Tibetan Buddhism

Strange Entanglements: Buddhism and Quantum Theory in Contemporary Nonfiction

by Sean Miller

This essay is part of a collection entitled Encountering Buddhism in Twentieth-Century British and American Literature, edited by Lawrence Normand and Alison Winch, forthcoming from Continuum Press in 2013.

Taking the publication of The Tao of Physics in 1975 as its starting point, the chapter examines a particular... more Taking the publication of The Tao of Physics in 1975 as its starting point, the chapter examines a particular imaginative encounter that has enjoyed a central place in Buddhism and Science discourse over the course of the past four decades: the encounter of Buddhism with quantum theory. The chapter focuses on quantum theory because, in many respects, its inaccessibility as a mathematical abstraction invites an imaginative appropriation where the microcosm readily becomes envisioned as an alien and remote space, teeming with oddities such as quantum foam, wave-particle duality, and nonlocal entanglement. In the transit from mathematical formalism to ordinary language, these conceits tend to take on a surplus of meaning supplemental to their relevance within the proscribed context of the theory. Quantum theory promises a corollary to Buddhism pregnant with possibilities, in large part, due to the suggestiveness of juxtaposing two imagined interior spaces, the ‘internal world’ of the mind within Buddhism and the microcosm, imagined also as a world internal to the universe itself. Buddhism and Popular Physics, as a subgenre, also presents a Buddhism rendered accessible, in large part, by stripping it of any sustained account of its socio-historical contexts, its mythologies, its rituals, and its doctrinal heterodoxies.

Un mistico tibetano del XVI secolo: Brug-Pa Kun Legs.

by marco pucciarini

In this paper we examine the figure and work of an ascetic Tibetan .

TartariaMag_issue1-2012

by Nikolay Tsyrempilov

The Blazing Horror of Now

by Cameron Warner

published in Cultural Anthropology Hot Spots Series, April 12, 2012

On following posts on Tibetan self-immolation on Facebook and the sense that our normal academic tools of analysis... more On following posts on Tibetan self-immolation on Facebook and the sense that our normal academic tools of analysis fail to give us the sense that we can derive significant meaning.

Dischords on Human Rights

by Cameron Warner

published in Current Anthropology 53(1): 141-142.

A review of Meinert and Zöllner's "Buddhist Approaches to Human Rights: Dissonances and Resonances" A review of Meinert and Zöllner's "Buddhist Approaches to Human Rights: Dissonances and Resonances"

El Budismo de Alexandra David-Néel: la vista penetrante

by Alexander Valdenegro

Resumen:
La viajera e investigadora francesa Alexandra David-Néel ha sido la primera occidental, de la que se... more Resumen:
La viajera e investigadora francesa Alexandra David-Néel ha sido la primera occidental, de la que se tiene registro, en llegar a la ciudad tibetana prohibida de Lasha, y a su vez, es la primera en haber alcanzado el estatus de lama para los monjes budistas tibetanos. En el presente trabajo intentaremos dar un esbozo de los principales lineamientos de la concepción budista de Alexandra David-Néel, acerca de la cual según señala el Prof. R. Calabria, no existen estudios significativos que apunten a describir o analizar los aspectos teóricos, la bibliografía disponible apunta más bien a un tratamiento biográfico acerca de la autora, y a la descripción de sus viajes.
Nos propondremos desarrollar el concepto de Lhag thong, como elemento fundamental de su concepción epistemológica que ilustra el tipo de abordaje de la autora.

Palabras-clave: budismo, tibetano, epistemología.


Abstract:
The French traveler and researcher Alexandra David-Neel was the first Western, which is on record, to reach the forbidden Tibetan city of Lasha, and in turn, is the first to have achieved the status of lama for Tibetan Buddhist monks. This paper attempts to give an outline of the main lines of the Buddhist conception of Alexandra David-Neel, about which as noted by the Prof. R. Calabria, there are no significant studies that point to describe or analyze the theoretical aspects, the literature available points rather to a biographical treatment on the author, and limits to the description of his travels.
We propose to develop the concept of Lhag thong as a key element of her epistemological conception.

