- Social Sciences #532
Department of Classics and Religion
2500 University Drive N.W.
Calgary, AB T2N 1N4
Canada - +1 (403) 220-8267
James Apple
University of Calgary, Classics and Religion, Faculty Member
- Religious Studies, Buddhist Studies, Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan Studies, Buddhist Sanskrit, Mahayana Buddhism, and 59 morePhilology, Cultural Studies, Cultural Theory, South Asian Languages, Religion, Rhetoric (Languages and Linguistics), Literary Criticism, Theory of Religion, Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, Structuralism (Literary Criticism), Sanskrit language and literature, Pali, Tibetan Philosophy, Tibetan History, Indian Buddhism, Central Asian Buddhism, Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, Textual Criticism, Texts and transmission, Discourse Analysis, Theravada Buddhism, Pali/Sanskrit Literature, South Asian Studies, Religion and Violence, Gender in Buddhism, Buddhist monasticism, Buddhism, Tibet, Indian studies, Sanskrit, Indology, Tantric Studies, Manuscripts, Cultural History, Intellectual History, Classical Tibetan Language, Dunhuang manuscripts, Pierre Hadot, Tibetology, Phylogenetics, History of Religion, Buddhist Tantra, Vajrayana Buddhism In Tibet, Dunhuang, Buddhist Philosophy, early Buddhism, Pali literature & language, Buddhist Sanskrit Manuscripts, Mahayana, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Madhyamaka School, Madhyamaka, Transmission of the Tibetan Kanjur, Indian Philosophy, Early Buddhist thought and practice, Pali Language, Translation Studies, Siddha Movement, and Jonathan Z. Smithedit
- James B. Apple is full Professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Calgary. He received his doctorate in Buddh... moreJames B. Apple is full Professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Calgary. He received his doctorate in Buddhist Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His current research focuses upon the critical analysis of Mahāyāna sūtras and topics within Indian and Tibetan Buddhist scholasticism.edit
This philological study presents a collation of Old Tibetan Dunhuang fragments of the Avaivartikacakrasūtra compared against a text-critical edition of Tibetan Kanjurs. The Avaivartikacakrasūtra is a Mahāyāna Buddhist discourse that... more
This philological study presents a collation of Old Tibetan Dunhuang fragments of the Avaivartikacakrasūtra compared against a text-critical edition of Tibetan Kanjurs. The Avaivartikacakrasūtra is a Mahāyāna Buddhist discourse that describes how bodhisattvas become irreversible (avaivartika) from perfect Buddhahood and how they achieve irreversible bodhisattva status, a prestigious attainment among Mahāyāna Buddhist movements in South, Central, and East Asia. Although previously unstudied, this prominent scripture is one of the most influential of Mahāyāna sūtras in Buddhist culture, preserved and transmitted in South, Central, and East Asia over many centuries. Analysis of the Old Tibetan Dunhuang Avaivartikacakrasūtra provides a number of valuable contributions to the study of the formations of Mahāyāna Buddhism, to the understanding of Old Tibetan language, and to the systematic study of Tibetan Kanjurs. Enhancing the scholarly knowledge of the transmission history of the Tibetan collected teachings of the Buddha (Kanjur), this monograph contributes to the philological study of Tibetan Buddhist canonical texts and traces the genealogical development of the Tibetan language in translating Indian Buddhist canonical texts.
Research Interests: Tibetan Studies, Buddhist Studies, Textual Criticism, Phylogenetics, Tibetan Buddhism, and 14 moreIndian Buddhism, Transmission of the Tibetan Kanjur, Tibetan Literature, Manuscripts (Medieval Studies), Dunhuang, Religious Studies, Tibetology, Tibetan History, Tibetan Language, Buddhist Canon, Classical Tibetan Language, Dunhuang manuscripts, Mahayana Buddhism, and Tibetan Kanjur
The first-ever biography with selected writings of one of the greatest Indian Buddhist masters in history. Few figures in the history of Buddhism in Tibet have had as far-reaching and profound an influence as the Indian scholar and adept... more
The first-ever biography with selected writings of one of the greatest Indian Buddhist masters in history.
Few figures in the history of Buddhism in Tibet have had as far-reaching and profound an influence as the Indian scholar and adept Atiśa Dīpaṃkara (982–1054). Originally from Bengal, Atiśa was a tantric Buddhist master during Vajrayana Buddhism’s flowering in India and traveled extensively, eventually spending the remaining twelve years of his life revitalizing Buddhism in Tibet. Revered by all the schools of Tibetan Buddhism, Atiśa and his students founded what came to be known as the Kadam school, whose teachings have influenced countless Buddhist masters. These teachings, cherished by all major traditions, are preserved by the Geluk in particular, the school of the Dalai Lamas.
Although Atiśa was an influential practitioner and scholar of Tantra, he is best known for introducing many of the core Mahayana teachings that are widely practiced throughout the Tibetan Buddhist world, including the Stages of the Path to Awakening and Mind Training (lojong), as well as having contributed to highly influential commentaries on Madhyamaka that synthesize various schools of thought. This succinct biography of Atiśa’s life, together with a collection of translations, represents for the first time the full range of Atiśa’s contribution to Buddhism. As the most comprehensive work available on this essential Buddhist figure, this book is an indispensable resource for scholars and Buddhist practitioners alike.
Few figures in the history of Buddhism in Tibet have had as far-reaching and profound an influence as the Indian scholar and adept Atiśa Dīpaṃkara (982–1054). Originally from Bengal, Atiśa was a tantric Buddhist master during Vajrayana Buddhism’s flowering in India and traveled extensively, eventually spending the remaining twelve years of his life revitalizing Buddhism in Tibet. Revered by all the schools of Tibetan Buddhism, Atiśa and his students founded what came to be known as the Kadam school, whose teachings have influenced countless Buddhist masters. These teachings, cherished by all major traditions, are preserved by the Geluk in particular, the school of the Dalai Lamas.
Although Atiśa was an influential practitioner and scholar of Tantra, he is best known for introducing many of the core Mahayana teachings that are widely practiced throughout the Tibetan Buddhist world, including the Stages of the Path to Awakening and Mind Training (lojong), as well as having contributed to highly influential commentaries on Madhyamaka that synthesize various schools of thought. This succinct biography of Atiśa’s life, together with a collection of translations, represents for the first time the full range of Atiśa’s contribution to Buddhism. As the most comprehensive work available on this essential Buddhist figure, this book is an indispensable resource for scholars and Buddhist practitioners alike.
Research Interests: Religion, Buddhism, History, Indian Philosophy, Buddhist Philosophy, and 15 moreHagiography, History of Religion, Tibetan Studies, Buddhist Studies, South Asian Studies, Biography, Tibetan Buddhism, Indian Buddhism, Tantra, Religious Studies, Tibetan History, Mahayana Buddhism, Buddhist Meditation, Vajrayana Buddhism In Tibet, and Siddha Movement
Jewels of the Middle Way documents an important tradition of Madhyamaka and provides insight into both the late Indian Buddhist blend of Madhyamaka and tantra and the Kadampa school founded by the Indian Buddhist master Atiśa (982-1054).
Research Interests: Religion, Buddhism, Indian Philosophy, Buddhist Philosophy, Tibetan Philosophy, and 15 moreHistory of Religion, Buddhist Studies, Manuscript Studies, Madhyamaka School, Nagarjuna, Tibetan Buddhism, Indian Buddhism, Madhyamaka, Religious Studies, Tibetan History, Mahayana, Mahayana Buddhism, Buddhist Meditation, Vajrayana Buddhism In Tibet, and Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna
A Stairway taken by the Lucid presents for the first time an annotated English translation accompanied with a Tibetan critical edition of Tsong kha pa's commentary on the different types of Noble Beings (Skt. arya, Tib.'phags pa) that... more
A Stairway taken by the Lucid presents for the first time an annotated English translation accompanied with a Tibetan critical edition of Tsong kha pa's commentary on the different types of Noble Beings (Skt. arya, Tib.'phags pa) that progress toward awakening. In this edition and translation of his blo-gsal bgrod-pa'i them-skas, Tsong kha pa (1357-1419), revered as one of the foremost masters in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, provides a detailed exegesis of the characteristics and attainments that Noble Beings acquire in advancing toward nirvana through multiple lifetimes in varying cosmological realms. Noble Beings are individuals within the Buddhist spiritual community (samgha) who become constituted by moral virtue, mental quiescence, and cognitive insight through embodying the Buddha's teaching on the way to nirvana. Tsong kha pa details the location and number of lives remaining until nirvana for Noble Beings based on his meticulous analysis of classical Indian Buddhist works like Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakosa and Asanga's Abhidharmasamuccaya.
