Each Other's Destiny: Rebirth and Relationship in Cambodian Buddhism
| Each Other's Destiny: Rebirth and Relationship in Cambodian Buddhism | |
|---|---|
| Author | Erik W. Davis |
| Book type | Nonfiction |
| First published | 2026 |
| Original language | English |
| Publisher | University of Hawaiʻi Press |
| ISBN | 9798880702275 |
| Subjects | Religion & Spiritual Life; History & Remembrance |
| Creator pages | Erik W. Davis |
Each Other's Destiny: Rebirth and Relationship in Cambodian Buddhism is a study of past-life memory and rebirth in contemporary Cambodia by the religious studies scholar Erik W. Davis. It was published by the University of Hawaiʻi Press in September 2026. (University of Hawai'i Press, Each Other's Destiny)
Description
The book presents stories of contemporary Cambodians who remember past lives. It explores how Cambodians understand karma to work across lifetimes, and the central role of relationships in Buddhist moral progress. It focuses on six people whom Davis interviewed or researched between 2003 and 2006: (University of Hawai'i Press, Each Other's Destiny)
- two Cambodian women who describe being kidnapped and taken to hell, as a window onto near-death experiences
- children who remember past lives, including a young girl who recalls being her own uncle, who died fighting for the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s, and the attempt to ritually make her forget
- men who have used past-life claims for personal advantage, including former Prime Minister Hun Sen, who claims identity with a past Khmer king, and a popular lay teacher who professes to be Maitreya, the buddha of the future
- a devout elder Buddhist woman who, as a child, brought her past-life and present-life families together
Davis describes karmically significant relationships as sharing a nissăy, a word often translated as "destiny" or "fate". He argues that it is these karmic relationships, not individuals, that are reborn. (University of Hawai'i Press, Each Other's Destiny)
Publication
- Publisher: University of Hawaiʻi Press, September 2026
- Format: hardback, 260 pages, 15 black-and-white illustrations
- ISBN: 9798880702275 (University of Hawai'i Press, Each Other's Destiny)
Davis presented the research in a February 13, 2026 lecture at Northwestern University, "Rebirth, Relationship, and Destiny in contemporary Buddhist Cambodia". (Northwestern University, Buddhist Studies Lecture Series past events)
Read or borrow
- University of Hawaiʻi Press. Check a library catalogue or bookseller for current availability.