Keywords: buddhism, tibetan, epistemology.

“Macho Buddhism: Gender and Sexualities in the Diamond Way” in Religion and Gender 1 (2011), pp. 85-103

by Burkhard Scherer

Western Tibetan Buddhist movements have been described as bourgeois and puritanical in previous scholarship. In... more Western Tibetan Buddhist movements have been described as bourgeois and puritanical in previous scholarship. In contrast, Ole Nydahl’s convert lay Karma Kagyu Buddhist movement, the Diamond Way, has drawn attention for its apparently hedonistic style. Focussing on the interpretation of Nydahl’s approach to gender and sexualities, this paper addresses the wider issues of continuity and change during the transition of Tibetan Buddhism from Asia to the West. Nydahl’s pre-modern gender stereotyping, the hetero-machismo of the Diamond Way and the mildly homophobic tone and content of Nydahl’s teaching are interpreted on the background of Indian and Tibetan Buddhist sexual ethics and traditional Tibetan cultural attitudes on sexualities. By excavating the emic genealogy of Nydahl’s teachings, the paper suggests that Nydahl’s and the Diamond Way’s view on and performance of gender and sexualities are consistent with his propagation of convert Buddhist neo-orthodoxy.

“Globalizing Tibetan Buddhism: Modernism and Neo-Orthodoxy in Contemporary Karma bKa’ brgyud Organizations ” Contemporary Buddhism 13.1 (2012), pp. 125-137.

by Burkhard Scherer

This article addresses the wider issues of continuity and change in the context of the globalization of Tibetan... more This article addresses the wider issues of continuity and change in the context of the globalization of Tibetan Buddhism. Specifically, it looks at the emergence of lay oriented convert movements within the global Karma bKa’ brgyud school, which are led by ‘crazy wise’ teachers. Firstly, the activities of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche (1939-1987) are interpreted on the background of the tension between tradition and modernity. In dialogue with modernity, Trungpa gradually pushed the borders of Tibetan Buddhist identity to the point of collapse and established a secular teaching lineage and discourse. Trungpa’s case is then compared to the development of one of the fastest growing and largest global lay movements of contemporary Tibetan Buddhism, the Diamond Way of the Danish lay teacher Ole Nydahl. The Diamond Way has transitioned into a late-charismatic stage, in which the traditionalist and modernizing features of Nydahl’s teachings are creating an increasing tension. Post-Buddhist secularization and modernist packaging of neo-orthodoxy emerge as contesting paradigms of the globalization of these Tibetan Buddhist movements, which produce surprising intertextualities and shed light on the negotiation of convert Buddhist identities in a global context.

Tibetan–English Dictionary of Buddhist Terminology

by Scott Heftler

Editor

Based on the ‘Great Volume of Precise Understanding’ by brag tu rtogs par byed pa chen mo – Mahavyutpatti drawn up by... more Based on the ‘Great Volume of Precise Understanding’ by brag tu rtogs par byed pa chen mo – Mahavyutpatti drawn up by Tibetan translators in the ninth century at the instigation of the Tibetan Dharma – king Tri Ralpa – Chen and supplemented from the collected works of various Tibetan lams, this Tibetan – English Dictionary of Buddhist Terminology Contains 6000 main entries and over 8000 sub – entries. Sanskrit equivalents of terms are given wherever possible in romanised transliterated form. The English definitions largely reflect the mode of oral translation evolved in the Buddhist Philosophy classes at the library of Tibetan Works & Archives.