Research Interests:
James B. Apple examines one of the formative subjects in traditional Buddhist studies, the Twenty Varieties of the Saṃgha. The Saṃgha (community) is one of the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Saṃgha) universally revered by all Buddhists.... more
James B. Apple examines one of the formative subjects in traditional Buddhist studies, the Twenty Varieties of the Saṃgha. The Saṃgha (community) is one of the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Saṃgha) universally revered by all Buddhists. While the Saṃgha is generally understood as the community of Buddhist ordained monks and nuns, along with lay adherents, the Twenty Varieties of the Saṃgha concerns an exemplary community of the twenty types of Noble Beings (ārya-pudgala) who embody the Buddha’s teachings. Focusing on the interpretation of the Saṃgha given by the fourteenth-century Tibetan scholar Tsong kha pa, Apple provides a comprehensive typology and analysis of the stages through which Noble Beings pass in their progress toward enlightenment through multiple lifetimes in various cosmological realms. He explains the cosmographic formations and complex structures of Buddhist spiritual cultivation, illustrating how Tibetan and Indian Buddhists conceptualize all possible states on the path to enlightenment.
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The Heart of Wisdom (shes rab snying po ≈ prajñāhṛdaya), more commonly called the Heart Sūtra, is known world-wide in traditional and modern Mahāyāna Buddhist cultures. The Heart of Wisdom has been textually present in Indian and Tibetan... more
The Heart of Wisdom (shes rab snying po ≈ prajñāhṛdaya), more commonly called the Heart Sūtra, is known world-wide in traditional and modern Mahāyāna Buddhist cultures. The Heart of Wisdom has been textually present in Indian and Tibetan Buddhist cultures for at least the past twelve hundred years.The following study presents for the first time an annotated translation and edition of Kamalaśīla’s Prajñāpāramitāhṛdayavṛtti (Shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa’i snying po bshad pa), the earliest among extant Indian Buddhist commentaries and an Indian Buddhist commentary that was not included in the Tibetan canon. Previously recognized, but not systematically studied, Kamalaśīla’s commentary provides clear evidence that the short recension of the Heart of Wisdom was brought from India to Tibet, that Indian and Tibetan Buddhist traditions knew and recited a short recension of the scripture, that the whole scripture circulated as a dhāraṇī, that the short recension embedded in Kamalaśīla’s commentary circulated independently in Tibet and Dunhuang, that this Indo-Tibetan short recension does not match Xuanzang’s translation, and that the recension preserved in Kamalaśīla’s commentary is similar to, but importantly different from, recensions that circulated in the eighth century that are preserved in Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese sources. The following study provides an important snapshot in the history of the Heart of Wisdom and documents its place in eighth century Indo-Tibetan forms of Buddhism.
Research Interests: Religion, Buddhism, Buddhist Philosophy, History of Religion, Chinese Buddhism, and 15 moreTibetan Studies, Buddhist Studies, Japanese Buddhism, Sanskrit, Buddhist Sanskrit, Tibet, Tibetan Buddhism, Indian Buddhism, Tibetan Literature, Religious Studies, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan History, Classical Tibetan Language, Mahayana Buddhism, and Vajrayana Buddhism In Tibet
This paper documents a late Old Tibetan version of the Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya preserved in the latter part of the ninth century “Prayers of De ga g.yu tshal Monastery” manuscript as compared against a well-known Tibetan canonical Vulgate... more
This paper documents a late Old Tibetan version of the Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya preserved in the latter part of the ninth century “Prayers of De ga g.yu tshal Monastery” manuscript as compared against a well-known Tibetan canonical Vulgate Kangyur (bka’ ’gyur) version. The
paper initially presents a brief synopsis of the known reception history in Tibet of the “Heart Sūtra,” commonly called the “Heart of Wisdom” (prajñāhṛdaya ≈ shes rab snying po) in Indian and Tibetan culture. The comparative collation demonstrates that the version found in the De ga g.yu tshal prayers manual, dating to approximately 823 CE slightly differs from all known versions found among Tibetan Kangyurs as well as all
versions preserved in Sanskrit and Chinese. The paper concludes that the Dunhuang Tibetan version of the Heart of Wisdom preserved in IOL Tib J 751, despite representing an official ceremonial ninth century version of the sūtra, disappeared from Tibetan Buddhist traditions due to historical circumstances.
paper initially presents a brief synopsis of the known reception history in Tibet of the “Heart Sūtra,” commonly called the “Heart of Wisdom” (prajñāhṛdaya ≈ shes rab snying po) in Indian and Tibetan culture. The comparative collation demonstrates that the version found in the De ga g.yu tshal prayers manual, dating to approximately 823 CE slightly differs from all known versions found among Tibetan Kangyurs as well as all
versions preserved in Sanskrit and Chinese. The paper concludes that the Dunhuang Tibetan version of the Heart of Wisdom preserved in IOL Tib J 751, despite representing an official ceremonial ninth century version of the sūtra, disappeared from Tibetan Buddhist traditions due to historical circumstances.
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This paper provides an English translation and Tibetan edition of Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna’s (982–1054 CE) The Means for the Attainment of the Twenty-One Tārās (sgrol ma nyi shu rtsa gcig gi sgrub thabs; hereafter, Twenty-One Tārās... more
This paper provides an English translation and Tibetan edition of Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna’s (982–1054 CE) The Means for the Attainment of the Twenty-One Tārās (sgrol ma nyi shu rtsa gcig gi sgrub thabs; hereafter, Twenty-One Tārās Sādhana) based on evidence of newly recovered Tibetan manuscripts. Atiśa’s praise of the “Twenty-One Tārās” is iconographically one of the most popular in Tibetan painting, yet textual evidence for Atiśa’s systematic ritual evocation of these forms of Tārā has yet to be documented in publication. The following study, translation, and Tibetan edition furnishes for the first time Atiśa’s Twenty-One Tārās Sādhana. This study also provides the earliest extant Tibetan edition of The Praise to Tārā with Twenty-One Verses of Homage.
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This paper provides an analysis and translation of Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna’s (982–1054 CE) The Essence of Bodhisattva Vows (bodhisatvasaṃvarahṛdaya). The Essence of Bodhisattva Vows is introduced with a brief overview explaining its... more
This paper provides an analysis and translation of Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna’s (982–1054 CE) The Essence of Bodhisattva Vows (bodhisatvasaṃvarahṛdaya). The Essence of Bodhisattva Vows is introduced with a brief overview explaining its relation to Atiśa’s Stages of the Path to Awakening (byang chub lam gyi rim pa ≈ *bodhipathakrama) and the work’s textual influences including the Bodhisattvabhūmi. The eighteen downfalls and forty-six faulty actions of bodhisattvas listed within The Essence of Bodhisattva Vows are also discussed. The introduction is followed by a Tibetan diplomatic edition and English translation of this previously unknown work.
Dedication: To Seishi Karashima-sensei, who always took the time to provide guidance in my research endeavors.
Dedication: To Seishi Karashima-sensei, who always took the time to provide guidance in my research endeavors.
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The ‘stream of Dharma’ metaphor often occurs in the early layers of the Buddha’s teaching to illustrate how his followers may be carried to the ocean of nirvāṇa by implementing certain practices. A section found in the Saṃyutta-nikāya,... more
The ‘stream of Dharma’ metaphor often occurs in the early layers of the Buddha’s teaching to illustrate how his followers may be carried to the ocean of nirvāṇa by implementing certain practices. A section found in the Saṃyutta-nikāya, the ‘Ganges repetition’ (gaṅgāpeyyāla), is devoted to these metaphors and receives interpretative attention in Pāli commentaries. Is this metaphor found in Mahāyāna Buddhist scholarly
works? If so, how is the metaphor used and what principles does its use illustrate? This article compares the use of this metaphor among diverse Mahāyāna Buddhist exegetes found in India, Tibet, China, and Japan. It examines the use of this metaphor by select thinkers such as Zhiyi (智顗, 538–97), Atiśa (982–1054), Prajñāmukti (ca. 11th century), and Nichiren (日蓮, 1222–82) to demonstrate how this trope is appropriated in Indian and East Asian forms of Buddhism. Further, the article examines points of difference between these select scholars to illustrate important distinctions between Indian Buddhist and East Asian Buddhist soteriology.
works? If so, how is the metaphor used and what principles does its use illustrate? This article compares the use of this metaphor among diverse Mahāyāna Buddhist exegetes found in India, Tibet, China, and Japan. It examines the use of this metaphor by select thinkers such as Zhiyi (智顗, 538–97), Atiśa (982–1054), Prajñāmukti (ca. 11th century), and Nichiren (日蓮, 1222–82) to demonstrate how this trope is appropriated in Indian and East Asian forms of Buddhism. Further, the article examines points of difference between these select scholars to illustrate important distinctions between Indian Buddhist and East Asian Buddhist soteriology.
Research Interests:
The Tiantai master Zhiyi (智顗, 538-597 CE) is famous for popularizing the Buddhist cosmological concept of the ten worlds (十界, shijie) while the Indian Buddhist paṇḍita from Bengal, Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (982-1054 CE), is celebrated... more
The Tiantai master Zhiyi (智顗, 538-597 CE) is famous for popularizing the Buddhist cosmological concept of the ten worlds (十界, shijie) while the Indian Buddhist paṇḍita from Bengal, Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (982-1054 CE), is celebrated for his stages of the path (lam rim) system. The ten worlds of Zhiyi are constituted by six realms (六道) and four noble ways (四聖). Atiśa’s system, on the other hand, articulates a series of stages of realizations made by three types of spiritual individuals, those of small, medium, and superior spiritual capacity. This paper compares how the ten worlds as conceived by Zhiyi are related to Atiśa’s Buddhist cosmology as found in his Stages of the Path (byang chub lam gyi rim pa). The paper also examines the points of difference between the two Buddhist cosmologies to illustrate important distinctions between these select examples of Indian Buddhist and East Asia Buddhist soteriology.
