An Association for Asian Studies teaching article by historian Matthew Mitchell tracing how premodern East Asian Buddhist temples were financially sustained by lay donations understood as voluntary merit-making rather than a fixed member due.
Facts
Citation
AuthorMatthew Mitchell
PublisherEducation About Asia, Association for Asian Studies (vol. 24, no. 2)
Publication Year2019
URLhttps://www.educationaboutasia.org/article/borrowing-from-the-buddha-buddhist-temples-as-financial-centers-in-premodern-east-asia/
Source Typeacademic article
Assessment
Reliability Tier1
Tier 1: a peer-reviewed-adjacent article in Education About Asia, the Association for Asian Studies' own teaching-focused journal, by Matthew Mitchell, a historian of premodern East Asian Buddhism. Traces the lay-monastic exchange of economic support for spiritual assistance to the origins of the East Asian Buddhist merit economy, in which laypeople's offerings are framed as voluntary merit-making, "planting karmic seeds in the field of merit," not a mandatory due. Claims Backed By This Source (9 claims)
This source backs 9 claims across the atlas. As facts: 8 well-attested. Plus 1 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.
Disposition By Topic
- Sources, 7 claims: 7 well-attested.
- Denominations, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.