A Miscarriage of History : Wencheng Gongzhu and Sino-Tibetan Historiography

by Cameron Warner

Inner Asia, 2011, 13(2): 239-264

In this article, I examine how Wencheng Gonghzu, the Chinese consort to the first Tibetan emperor Songtsen Gampo,... more In this article, I examine how Wencheng Gonghzu, the Chinese consort to the first Tibetan emperor Songtsen Gampo, served as a contentious rhetorical site for Tibetan and Chinese historiographers for over 1,000 years. I argue present exile Tibetan and Chinese propaganda on such topics as Tibetan political, cultural, and hereditary independence from China is at least analogous and possibly influenced by historiographic traditions found in texts such as the Tang Annals and post-imperial Tibetan Buddhist works like the Vase-shaped Pillar Testament. However, as Central Tibetan and Chinese historians used Wencheng to index the complex relationship between Tibet and China, Eastern Tibetan historians preserved lesser-known, potentially subversive narratives of Wencheng's travels, especially regarding her possible love-affair with the Tibetan minister Gar Tongtsen and their illegitimate child. After briefly reviewing Central Tibetan and Chinese metanarratives, I focus on Eastern Tibetan narratives, including the apparently lost Secret Autobiography of Wencheng Gongzhu, which I argue point to the former political autonomy, and cultural hybridity of areas of Eastern Tibet, especially Minyak and Powo. My investigation into Wencheng-narratives from Eastern Tibet demonstrates that her journey from China to Tibet should not be thought of a mere liminal period of her life, but rather central to debates among Tibetans and Chinese regarding the politics of national unity (minzu tuanjie) and constructions of pan-Tibetan identity.

Jokhang : Tibet's Most Sacred Buddhist Temple.

by Cameron Warner

In: International Association of Tibetan Studies. Journal, Vol. 6, 12.2011, p. 451-466.

A review essay (fifteen pages) of Dorje et al.'s "Jokhang" A review essay (fifteen pages) of Dorje et al.'s "Jokhang"

Buddhism and Empire: The Political and Religious Culture of Early Tibet

by Cameron Warner

In: Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 71, No. 1, 02.2012, p. 249-252.

The types of suffering in the Mahāvyutpatti and the Pāli Canon

by Ferenc Ruzsa

In this paper an analysis is attempted of the triple suffering (duḥkha-duḥkhatā, saṁskāra-duḥkhatā,... more In this paper an analysis is attempted of the triple suffering (duḥkha-duḥkhatā, saṁskāra-duḥkhatā, vipariṇāma-duḥkhatā) as it appears in the Mahāvyutpatti and in earlier sources. Comparing it to some non-buddhistic triads (e.g. in the Yoga-sūtra) and similar concepts in the Pāli Canon and its commentaries, a connection is suggested to the trilakṣaṇa (duḥkha, anitya, anātman) and to the frequent series old age – disease – death. It appears that the original understanding of saṁskāra-duḥkhatā was probably not the suffering related to subliminal impressions but rather the suffering inherent in anything of a composite nature.

The Early Days of the Great Perfection

by Sam van Schaik

A Tibetan Medical Perspective on Irritable Bowel Syndrome

by Eliot Tokar

Tokar, Eliot 1998, A Tibetan medical perspective on irritable bowel syndrome: building a means of discourse for integrative medicine, Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 4(5): 343-349

This article will compare the diagnostic approaches of Western biomedicine and Tibetan medicine. The biomedical... more This article will compare the diagnostic approaches of Western biomedicine and Tibetan medicine. The biomedical disease irritable bowel syndrome will be used as a case study. It will be contrasted with the multiple nosological categories that could be used in TIbetan medicine to achieve a differential diagnosis for patients with symptoms that are typical of this biomedical disease.

As a result of the grassroots alternative medicine movement, for four decades Americans have increasingly used a wide diversity of natural medical approaches. Among these are ancient systems of traditional natural medicine such as Tibetan medicine. As the use of such medical alternatives expand it is important to consider how they can be best utilized within our society.

The integration of such systems into the existing medical industrial complex is an approach sponsored by powerful voices within the government, academia and the medical industry. Alternatively, many laypeople and health professionals advocate for medical pluralism in order to provide a means for promoting the greatest possible healthcare diversity and freedom. In analyzing the debate between integration and pluralism it is vital to consider how they will each effect the actual practice of traditional natural medical systems as well as the indigenous cultures from which such disciplines originate. This article will draw upon the history of Tibetan medicine to inform the debate between integration and pluralism. Finally, it will pose some critical questions regarding medical reform.