Research Interests:
The 'stream of Dharma' metaphor often occurs in the early layers of the Buddha's teaching to illustrate how his followers may be carried to the ocean of nirvāṇa by implementing certain practices. A section found in the Saṃyutta-nikāya,... more
The 'stream of Dharma' metaphor often occurs in the early layers of the Buddha's teaching to illustrate how his followers may be carried to the ocean of nirvāṇa by implementing certain practices. A section found in the Saṃyutta-nikāya, the 'Ganges repetition' (gaṅgāpeyyāla), is devoted to these metaphors and receives interpretative attention in Pāli commentaries. Is this metaphor found in Mahāyāna Buddhist scholarly works? If so, how is the metaphor used and what principles does its use illustrate? This article compares the use of this metaphor among diverse Mahāyāna Buddhist exegetes found in India, Tibet, China, and Japan. It examines the use of this metaphor by select thinkers such as Zhiyi (智顗, 538-97), Atiśa (982-1054), Prajñāmukti (ca. 11th century), and Nichiren (日蓮, 1222-82) to demonstrate how this trope is appropriated in Indian and East Asian forms of Buddhism. Further, the article examinines points of difference between these select scholars to illustrate important distinctions between Indian Buddhist and East Asian Buddhist soteriology.
Research Interests:
Gelukpa is the name of a Tibetan Buddhist school that gained political influence and control across the Tibetan cultural world after the 17th century. Gelukpa (dge lugs pa) in Tibetan literally means "Followers of the System of Virtue"... more
Gelukpa is the name of a Tibetan Buddhist school that gained political influence and control across the Tibetan cultural world after the 17th century. Gelukpa (dge lugs pa) in Tibetan literally means "Followers of the System of Virtue" and refers to a person associated with the Geluk (dge lugs) school of Tibetan Buddhism. Gelukpas are the latest among the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism to develop. There are no subschools within the tradition. The school has its beginnings among the disciples of Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) and was initially known as Gandenpa (dga' ldan pa), "those of Ganden Monastery," based on the founding of Riwo Ganden (ri bo dga' ldan) monastery in 1409.
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The famous eleventh-century Bengali Atiśa (982–1054) was a master of Madhyamaka (Middle Way thought and practice) who upheld a lineage based on Nāgārjuna and Candrakīrti that descended down to Atiśa’s direct teachers Bodhibhadra and... more
The famous eleventh-century Bengali Atiśa (982–1054) was a master of
Madhyamaka (Middle Way thought and practice) who upheld a lineage based on Nāgārjuna and Candrakīrti that descended down to Atiśa’s direct teachers Bodhibhadra and Avadhūtipa. Atiśa’s lineage of the Middle Way of Nāgārjuna was contemplative in nature and did not utilize epistemological warrants (pramāṇa) to realize ultimate reality. Atiśa’s Middle Way synthesized the teachings of Bhāviveka and Candrakīrti, bringing together compatible elements of their teachings for soteriological efficacy in progression on the path. The following chapter outlines Atiśa's great middle way (dbu ma chen po) or mere appearance (snang ba tsam).
Madhyamaka (Middle Way thought and practice) who upheld a lineage based on Nāgārjuna and Candrakīrti that descended down to Atiśa’s direct teachers Bodhibhadra and Avadhūtipa. Atiśa’s lineage of the Middle Way of Nāgārjuna was contemplative in nature and did not utilize epistemological warrants (pramāṇa) to realize ultimate reality. Atiśa’s Middle Way synthesized the teachings of Bhāviveka and Candrakīrti, bringing together compatible elements of their teachings for soteriological efficacy in progression on the path. The following chapter outlines Atiśa's great middle way (dbu ma chen po) or mere appearance (snang ba tsam).
Research Interests:
In Indian and Tibetan forms of Buddhism “pointing-out instructions” (ngo sprod) generally signifies an introduction to the nature of mind by a spiritual teacher to a qualified disciple. Pointing-out instructions are associated with... more
In Indian and Tibetan forms of Buddhism “pointing-out instructions” (ngo sprod) generally signifies an introduction to the nature of mind by a spiritual teacher to a qualified disciple. Pointing-out instructions are associated with tantric Buddhist lineages of meditation and yogic practice in a number of Indo-Tibetan traditions. In Nyingma lineages pointing-out instructions are connected to varied Great Perfection (rdzogs chen) traditions where one confronts the natural state (gnas lugs ngo sprod). Kagyü and other Tibetan Buddhist traditions of the new sects (gsar ma) associate pointing-out instructions with the practice of mahāmudrā. It is often claimed that the influence of Gampopa Sönam Rinchen’s (1079-1153) mahāmudrā teachings in Tibet was such that, as one erudite scholar has even suggested, “all Kagyü reflections on mahāmudrā is really but a series of footnotes to Gampopa.” Following this mode of thought, most modern scholarly sources have ignored the possibility of Kadampa influence on Gampopa and the varied Kagyü meditation manuals that came after him. This article clearly demonstrates that Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (982-1054) and his early Kadampa followers significantly influenced Gampopa and subsequent Kagyü traditions in their structuring of mahāmudrā meditation manuals. The systematized and structured “not-specifically-tantric-practice” type of pointing-out instructions of mahāmudrā are intimately related to Atiśa’s Stages of the Path, its commentaries, and the teachings found in the Pointing-Out Instructions in Sets of Five presented and translated in this article for the first time in English.
Research Interests: Religion, Buddhism, Cultural History, Buddhist Philosophy, Tibetan Philosophy, and 15 moreHistory of Religion, Buddhist Studies, Tibetan Buddhism, Indian Buddhism, Religious History, Religious Studies, Dzogchen, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhist Literature, Tibetan History, Buddhist Tantra, Mahayana, Mahayana Buddhism, Mahamudra, and Vajrayana Buddhism In Tibet
The following article provides a diplomatic edition and analysis of a Dunhuang Tibetan version of the Vīradattaparipṛcchā, the oldest extant Tibetan version of the discourse. The diplomatic edition of the Dunhuang Tibetan version is based... more
The following article provides a diplomatic edition and analysis of a Dunhuang Tibetan version of the Vīradattaparipṛcchā, the oldest extant Tibetan version of the discourse. The diplomatic edition of the Dunhuang Tibetan version is based on one complete Dunhuang manuscript as well as two small Dunhuang fragments that restores a Tibetan version of the sūtra that existed around the time of the imperially decreed (bkas bcad) language reforms that were finalized in 814 CE.
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This chapter briefly explains the critical editing and restitution of Tibetan Buddhist canonical texts through the text critical analysis of manuscripts supported with computer technology. The chapter succinctly outlines the principles... more
This chapter briefly explains the critical editing and restitution of Tibetan Buddhist canonical texts through the text critical analysis of manuscripts supported with computer technology. The chapter succinctly outlines the principles and methodology involved in applying phylogenetics to investigating the genealogy of texts found in Tibetan Kanjurs. In the following sections I discuss the current known history of Tibetan Kanjurs to account for the textual witnesses under philological consideration, outline the principles of text criticism for editing Tibetan versions of Buddhist canonical texts, and explain the method of applying phylogenetic analysis to critical editions of Tibetan texts. The chapter concludes with a brief example that illustrates the techniques involved in utilizing phylogenetic analysis in text criticism.
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An overlooked aspect in the study of Tibetan Buddhism is the Gelukpa (dge lugs pa) understanding of Tuṣita Heaven as a pure land (dag pa’i zhing khams). Ever since Tsongkhapa Losang Drakpa (Tsong kha pa blo gzang grags pa, 1357–1419)... more
An overlooked aspect in the study of Tibetan Buddhism is the Gelukpa (dge lugs pa) understanding of Tuṣita Heaven as a pure land (dag pa’i zhing khams). Ever since Tsongkhapa Losang Drakpa (Tsong kha pa blo gzang grags pa, 1357–1419) founded the monastery of Ganden (dga’ ldan, Tuṣita, “Heaven of Joy”) his Gelukpa followers have placed devotional emphasis on creating merit to form links with the Buddha Maitreya, and Maitreya’s pure land within Tuṣita Heaven. The Gelukpa understanding of Tuṣita Heaven as a pure land develops based upon a long history of Maitreya worship in Tibet, upon the aspirations for rebirth in Tuṣita by previous Indian and Tibetan scholars, and in relation to events during and after Tsongkhapa’s life that are connected to Maitreya and Tuṣita Heaven. The practices and devotions surrounding the understanding of Tuṣita Heaven as a pure land are inter-connected with the history of the institutional development among those who follow Tsongkhapa and are centered around the Ganden monastery he founded, an institution that has the very name of the heaven itself. Practices and beliefs related to Tuṣita were developed among Tsongkhapa’s immediate followers and over the course of several centuries and were exported to wherever the Gelukpa tradition thrived, which included areas throughout Tibet, a vast area from Kalmuck Mongolian regions, Inner and Outer Mongolia, the Buriat Republic of Siberia, and even temples in China. The later popularity of these beliefs and practices was also related to the ascendancy of political power of the Gelukpa school in Tibet, particularly from the seventeenth century, and contributed to social cohesion among Gelukpa followers.
