising Amgueddfa Cymru’s Collection – the Journey Begins | Museum Wales.” 2021. https://museum.wales/blog/2394/DecolonisingAmgueddfaCymrus-Collection--the-journey-begins/.
Balzani, Marzia, and Niko Besnier. 2022. Social and Cultural Anthropology for the 21st Century: Connected Worlds. London: Routledge.
Bechert, Heinz. 1966. Buddhismus, Staat Und Geselschaft in Den Landen Des Theravada Buddhismus. Vol I. Berlin: Alfred Metzner.
Beer, Robert. 2014. The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs. Boston: Shambhala.
Bodhi, Bhikkhu. 2012. Anguttara Nikaya - The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: A Complete Translation. Boston: Wisdom Publications.
Buswell, Robert E. Jr., and Donald S. Jr. Lopez. 2014. “10 Misconceptions about Buddhism.” Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, no. Summer.
Chiddingstone Castle Trust. 2023. “Buddhist Art Collection — Chiddingstone Castle in Kent.” 2023. https://www.chiddingstonecastle.org.uk/collections/buddhist/.
Chowdhury, Rashedur. 2021. “From Black Pain to Rhodes Must Fall: A Rejectionist Perspective.” Journal of Business Ethics 170 (2): 287–311. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10551-019-04350-1.
Collick, Naomi. 2023a. “Personal Communication.”
———. 2023b. “The Display of Tibetan Buddhist Objects at Chiddingstone Castle: A Historic Home.” In Tibetan Buddhist Monastery Collections and Museums, edited by Christian Luczanits and Louise Tythacott, 269–86. Kathmandu: Vajra Academic.
Deleuze, Gilles, Felix Guattari, and Brian Massumi. 2013. A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia. London: Bloomsbury Academic.
Drayton, Richard. 2019. “Rhodes Must Not Fall?” Third Text 33 (4–5): 651–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/09528822.2019.1653073.
Eldridge, Mary. 1996. Beyond Belief. Stoney Litho.
Giblin, John, Imma Ramos, and Nikki Grout. 2019. “Dismantling the Master’s House.” Third Text 33 (4–5): 471–86. https://doi.org/10.1080/09528822.2019.1653065.
Guy, David. 2000. “Christmas Humphreys.” Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, no. Summer.
Harris, Clare. 2006. “The Buddha Goes Global: Some Thoughts towards a Transnational Art History.” Art History 29 (4): 698–720. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1467-8365.2006.00520.X.
———. 2012. The Museum on the Roof of the World: Art, Politics, and the Representation of Tibet. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Harvey, Peter. 2021. “Are Buddhists Pacifists?” In Buddhism in 5 Minutes, edited by Elizabeth Harris, 284–88. Sheffield: Equinox.
Hicks, Dan. 2020. The Brutish Museums: The Benin Bronzes, Colonial Violence and Cultural Restitution. London: Pluto Press.
Humphreys, Christmas. 1980. The Buddhist Way of Life. London: Unwin Paperbacks.
Jones, Dhivan Thomas. 2021. “Are Buddhists Vegetarians?” In Buddhism in 5 Minutes, edited by Elizabeth Harris, 289–92. Sheffield: Equinox.
Kapstein, Matthew T. 2006. The Tibetans. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Inc.
Kolata, Paulina. 2021. “Who Is the Fat Buddha Figure?” In Buddhism in 5 Minutes, edited by Elizabeth Harris, 60–62. Sheffield: Equinox.
Lauer, Erin. 2023. “An Analysis of the Terms ‘Meditation’ and ‘Ritual’ in Anglophone Buddhism.” University of South Wales.
Lopez, Donald S. 1998. Prisoners of Shangri-La: Tibetan Buddhism and the West. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
———. 2002. Modern Buddhism. London: Penguin.
Martin, Emma. 2009. “Developing and Defining Migratory Practice for the Museum.” Craft + Design Enquiry, January, 1–25.
Matos, Patricia Ferraz de, and Livio Sansone. 2021. “FORUM Decolonising Europe: National and Transnational Projects.” Anthropological Journal of European Cultures 30 (2): 79–85. https://doi.org/10.3167/ajec.2021.300205.
McMahan, David L. 2008. The Making of Buddhist Modernism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Ng, Eddy. 2020. “Black Lives Matter: On the Decial of Systemic Racism, White Liberals, and Polite Racism.” Equality, Diversity and Inclusion 39 (7): 729–39.
Oliveira Andreotti, Vanessa de. 2011. “(Towards) Decoloniality and Diversality in Global Citizenship Education.” Globalisation, Societies and Education 9 (3–4): 381–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2011.605323.
Santos, Boaventura de Soussa. 2007. Cognitive Justice in a Global World. Plymouth: Lexington Books.
Smith, Linda Tuhiwai. 2022. Decolonising Methodologies. 3rd ed. London: Bloomsbury.
Thomas, Kecia M., Leslie. Ashburn-Nardo, and Regine. Bendl. 2017. “Broadening the Conversation : Why Black Lives Matter: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal.” Equality, Diversity and Inclusion36 (8): 698–706.
Turunen, Johanna. 2019. “Decolonising European Minds through Heritage.” International Journal of Heritage Studies 26 (10): 1013–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2019.1678051.
Walters, Jonathan. S. 1998. Finding Buddhists in Global History. Washington DC: American Historical Association.
Wilson, Martin, and Martin Brauen. 2000. Deities of Tibetan Buddhism. Somerville MA: Wisdom Publications.
Wingfield, Christopher. 2010. “Touching the Buddha: Encounters with a Charismatic Object.” In Museum Materialities: Objects, Engagements, Interpretations, edited by Sandra Dudley, 53–70. London: Routledge.
“World Cultures Gallery | National Museums Liverpool.” 2023. 2023. https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/news/press-releases/world-cultures-gallery.
