Think Again Before You Dismiss Magic
Buddhist Magic: Divination, Healing, and Enchantment Through the Ages By Sam van Schaik
Shambhala Publications, 2020 $18.95; 256 pages
WALKING BY KANDY LAKE on our first visit to Sri Lanka in 1981, my wife and I met a young man claiming to be the nephew of the abbot of a nearby Buddhist monastery. We were dubious, but when he offered to introduce us, we agreed. Before we knew it, we were in an ornate reception room at the vihara, bowing to an elderly monk and then sitting at his feet. We expected him to deliver a short discourse on impermanence or encourage us to observe the five precepts, or perhaps instruct us in mindfulness meditation, but instead, he spent the entire time talking about the importance of astrology and amulets and provided each of us with a talisman for our onward journey.
A few days later, we spoke with a monk at a bhikkhu training center near Colombo, and, without being specific, asked him, “What would you think if you met a Buddhist monk who only talked about astrology and amulets?” His