The following chapter provides a brief historical background to Maitreya and Tuṣita in the life of Tsongkhapa, describes the context for the understanding of Tuṣita Heaven as a buddha-field among Tsongkhapa’s followers, and concludes
with a description of the characteristics of Maitreya’s field as a pure land.
The following chapter provides a brief historical background to Maitreya and Tuṣita in the life of Tsongkhapa, describes the context for the understanding of Tuṣita Heaven as a buddha-field among Tsongkhapa’s followers, and concludes
with a description of the characteristics of Maitreya’s field as a pure land.
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This paper argues that semantic elucidation (nirukta) served as a powerful rhetorical technique for authorial communities in the propagation of Mahāyāna texts to transform mainstream Buddhist states of attainment—such as the... more
This paper argues that semantic elucidation (nirukta) served as a powerful rhetorical technique for authorial communities in the propagation of Mahāyāna texts to transform mainstream Buddhist states of attainment—such as the Stream-enterer (srota-āpanna), Nonreturner (anāgāmin), and Arhant—into spiritual levels embodied by bodhisattvas. The paper argues that this transformation of mainstream Buddhist levels of attainment occurred in early Mahāyāna formations before the structure of the bodhisattva ten stages (daśabhūmi) was established. The paper demonstrates, through drawing upon examples from sūtras such as the Śūraṃgamasamādhi, Saddharmapuṇḍarīka, and Avaivartikacakra, that the ‘method of nairukta’ (nairukta-vidhānena), through processes of transvaluation and substitution, hollowed out mainstream Buddhist understandings of spiritual attainment and reformulated them in terms of the bodhisattva way found among nascent Mahāyāna communities.
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The teachings of Madhyamaka (" middle way philosophy ") have been the basis of Tibetan Buddhist thought and practice since the eighth century. After the twelfth century, Tibetan scholars distinguished two branches of Madhyamaka:... more
The teachings of Madhyamaka (" middle way philosophy ") have been the basis of Tibetan Buddhist thought and practice since the eighth century. After the twelfth century, Tibetan scholars distinguished two branches of Madhyamaka: Autonomist (rang rgyud pa) and Consequentialist (thal 'gyur ba, *prāsaṅgika). What distinctions in Madhyamaka thought and practice did twelfth century Tibetan scholars make to differentiate these two branches? This article focuses upon a newly identified twelfth century Tibetan manuscript on Madhyamaka from the Collected Works of the Kadampas: Khu lo tsā ba's Treatise. Khu lo tsā ba, also known as Khu ston Mdo sde 'bar, was a contemporary of Jayānanda and Pa tshab Lo tsā ba Nyi ma grags and instrumental for the revitalized reception of Madhyamaka in twelfth century Tibet. Khu lo tsā ba's Treatise outlines a multifaceted understanding of Madhyamaka (" middle way philosophy ") as the work solely focuses upon the distinctions between Autonomist and Consequentialist Mādhyamikas. The paper outlines the structure and content of the Treatise and identifies six topics that the author emphasizes to distinguish Autonomist and Consequentialist branches of Madhyamaka. Based on an overview of these topics, the paper concludes that the Autonomist/Consequentialist distinction of Madhyamaka was already well developed in twelfth century Tibet and involved a differential of systems that encompassed much more than distinct styles of logical proof.
Research Interests: Buddhism, Philosophy, Indian Philosophy, Buddhist Philosophy, Tibetan Philosophy, and 14 moreBuddhist Studies, Madhyamaka School, Nagarjuna, Tibetan Buddhism, Indian Buddhism, Madhyamaka, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Intellectual History of Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan History, Nāgārjuna, Candrakīrti, Mahayana Buddhism, Svatantrika, and Madhyamaka Prasangika
This article examines philosophical differences between Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (982-1054 CE) and Ratnākaraśānti (ca. 970-1030 CE) based on evidence from newly published Tibetan manuscripts. Traditional Tibetan historians describe Atiśa... more
This article examines philosophical differences between Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (982-1054 CE) and Ratnākaraśānti (ca. 970-1030 CE) based on evidence from newly published Tibetan manuscripts. Traditional Tibetan historians describe Atiśa as Ratnākaraśānti's student in the study of Mahāyāna works at Vikramaśīla. Ratnākaraśānti is also recorded in these sources as being a tantric master in a number of lineages upheld by Atiśa. Yet, as this paper demonstrates, these two important Indian Buddhist scholars had significant differences in their philosophical views. The paper compares doctrines found in the works of Ratnākaraśānti and Atiśa to clearly demonstrate how they differed on a number of points of thought and exegesis. Although both Atiśa and Ratnākaraśānti claimed to follow the Middle Way (madhyamā pratipat) of Nāgārjuna, Atiśa's thought was influenced by Candrakīrti, while Ratnākaraśānti expounded his system based on Yogācāra sources. As a specific example to illustrate the differences between these two scholars, the article draws attention to Nāgārjuna's Yuktiṣaṣṭikā (verse 34), where Atiśa interprets the verse in terms of mere appearances that dependently arise while Ratnākaraśānti framed his interpretation on mental qualities whose ultimate nature consists of the " mere luminosity of non-duality " (advayaprakāśamātra). The paper concludes that these differences between Atiśa and Ratnākaraśānti impacted their relationship at Vikramaśīla monastery in eleventh century India.
Research Interests: Religion, Buddhism, Indian Philosophy, Buddhist Philosophy, Buddhist Studies, and 12 moreMadhyamaka School, Tibetan Buddhism, Indian Buddhism, Yogacara Buddhism, Yogacara, Religious Studies, madyamaka philosophy of Nagarjuna, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Mahayana, Nāgārjuna, Mahayana Buddhism, and Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna
ARIRIAB-XXI(2018). This paper continues documentation of the Old Tibetan version of the Kāśyapaparivarta preserved in fragments from Dunhuang identified and transcribed in Part 1 (Apple 2017). The following comparative collation... more
ARIRIAB-XXI(2018). This paper continues documentation of the Old Tibetan version of the Kāśyapaparivarta preserved in fragments from Dunhuang identified and transcribed in Part 1 (Apple 2017). The following comparative collation documents fragment IOL Tib J 59, which corresponds to sections §98-101, and fragment IOL Tib J 55, that corresponds
to sections §102-135. The fragments collated in Parts 1 and 2 altogether comprise a version of the Kāśyapaparivarta preserved in Old Tibetan that was previously unknown.
to sections §102-135. The fragments collated in Parts 1 and 2 altogether comprise a version of the Kāśyapaparivarta preserved in Old Tibetan that was previously unknown.
Research Interests: Religion, Buddhism, Buddhist Studies, Textual Criticism, Manuscript Studies, and 15 moreBuddhist Sanskrit, Central Asian Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Indian Buddhism, Buddhist Sanskrit Manuscripts, Dunhuang, Textual Criticism and Editing, Buddhist Canon, Textual analysis, Mahayana, Classical Tibetan Language, Dunhuang manuscripts, Mahayana Buddhism, Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit, and Dunhuang Tibetan Studies
This chapter provides a close reading of the Special Instructions on the Middle Way (madhyamakopadeśa) of Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (982-1054 CE) using the approach of Pierre Hadot (1922-2010) to interpreting philosophia as a way of life.... more
This chapter provides a close reading of the Special Instructions on
the Middle Way (madhyamakopadeśa) of Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna
(982-1054 CE) using the approach of Pierre Hadot (1922-2010) to
interpreting philosophia as a way of life. The paper first outlines the
attractiveness of Pierre Hadot’s program for reading ancient philosophy
and his notions of spiritual exercises and philosophia. The paper
then addresses recent critiques of interpreting Buddhist thought as
philosophia within the socio-historical context of Indian Buddhism. In
response to such criticisms, a reading of Atiśa’s Special Instructions on
the Middle Way (hereafter, Special Instructions) furnishes a case study
for Buddhist spiritual exercises within a way of life that brings about
self-transformation.
the Middle Way (madhyamakopadeśa) of Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna
(982-1054 CE) using the approach of Pierre Hadot (1922-2010) to
interpreting philosophia as a way of life. The paper first outlines the
attractiveness of Pierre Hadot’s program for reading ancient philosophy
and his notions of spiritual exercises and philosophia. The paper
then addresses recent critiques of interpreting Buddhist thought as
philosophia within the socio-historical context of Indian Buddhism. In
response to such criticisms, a reading of Atiśa’s Special Instructions on
the Middle Way (hereafter, Special Instructions) furnishes a case study
for Buddhist spiritual exercises within a way of life that brings about
self-transformation.
