Behind the Painting Rural-urban migration Prapod Asavavirulhakarn: The Ascendancy of

Prapod Asavavirulhakarn: The Ascendancy of Theravada Buddhism in Southeast Asia

from collective punishment to population resettlement of more than half a million Malayans

It advances beyond critiques of the “secularization” and “disenchantment” theses to explore the processes of modernity that are actively producing magical worldviews and stimulating the rise of spirit cults

and the environmental challenges facing us all

forthcoming)

Behind the Painting Rural-urban migration Prapod Asavavirulhakarn: The Ascendancy ofSIBURAPHA Translated by DAVID SMYTH Behind the Painting tells the unforgettable story of Nopphon, a Thai student in Japan, whose quiet life is upended when he meets Mom Ratchawong Kirati elegant, older, and already bound by marriage. What begins as admiration deepens into a connection neither of them can fully express, building toward a love that is as intense as it is impossible. As their paths diverge, Nopphon is left to confront feelings he cannot