Seeing to the distant mountain: diagnosis in Tibetan medicine.

by Eliot Tokar

Tokar, Eliot, 1999, Seeing to the distant mountain: Diagnosis in Tibetan medicine, Alternative Therapies In Health And Medicine, 5(2): 50-58

To make use of an ancient traditional medical system we must first be able to comprehend the singular concepts and... more To make use of an ancient traditional medical system we must first be able to comprehend the singular concepts and language it utilizes to understand and describe health and illness. The diagnostic procedure is the method by which a person's medical condition is interpreted into the epistemological categories and language of medical science. This article provides a description of traditional Tibetan medical diagnosis, and explains how a Tibetan physician perceives and analyzes a presenting illness. It discusses the spiritual, psychological and physical aspects of the Tibetan medical approach to diagnosis. By addressing these issues we can understand what is unique about this system of alternative medicine and how it can inform other models of medical practice.

Preservation and Progress: Using Tibetan Medicine as a Model to Define a Progressive Role for Traditional Asian Medicine in Modern Healthcare

by Eliot Tokar

Tokar, Eliot. 2007, Preservation And Progress: Using Tibetan Medicine As A Model To Define A Progressive Role For Traditional Asian Medicine In Modern Healthcare, Asian Medicine: Tradition and Modernity, 2(2): 303-314.

The history of Tibetan medicine's development provides an excellent model for planning the appropriate utilization of... more The history of Tibetan medicine's development provides an excellent model for planning the appropriate utilization of 'foreign' medical systems and traditions within a new culture that incorporates progressive approaches for the use of both medical pluralism and integration. This history takes on increasing relevance in the modern world as the practice of Tibetan medicine and other forms of traditional Asian medicine have been spreading in the West where they have been faced with commoditization and the hegemony of biomedicine. In the face of modern globalization, certain key questions have yet to be sufficiently addressed. How can systems of traditional Asian medicine be incorporated into western cultures in a manner that permits them to contribute to our understanding of health and disease while allowing them to retain their own integrity? How can they be utilized to aid in the solution of public health problems that exist in the West? What should be the proper interaction between traditional Asian medical systems (e.g., Tibetan medicine) and biomedicine? To determine the answer to these and other vital questions, we must take into account the many cultural, political, economic and scientific issues that affect the state of both public health and individual healthcare.

A Tibetan medicine doctor's view: Interview with Eliot Tokar

by Eliot Tokar

Laughlin, Matt 2006, Transformation and balance: The principles of Tibetan medicine in the context of American healthcare, Unified Energetics; 1:2, 19-25

This interview explores the nature of the study and the clinical practice of Tibetan medicine. Also included are... more This interview explores the nature of the study and the clinical practice of Tibetan medicine. Also included are topics such as the issues involved in the preservation of ancient forms of medicine in the modern world, medical integration, biopiracy, and the application of intellectual property rights to traditional culture. Eliot Tokar is a traditional Tibetan medicine doctor and internationally experienced writer and lecturer. He practices Tibetan medicine in NYC and is one of the first Westerners to have received extensive textual and clinical training in this field.

Ethnisch-religiöse Revitalisierung und rituelle Praxis...

by Mona Schrempf

PhD thesis, Institute of Ethnology, Free University of Berlin, 2001

ethnic and religious revival through communal ritual performance of masked dances in the post-Mao era in Amdo Sharkhog... more ethnic and religious revival through communal ritual performance of masked dances in the post-Mao era in Amdo Sharkhog (Songpan Xian, NW Sichuan, PRC), ethnohistory of Bon monasteries (1850-1997), Bon and Buddhism, social changes in ethnic relations at this Sino-Tibetan borderland

Review. The Violence of Liberation: Gender and Tibetan Buddhist Revival in Post-Mao China. By Charlene E. Makley

by Mona Schrempf