Research Interests:
This paper concludes the study of the Lotus Sutra in Tibetan Buddhist History and Culture that was initially published in Volume 32 of the Bulletin. The Lotus Sutra, an important Mahāyāna Buddhist scripture, influenced many East Asian... more
This paper concludes the study of the Lotus Sutra in Tibetan Buddhist History and Culture that was initially published in Volume 32 of the Bulletin. The Lotus Sutra, an important Mahāyāna Buddhist scripture, influenced many East Asian Buddhist traditions such as the Tiantai School in China and Korea, its Japanese Tendai derivative, and Nichiren based traditions in Japan. A recent paper argued that the Lotus Sutra had a significant place in the history of Indian Buddhism (Apple 2016). This essay examines the place of the Lotus Sutra in Tibetan Buddhist history and culture. Part 1 outlined the initial Tibetan translations of the Lotus Sutra in the late eighth century and highlights Tibetan Buddhist understandings of the Lotus Sutra in the early history of Buddhism in Tibetan culture. Part 2 examines the Tibetan understanding of the Lotus Sutra among scholarly commentators from the twelfth century up to the present day. The paper also discusses the differences between East Asian and Tibetan Buddhist beliefs and practices related to the Lotus Sutra.
Research Interests:
The Abhisamayālaṃkāra (Ornament for Clear Realization) is an instructional treatise on the Prajñāpāramitā, or Perfect Wisdom, whose authorship is traditionally attributed to Maitreyanātha (c. 350 CE). As a technical treatise, the... more
The Abhisamayālaṃkāra (Ornament for Clear Realization) is an instructional treatise on the Prajñāpāramitā, or Perfect Wisdom, whose authorship is traditionally attributed to Maitreyanātha (c. 350 CE). As a technical treatise, the Abhisamayālaṃkāra outlines within its 273 verses the instructions, practices, paths, and stages of realization to omniscient buddhahood mentioned in Prajñāpāramitā scriptures. In its abridged description, the Abhisamayālaṃkāra furnishes a detailed summary of the path that is regarded as bringing out the “concealed meaning” (sbas don, garbhyārtha) of Prajñāpāramitā. The Abhisamayālaṃkāra contains eight chapters of subject matter, with a summary of them as the ninth chapter. The eight subjects (padārtha) of the eight chapters (adhikāra) correspond to eight clear realizations (abhisamaya) that represent the knowledges, practices, and result of Prajñāpāramitā. The treatise was extensively commented upon in Indian Buddhism and has been widely studied in Tibetan forms of Buddhism up to the present day.
Research Interests:
Pelliot Tibétain 1257 is an early Sino-Tibetan manuscript preserved from the ancient city-state of Dunhuang. The rolled paper manuscript consists of three pages of Buddhist scripture titles in Tibetan and Chinese and seven pages of... more
Pelliot Tibétain 1257 is an early Sino-Tibetan manuscript preserved from the ancient city-state of Dunhuang. The rolled paper manuscript consists of three pages of Buddhist scripture titles in Tibetan and Chinese and seven pages of Tibetan-Chinese vocabulary. Pelliot Tibétain 1257 provides early evidence for the complexity of translation techniques between Tibetan and Chinese during the Tibetan occupancy of Dunhuang (ca. 786-848 c.e.) and before the standardization of Tibetan translation practices reflected in the Mahāvyutpatti, a Sanskrit-Tibetan lexicon whose final redaction was sanctioned by imperial decree in 814 c.e. Previous scholarship related to Pelliot Tibétain 1257 has suggested that the manuscript was from a Chinese monastery and that it was utilized to help Chinese scholars translate Tibetan. This paper re-evaluates this presumption based upon a close analysis of the scribal writing, scripture list, and vocabulary to argue that Pelliot Tibétain 1257 was a document circulated by Tibetans, presumably among Chinese monasteries in Dunhuang, to learn the Chinese equivalents to Tibetan translation terminology that was already in use among Tibetans. The paper argues that representatives of Tibet’s imperial government circulated Pelliot Tibétain 1257 as a way of facilitating communication between Tibetan scholars and their occupied Chinese counterparts. Our research findings consist of four sections and then a conclusion,
followed by a complete annotated transcription of PT1257.
followed by a complete annotated transcription of PT1257.
Research Interests: Religion, Buddhism, History, Chinese Studies, Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, and 21 moreChinese Buddhism, Tibetan Studies, Buddhist Studies, Tang Dynasty, Chinese Language and Culture, Central Asian Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Sino-Tibetan Linguistics, Central Asia, Tibetan Literature, Chinese history (History), Tibetan and Himalayan societies, Dunhuang, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan History, Tibetan Language, Mahayana, Classical Tibetan Language, Dunhuang manuscripts, Mahayana Buddhism, and Dunhuang Studies
A bodhisattva is generally considered to be a person, human or non-human, in pursuit of awakening (bodhi) to become a buddha. This article provides an annotated bibliography on bodhisattvas in Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese, and Japanese... more
A bodhisattva is generally considered to be a person, human or non-human, in pursuit of awakening (bodhi) to become a buddha. This article provides an annotated bibliography on bodhisattvas in Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese, and Japanese literature, and furnishes textual sources for the study of the Great Bodhisattvas in Buddhist traditions.
Research Interests:
Mahāmudrā (translated as Great Seal) is an important and polysemous concept in the history of Indian and Tibetan forms of Buddhism. The term and its associated practices gain great significance in esoteric forms of Indian Buddhism from... more
Mahāmudrā (translated as Great Seal) is an important and
polysemous concept in the history of Indian and Tibetan forms of
Buddhism. The term and its associated practices gain great
significance in esoteric forms of Indian Buddhism from the ninth
century onward. In Tibet, the theory and practice of Mahāmudrā,
although known to most forms of Tibetan Buddhism, came to be
predominantly practiced among bKa’ brgyud (hereafter, Kagyu)
affiliated lineages. Modern and traditional understanding of the
history and practice of Mahāmudrā is based on Kagyu practice
manuals, histories, and ritual liturgical works. In these materials,
Mahāmudrā is primarily associated with Indian figures such as
Saraha, Tilopa (10th c.), and Nāropa (d. 1042), and Tibetan
Buddhist figures such as Mar pa lo tså ba chos kyi blo gros (1012–
97 CE), Milarepa (mi la ras pa, 1040–1123 CE), and Gampopa
(sgam po pa bsod nams rin chen, 1079–1153 CE). This paper
examines the Mahāmudrā teachings of Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna
(982-1054 CE) and his early bKa’ gdams pa (hereafter, Kadampa)
followers based on previously unstudied canonical documents and
manuscripts recently published in Tibet.
polysemous concept in the history of Indian and Tibetan forms of
Buddhism. The term and its associated practices gain great
significance in esoteric forms of Indian Buddhism from the ninth
century onward. In Tibet, the theory and practice of Mahāmudrā,
although known to most forms of Tibetan Buddhism, came to be
predominantly practiced among bKa’ brgyud (hereafter, Kagyu)
affiliated lineages. Modern and traditional understanding of the
history and practice of Mahāmudrā is based on Kagyu practice
manuals, histories, and ritual liturgical works. In these materials,
Mahāmudrā is primarily associated with Indian figures such as
Saraha, Tilopa (10th c.), and Nāropa (d. 1042), and Tibetan
Buddhist figures such as Mar pa lo tså ba chos kyi blo gros (1012–
97 CE), Milarepa (mi la ras pa, 1040–1123 CE), and Gampopa
(sgam po pa bsod nams rin chen, 1079–1153 CE). This paper
examines the Mahāmudrā teachings of Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna
(982-1054 CE) and his early bKa’ gdams pa (hereafter, Kadampa)
followers based on previously unstudied canonical documents and
manuscripts recently published in Tibet.
Research Interests:
This paper identifies for the first time the Old Tibetan version of the Kāśyapaparivarta preserved in fragments from Dunhuang. The currently known extant versions of the Kāśyapaparivarta are in Sanskrit in two Central Asian manuscripts,... more
This paper identifies for the first time the Old Tibetan version of the Kāśyapaparivarta preserved in fragments from Dunhuang. The currently known extant versions of the Kāśyapaparivarta are in Sanskrit in two Central Asian manuscripts, five Chinese versions, Khotanese fragments, and a ninth century Tibetan version preserved among Tibetan Kanjur
collections. The following comparative collation identifies for the first time seven Old Tibetan fragments of the Kāśyapaparivarta found among the Stein and Pelliot collections from the ancient city-state of Dunhuang. Jonathan Silk previously identified an eighth Tibetan fragment, Pelliot tibétain 676. These fragments comprise a version of the Kāśyapaparivarta preserved in Old Tibetan that was previously unknown. This article, Part 1, examines and collates the Old Tibetan fragments that correspond to sections §00–63 of the Staël-Holstein (1926) edition. Part 2 consists of the fragments that correspond to sections §98–135.
collections. The following comparative collation identifies for the first time seven Old Tibetan fragments of the Kāśyapaparivarta found among the Stein and Pelliot collections from the ancient city-state of Dunhuang. Jonathan Silk previously identified an eighth Tibetan fragment, Pelliot tibétain 676. These fragments comprise a version of the Kāśyapaparivarta preserved in Old Tibetan that was previously unknown. This article, Part 1, examines and collates the Old Tibetan fragments that correspond to sections §00–63 of the Staël-Holstein (1926) edition. Part 2 consists of the fragments that correspond to sections §98–135.
