Buddhism in Indonesia

Roberto Rizzo completed his doctorate at the University of Milan-Bicocca

• AcknowledgementsList of FiguresIntroduction 1. The eternal return. A brief history of Buddhism in Java.SECTION I – FROM THE SEED OF THE ANCESTORS2. Surjosari, 2017. The establishment of a “revival in the revival”3. Enchantment and genealogy in mountain JavaSECTION II – ANCESTORS REVISITED4. Surjosari, 2019. More Javanese, more Buddhist? Two rites of passage5. The eventisation of Javaneseness in TemanggungSECTION III – STATUES6. Uncanny stone. Statues and religious change in Java 7. Garden shrines and the visual culture of a revivalSECTION IV – OTHER REVIVALS8. Entrepreneurial dharma in urban Java9. Aspiration and inspiration. Young Buddhist Association of IndonesiaConclusionsCited worksIndex

"This book tracks the growing public profile of Buddhism in Java, within the frame of Pancasila, the state-sanctioned ideology. For Rizzo, 'Java is the political and, arguably, the cultural epicentre' of modern Indonesia,... [and his] fieldwork includes residents of the majority Buddhist village Surjosari and his principal informant, the activist Subagyo, who is involved with Buddhist Youth (Pemuda Buddhis), which was founded in 2016....Rizzo [further] discusses urban Buddhist organizations and the appeal of Buddhism for youth... [making it] a fascinating study that is highly recommended."-- Carole M. Cusack, University of Sydney, Religious Studies Review, vol. 52, no. 2 (June 2026)