a time of suffering, Buddhist monks and nuns in per-
secuted nations were able to demonstrate the value of
religion in human societies.
In the 1990s communist governments began to
show relative tolerance toward Buddhism, and reli-
gious practices began to resurface as Buddhist monas-
teries were renovated and Buddhist objects were
recognized as national treasures. In Tibet, despite in-
creasing tolerance toward Buddhism, the Chinese
continue to refuse to allow the Dalai Lama to be repa-
triated. In countries where Buddhism faces a revival it
still has obstacles to overcome. After decades of perse-
cution and restrictions on ordination, a new genera-
tion of Buddhist young people has not emerged to
succeed aging monks and nuns. How the Buddhist re-
vival will fill the gap and make up for the lost decades
remains unclear.
See also:Modernity and Buddhism; Nationalism and
Buddhism
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McCann, 1967.COMMUNISM ANDBUDDHISMA Chinese police officer watches as Buddhist monks celebrate the Tibetan New Year at a Tibetan Buddhist temple in Beijing, 1999. ©
AFP/Corbis. Reproduced by permission.