Research Interests: Buddhism, Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, Tibetan Studies, Buddhist Studies, Textual Criticism, and 13 moreManuscript Studies, Buddhist Sanskrit, Central Asian Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Indian Buddhism, Textual Criticism and Editing, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Buddhist Canon, Textual analysis, Mahayana, Classical Tibetan Language, Dunhuang manuscripts, and Mahayana Buddhism
Overview of the perfections (pāramitā) in Buddhist Literature. The perfections are the virtues that are fully developed by a bodhisattva (Buddha-in-training) to become a Buddha. All Buddhist traditions recognize that the perfections are... more
Overview of the perfections (pāramitā) in Buddhist Literature. The perfections are the virtues that are fully developed by a bodhisattva (Buddha-in-training) to become a Buddha. All Buddhist traditions recognize that the perfections are practiced through multiple lifetimes extending over aeons of time for the purpose of achieving full
Buddhahood for the welfare of beings. The etymology of the Sanskrit and Pāli term pāramitā was a contested issue in classical India. One representation considered that the term was derived from pāram, “other (side),” plus the past participle ita, “gone.” This derivation is later preserved in the standard Tibetan translation pha-rol-tu phyin-pa “gone to the other shore,” implying that such virtues lead to the blissful shore of nirvāṇa and away from the side of saṃsāra, the conditioned world of repeated rebirth and redeath. Other interpretations advocated that this etymology was misguided, and derived pāramitā from the term parama “excellent, supreme.”
Buddhahood for the welfare of beings. The etymology of the Sanskrit and Pāli term pāramitā was a contested issue in classical India. One representation considered that the term was derived from pāram, “other (side),” plus the past participle ita, “gone.” This derivation is later preserved in the standard Tibetan translation pha-rol-tu phyin-pa “gone to the other shore,” implying that such virtues lead to the blissful shore of nirvāṇa and away from the side of saṃsāra, the conditioned world of repeated rebirth and redeath. Other interpretations advocated that this etymology was misguided, and derived pāramitā from the term parama “excellent, supreme.”
Research Interests:
The Lotus Sutra, an important Mahāyāna Buddhist scripture, influenced many East Asian Buddhist traditions such as the Tiantai School in China and Korea, its Japanese Tendai derivative, and Nichiren based traditions in Japan. A recent... more
The Lotus Sutra, an important Mahāyāna Buddhist scripture, influenced many East Asian Buddhist traditions such as the Tiantai School in China and Korea, its Japanese Tendai derivative, and Nichiren based traditions in Japan. A recent paper argued that the Lotus Sutra had a significant place in the history of Indian Buddhism (Apple 2016). This essay examines the place of the Lotus Sutra in Tibetan Buddhist history
and culture. Part 1 outlines the initial Tibetan translations of the Lotus Sutra in the late eighth century and highlights Tibetan Buddhist understandings of the Lotus Sutra in the early history of Buddhism in Tibetan culture. Part 2 examines the Tibetan understanding of the Lotus Sutra among scholarly commentators from the twelfth century up
to the present day.
and culture. Part 1 outlines the initial Tibetan translations of the Lotus Sutra in the late eighth century and highlights Tibetan Buddhist understandings of the Lotus Sutra in the early history of Buddhism in Tibetan culture. Part 2 examines the Tibetan understanding of the Lotus Sutra among scholarly commentators from the twelfth century up
to the present day.
Research Interests:
Introduction This article identifies and analyzes a previously unidentified, yet well-known, stanza found in a number of Madhyamaka (" Middle Way Philosophy ") commentaries composed by South Asian Mahåyåna Buddhists and then discusses its... more
Introduction This article identifies and analyzes a previously unidentified, yet well-known, stanza found in a number of Madhyamaka (" Middle Way Philosophy ") commentaries composed by South Asian Mahåyåna Buddhists and then discusses its meaning for traditional Buddhist scholars. The identification of this renowned verse within a prominent Mahåyåna sËtra provides not only important philological data but furnishes important clues for how pre-modern Indian Buddhist scholars understood and utilized Mahåyåna Buddhist sËtras in their scholastic treatises. A provisional translation of this stanza reads:
Research Interests:
The Lotus Sutra, an important Mahāyāna scripture in East Asian history, influenced a great number of scholars and schools in China and Japan. What about the influence and importance of the Lotus Sutra in Indian Buddhism? This paper... more
The Lotus Sutra, an important Mahāyāna scripture in East Asian history, influenced a great number of scholars and schools in China and Japan. What about the influence and importance of the Lotus Sutra in Indian Buddhism? This paper examines the understanding of the Lotus Sutra found in the works of the Indian Buddhist scholar Candrakīrti (ca. 570-650), an influential commentator in the Buddhist thought of India and Tibet. Candrakīrti’s use of the Lotus Sutra provides a case study for the importance of the Lotus Sutra in the history of Indian Buddhism.
Research Interests: Religion, Buddhism, Indian Philosophy, Buddhist Philosophy, History of Religion, and 15 moreBuddhist Studies, South Asian Studies, Buddhist Art, Buddhist Sanskrit, Tibetan Buddhism, Indian Buddhism, Madhyamaka, Religious Studies, Religious Studies -Buddhism, Mahayana, Candrakīrti, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, Mahāyāna Buddhism, and Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra
A Kangyur (Tibetan bka’ ’gyur), commonly known under its Mongol pronunciation “Kanjur,” is an authoritative collection of the Tibetan translations of the “Word of the Buddha.” This piece provides a brief overview of Kanjurs in Tibetan... more
A Kangyur (Tibetan bka’ ’gyur), commonly known under its Mongol pronunciation “Kanjur,” is an authoritative collection of the Tibetan translations of the “Word of the Buddha.” This piece provides a brief overview of Kanjurs in Tibetan religious traditions.
Research Interests:
This chapter centers upon the theme of mindfulness (smṛti) and vigilance (saṃprajanya) according to Tsong-kha-pa’s Great Treatise on the Stages of Path to Enlightenment (lam rim chen mo).
Research Interests:
Although Atiśa is famous for his journey to Tibet and his teaching there, his teachings of Madhyamaka are not extensively commented upon in the works of known and extant indigenous Tibetan scholars. Atiśa’s Madhyamaka thought, if even... more
Although Atiśa is famous for his journey to Tibet and his teaching there, his teachings of Madhyamaka are not extensively commented upon in the works of known and extant indigenous Tibetan scholars. Atiśa’s Madhyamaka thought, if even discussed, is minimally acknowledged in recent modern scholarly overviews or sourcebooks on Indian Buddhist thought. The following annotated translation provides a late eleventh century Indo-Tibetan Madhyamaka teaching on the two realities (satyadvaya) attributed to Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (982–1054 c.e.) entitled A General Explanation of, and Framework for Understanding, the Two Realities (bden gnyis spyi bshad dang/ bden gnyis ’jog tshul). The text furnishes an exposition of the Middle Way (madhyamaka) thought of Nāgārjuna based on an exegesis of conventional reality and ultimate reality within the framework of Mahāyāna path structures found in texts attributed to Maitreyanātha. The General Explanation fills an important gap in the historical knowledge of Madhyamaka teachings in eleventh century India and Tibet. The text presents a Madhyamaka teaching brought to Tibet by Atiśa and provides previously unknown evidence for the type of pure Madhyamaka teachings that circulated among the communities of early followers of Atiśa. These teachings were disseminated before the rise of the early Bka’-gdams-pa monastery of Gsang-phu ne’u-thog and its debating traditions that, particularly beginning in the twelfth century, placed emphasis on the merger of Madhyamaka and Epistemology (pramāṇa).
Research Interests: Buddhism, Asian Studies, Philosophy, Indian Philosophy, Buddhist Philosophy, and 14 moreTibetan Philosophy, Tibetan Studies, Buddhist Studies, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Madhyamaka School, Tibetan Buddhism, Indian Buddhism, Religious Studies, Tibetology, Mahayana, Nāgārjuna, Candrakīrti, Mahayana Buddhism, and Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna
Atiśa (982–1054 c.e.), also known under his monastic name Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna, is famous for coming to Tibet and revitalizing Buddhism there during the early eleventh century. No Indian who visited Tibet in the past one thousand years had a... more
Atiśa (982–1054 c.e.), also known under his monastic name Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna, is famous for coming to Tibet and revitalizing Buddhism there during the early eleventh century. No Indian who visited Tibet in the past one thousand years had a greater impact on the Buddhism there. Atiśa was a charismatic teacher and translator who, during his thirteen years in Tibet (1042–54 c.e.), influenced Tibetans to rethink the integration of mainstream and Mahāyāna Buddhist principles with the practices of secret mantra or Vajrayāna. This article examines, and furnishes translations for, the Madhyamakopadésa (“Special Instructions of the Middle Way”) of Atiśa, along with an Indian commentary by Prajñāmukti (Tib. Shes rab thar pa), the Madhyamakopadeśavṛtti, and a more extensive Tibetan commentary by an anonymous bKa’-gdams-pa (hereafter, Kadampa) author entitled Collection on the Two Realities (bden gnyis kyi ’bum).
