Cult of “Fu” or Living Buddha among the Lahu in Yunnan, China: Surviving Belief in Supernatural Powers

This paper is concerned with the sovereignty and marginalization of an ethnic minority people. Although Lahu people, a highland dwelling ethnic minority of the area called “Zomia,” are now relatively powerless and live in the geographical and social peripheries of diverse states including China, Myanmar and Thailand, they were once strong and enjoyed a high degree of autonomy in the 18th and 19th centuries in Yunnan, China. Their independent territories were enabled by their religio-political government system, based on hierarchically organized villages that were governed by the charisma-wielding Master Monks and their temples located in several central villages. Mobilized by the Buddhist monks, the Lahu repeatedly fought against the local and central governments, but the rebellions were eventually all pacified. The temples were destroyed and the independent Lahu territories were lost by the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, the Lahu Buddhist movements disappeared from historical records. Based on the field study of the villages that were involved in the Lahu Buddhist movements, this paper presents oral histories of Lahu Buddhist movements as well as religious beliefs and practices of the Lahu today. The study finds the surviving millenarians currently living among Lahu villagers. For students of religions and ethnic minorities, the paper provides detailed descriptions on the messianic aspirations of the marginalized ethnic minority, their view on charismatic and supernatural leaders, and the importance of abstinence associated with these religious leaders