As the Kadampa commentaries make clear, Atiśa’s Middle Way is distinct from, does not follow, nor advocate the teachings of the Great Completion (rdzogs chen; Dzogchen), the teachings found in Non-mentation (amanasikāra), or those who advocate instantaneous or sudden realization.
The Madhyamakopadeśavṛtti is translated in its entirety for the first time in English, while the Collection on the Two Realities is identified for the first time as a commentary on Atiśa’s Madhyamakopadésa, as well as being an initial English translation. These three texts provide an important case study in the Madhyamaka (“Middle Way Philosophy”) of India and Tibet during the early eleventh to twelfth century.
As the Kadampa commentaries make clear, Atiśa’s Middle Way is distinct from, does not follow, nor advocate the teachings of the Great Completion (rdzogs chen; Dzogchen), the teachings found in Non-mentation (amanasikāra), or those who advocate instantaneous or sudden realization.
The Madhyamakopadeśavṛtti is translated in its entirety for the first time in English, while the Collection on the Two Realities is identified for the first time as a commentary on Atiśa’s Madhyamakopadésa, as well as being an initial English translation. These three texts provide an important case study in the Madhyamaka (“Middle Way Philosophy”) of India and Tibet during the early eleventh to twelfth century.
Research Interests: Religion, Buddhism, Tibetan Philosophy, Buddhist Studies, Madhyamaka School, and 13 moreNagarjuna, Tibetan Buddhism, Indian Buddhism, Madhyamaka, Religious Studies, Madhyamaka Buddhism, Nāgārjuna, Mahayana Buddhism, Bka' gdams pa, History of Indian Buddhism, Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna, Atiśa, and bka' gdams
This article examines a newly discovered and recently published Sanskrit manuscript of the Jayamatiparipṛcchāsūtra (“Inquiry of Jayamati”) and documents its relationship, previously unrecognized, as part of the Śūraṃgama-samādhisūtra... more
This article examines a newly discovered and recently published Sanskrit manuscript of the Jayamatiparipṛcchāsūtra (“Inquiry of Jayamati”) and documents its relationship, previously unrecognized, as part of the Śūraṃgama-samādhisūtra (“The Concentration of Heroic Progress”). While both texts are classified as Mahāyāna sūtras, the Jayamati-paripṛcchā depicts its content as spoken by the Buddha while the Śūraṃgamasamādhi represents exactly the same content, spoken by Jayamati, as a “lower” view of the Buddha’s teachings. As the modern study of Mahāyāna sūtra literature has produced only a handful of confirmed cases of shared textual material between sūtras, the identification documented here provides important evidence for how authorial communities compiled and redacted “Mahāyāna” Buddhist texts.
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The concept of the “single vehicle” (Skt. ekayāna, 一乘, Ch. yisheng, Jpn. ichijō) is found in various Buddhist sūtras which are classified as “Mahāyāna” sūtras, such as the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka, Śrīmālādevīsiṃhanādanirdeśa, and Laṅkāvatāra.... more
The concept of the “single vehicle” (Skt. ekayāna, 一乘, Ch. yisheng, Jpn. ichijō) is found in various Buddhist sūtras which are classified as “Mahāyāna” sūtras, such as the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka, Śrīmālādevīsiṃhanādanirdeśa, and Laṅkāvatāra. In general, these sūtras utilize the term ekayāna in the sense of the “one path” or “one vehicle” that leads to full Buddhahood as opposed to other paths that are considered unreal. The single vehicle (ekayāna) is famously celebrated in the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka (hereafter, Lotus Sūtra), whose characterization of the ekayāna strongly influenced forms of Buddhism in East Asia, and continues to have an impact on present day knowledge of Mahāyāna forms of Buddhism. Other Mahāyāna discourses, however, vary in their description of the ekayāna and the concept has been subject to a number of diverse interpretations throughout the history of Buddhism. This paper examines the characteristics of ekayàna found in the Lotus sūtra and compares these to the characteristics found in the Avaivartikacakra sūtra to gain a greater understanding of the notion of ekayāna in self-proclaimed Mahāyāna sūtras that become more prominent from the second century CE onwards.
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"This article examines the occurrence of the phrase dharmaparyāyo hastagato, “having the enumeration of the teaching in one’s hand,” in a select number of texts classified as Mahāyāna sūtras and theorizes its occurrence in relation to... more
"This article examines the occurrence of the phrase dharmaparyāyo hastagato, “having the enumeration of the teaching in one’s hand,” in a select number of texts classified as Mahāyāna sūtras and theorizes its occurrence in relation to the use of the book (pustaka) in the religious cultures of middle period (Common Era to fifth/sixth centuries) Indian Mahāyāna Buddhism. In recent scholarly discourse, the “cult of the book” in Mahāyāna Buddhist formations has been hypothesized to occur in relation to shrines (caitya) or not even to have occurred at all. This article suggests an alternative hypothesis. The paper first analyzes the syntax and composition of the terms dharmaparyāya and the participle hastagata as well as their occurrences within Indian Buddhist literature in Indic languages and in Tibetan and Chinese translations. The paper then identifies the occurrence of the phrase dharmaparyāyo hastagato in a select number of Mahāyāna sūtras and relates this phrase to an observable gradual process of bibliofication, a process where texts increasingly reference themselves as protective objects, that is detectable in the layers of accretion found within the comparative analysis of extant manuscripts. Based on this analysis, the paper concludes that the “cult of the book,” rather than being a stable or local cult phenomena, was comprised of highly mobile and translocal textual communities who carried their object of veneration with them. "
Research Interests: Religion, Buddhism, History of Religion, Chinese Buddhism, Buddhist Studies, and 11 moreBuddhist Sanskrit, Tibetan Buddhism, Indian Buddhism, Buddhism especially mahayana Buddhist tradition, Religious Studies, Indology, Mahāyāna, Mahayana, Mahayana Buddhism, Mahayana sutras, and Mahāyāna Buddhist Tradition
This article provides a critical edition and analysis of a Dunhuang Tibetan version of the Mañjuśrīvihārasūtra (Tib. ’jam dpal gnas pa’i mdo) as a case study for documenting the historical development of Tibetan translations of Mahāyāna... more
This article provides a critical edition and analysis of a Dunhuang Tibetan version of the Mañjuśrīvihārasūtra (Tib. ’jam dpal gnas pa’i mdo) as a case study for documenting the historical development of Tibetan translations of Mahāyāna sūtras. The critical edition of the Dunhuang Tibetan version is based on one complete Dunhuang manuscript as well as four Dunhuang fragments, three previously unidentified, to restore a Tibetan version of the sūtra that existed before the imperially decreed (bkas bcad) language reforms of 814 c.e. The critical edition is annotated against seventeen Kanjur editions of the sūtra, including Western Tibetan manuscript Kanjurs (Tib. bka’ ’gyur) from Basgo and Hemis that have not been previously investigated. The Kanjur annotations document the revisions that Tibetan editors made in implementing the codified rules and principles for translating Buddhist texts issued by Khri lde srong btsan (r. 800-815c.e.). In addition, the annotations provide evidence for three lines of textual transmission, the Them-spangs-magroup, Tshal-pa group, and a Western Tibet group. The documentation of the variant readings has also been supplemented with computer-based phylogenetic systematics to discern a refined estimation of the genealogical relations among extant textual witnesses.
Research Interests: Buddhism, Buddhist Studies, Textual Criticism, Manuscript Studies, Tibetan Buddhism, and 11 moreIndian Buddhism, Transmission of the Tibetan Kanjur, Dunhuang, Textual Criticism and Editing, Computer-aided textual analysis, Textual analysis, Mahayana, Dunhuang manuscripts, Mahayana Buddhism, Mahayana sutras, and Tibetan Kanjur
Irreversible (avaivartika) bodhisattvas are regarded as prominent figures within Mahāyāna literature as they are generally thought to be incapable of turning back from attaining full Buddhahood. Different texts, however, vary in their... more
Irreversible (avaivartika) bodhisattvas are regarded as prominent figures within Mahāyāna literature as they are generally thought to be incapable of turning back from attaining full Buddhahood. Different texts, however, vary in their description of the irreversible bodhisattva. Some texts like the Sukhāvatīvyūha place emphasis on their vows to save sentient beings while other texts like the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa represent them as householders skilled in the cognition of emptiness and non-duality. This paper examines the irreversible bodhisatttva found in the Avaivartikacakrasūtra and compares it to the qualities of the irreversible bodhisattva found in the Lotus sūtra. The comparison between these two sutras’ portrayal of the irreversible bodhisattva illustrates underlying similarities in how the irreversible bodhisattva is conceived but also clarifies important differences in practices and attainments that provide for a more nuanced vision of this type of bodhisattva in Mahāyāna literature.
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"...a thorough account of the history of Buddhism in Tibet." [Buddhist Studies Review]
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An earlier article (Apple, J Indian Philos 41(3): 263–329, 2013) identified for the first time a brief Tibetan commentary to Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna’s (982–1054 c.e.) well-known “Entry to the Two Realities” (Satyadvayāvatāra) and provided... more
An earlier article (Apple, J Indian Philos 41(3): 263–329, 2013) identified for the first time a brief Tibetan commentary to Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna’s (982–1054 c.e.) well-known “Entry to the Two Realities” (Satyadvayāvatāra) and provided an annotated translation of the work. This article provides an annotated diplomatic edition of the Tibetan commentary. The manuscript of the commentary is a facsimile reprint located in the recently published “Collected Works of the Bka’-gdams-pas” (bka’ gdams gsung ’bum). The early Tibetan commentary to Atiśa’s Satyadvayāvatāra provides direct textual evidence of the beginnings of scholasticism in Tibet and offers an early perspective on the formative developments in the intellectual history of Tibetan Madhyamaka.
Research Interests: Buddhism, Indian Philosophy, Tibetan Philosophy, Tibetan Studies, Buddhist Studies, and 10 moreManuscript Studies, Madhyamaka School, Tibetan Buddhism, Indian Buddhism, Madhyamaka, Religious Studies, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Classical Tibetan Language, Madhyamika Philosophy, and Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna
This article identifies for the first time a brief commentary to Atiśa's Satyadvayāvatāra, discusses its content and purport in relation to early Madhyamaka philosophy in Tibet, and provides an annotated translation of the work. This... more
This article identifies for the first time a brief commentary to Atiśa's Satyadvayāvatāra, discusses its content and purport in relation to early Madhyamaka philosophy in Tibet, and provides an annotated translation of the work. This early Tibetan commentary on the two realities (satyadvaya) provides important insight into how late eleventh century or early twelfth centuries Tibetan followers of Atiśa understood the tenets of Buddhist philosophy, the nature of valid cognition (tshad ma), and the importance of spiritual authority. The early Tibetan commentary to Atiśa’s Satyadvayāvatāra provides direct textual evidence of the beginnings of scholasticism in Tibet and offers an early perspective on the formative developments in the intellectual history of Tibetan Madhyamaka.
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This article provides an Introduction to Neil McMullin’s critical review of The Encyclopedia of Religion. The article outlines the historical context for McMullin's review, the responses to his review, and assesses the review’s relevance... more
This article provides an Introduction to Neil McMullin’s critical review of The Encyclopedia of Religion. The article outlines the historical context for McMullin's review, the responses to his review, and assesses the review’s relevance for the present day study of religion.
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Hundreds of Buddhist scriptures originating in South Asia over the centuries have come to be classified as “Mahāyāna sūtras,” yet less than five percent of this literature has been studied in modern scholarship. The historical importance... more
Hundreds of Buddhist scriptures originating in South Asia over the centuries have come to be classified as “Mahāyāna sūtras,” yet less than five percent of this literature has been studied in modern scholarship. The historical importance or past influence of a given sūtra among such texts is generally unknown. One way to assess the historical importance of an Indian Buddhist text is to document its later significance in Indian Buddhist commentaries. This paper examines a self-proclaimed Mahāyāna sūtra, the Avaivartikacakra, that is unknown to modern scholarship and documents its historical importance in Indian Buddhist history through tracing its citation and usage in Indian Buddhist commentaries. The paper documents the citation of the Avaivartikacakra in commentaries of prominent Indian Mahāyāna Buddhist scholars such as Nāgārjuna (2nd century), Kamalaśīla (8th century), and Jayānanda (12th century), among others, to explain the sūtra’s significance among Indian Buddhist communities from the second to twelfth centuries.
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The Buddha is traditionally considered to have taught the Avaivartikacakra-sūtra at Śrāvasti, in the Jeta Grove of Anāthapiṇḍada. The sūtra is classified as a Mahāyāna Sūtra and depicts the Buddha teaching the "wheel of the irreversible... more
The Buddha is traditionally considered to have taught the Avaivartikacakra-sūtra at Śrāvasti, in the Jeta Grove of Anāthapiṇḍada. The sūtra is classified as a Mahāyāna Sūtra and depicts the Buddha teaching the "wheel of the irreversible doctrine" (avaivartikadharmacakra) where all beings are destined for Buddhahood. The overall content and structure of the sūtra reflects influences from several Mahāyāna sūtras. This paper examines the structure and content of the Avaivartikacakra sūtra and its relations to such sūtas as the Lotus sūtra. The presentation demonstrates how the Avaivartikacakra's emphasis on ekayāna and skill-in-means (upāya) indicates shared relations with the Lotus sūtra.
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Tibetan Buddhists often engage in a number of ritual activities (cho ga) for various reasons including, among others,for generating merit (gsags pa),for purifying negativities (byang ba), or for protection against malevolent forces... more
Tibetan Buddhists often engage in a number of ritual activities (cho ga) for various reasons including, among others,for generating merit (gsags pa),for purifying negativities (byang ba), or for protection against malevolent forces (bskang gsol). This chapter briefly describes a ritual that I participated in outside of Sujātā village in late 2000. I will relate the narrative to the study of ritual in Buddhist formations and to the insider/outsider relation in the study of Buddhism(s).
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The concept of the irreversible (avaivartika) bodhisattva is considered to be one of the more intriguing subjects in the historical development of Mahāyāna Buddhism due to the concept’s prevalence, yet obscure meaning, in many Mahāyāna... more
The concept of the irreversible (avaivartika) bodhisattva is considered to be one of the more intriguing subjects in the historical development of Mahāyāna Buddhism due to the concept’s prevalence, yet obscure meaning, in many Mahāyāna sūtras. The term occurs in a great number of sūtras in a variety of different forms within various contexts. In most instances the term and its related forms designate a certain status
of attainment on the way to full Buddhahood. The term generally signifies a point reached in the career of a bodhisattva after which there can be no turning back from the attainment of full Buddhahood. The concept of avaivartika (generally translated in Chinese as 不退bu tui, Jpn. futai, “non-regression” or transliterated from the Indic as 阿惟越致 a wei ye zhi, Jpn. ayuiocchi [=avivartiya, avivartya] or 阿é跋致a bi ba zhi, Jpn. abibacchi [=avivartika])1) has great importance in contemporary strands of Mahåyåna Buddhism found in China, Japan, and Tibet.
This paper investigates avaivartika (along with its equivalents) and avaivartikacakra in a select number of self-proclaimed Mahāyāna sūtras. The paper examines the development and formation of avaivartika as a status marking term in Mahāyāna sūtras and explains its rhetorical use among bodhisattva authorial communities.
The paper then discusses the use of the term avaivartikacakra in Mahāyāna discourse with special attention to its occurence in the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka (Lotus sūtra).
of attainment on the way to full Buddhahood. The term generally signifies a point reached in the career of a bodhisattva after which there can be no turning back from the attainment of full Buddhahood. The concept of avaivartika (generally translated in Chinese as 不退bu tui, Jpn. futai, “non-regression” or transliterated from the Indic as 阿惟越致 a wei ye zhi, Jpn. ayuiocchi [=avivartiya, avivartya] or 阿é跋致a bi ba zhi, Jpn. abibacchi [=avivartika])1) has great importance in contemporary strands of Mahåyåna Buddhism found in China, Japan, and Tibet.
This paper investigates avaivartika (along with its equivalents) and avaivartikacakra in a select number of self-proclaimed Mahāyāna sūtras. The paper examines the development and formation of avaivartika as a status marking term in Mahāyāna sūtras and explains its rhetorical use among bodhisattva authorial communities.
The paper then discusses the use of the term avaivartikacakra in Mahāyāna discourse with special attention to its occurence in the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka (Lotus sūtra).
Research Interests: Religion, Buddhism, Buddhist Studies, Indian Buddhism, Buddhism especially mahayana Buddhist tradition, and 10 moreEarly Mahayana Doctrines, Religious Studies, Mahāyāna, Mahayana, Mahayana Buddhism, Irreversibility, Mahayana sutras, Mahāyāna Buddhist Tradition, Early Mahāyāna Buddhism, and Early Mahayana
The perfections (pāramitā) are the virtues that are fully developed by a bodhisattva (Buddha-in-training) to become a Buddha. This article provides an annotated bibliography on the topic in Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese, and Japanese... more
The perfections (pāramitā) are the virtues that are fully developed by a bodhisattva (Buddha-in-training) to become a Buddha. This article provides an annotated bibliography on the topic in Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese, and Japanese literature.
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Buddhists have articulated the central notion of the “path” in a variety of different ways and in a great number of texts throughout the history of their traditions. Among texts related to the path, the Ornament for Clear Realization, a... more
Buddhists have articulated the central notion of the “path” in a variety of different ways and in a great number of texts throughout the history of their traditions. Among texts related to the path, the Ornament for Clear Realization, a commentary on the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras, has had a significant impact on Mahāyāna Buddhist notions of the path and became the dominant Indian text for the study of the path in Tibetan traditions. This article focuses on two general descriptions of the bodhisattva path found in the Ornament for Clear Realization. The first description centers upon eight ‘clear realizations’ (abhisamaya) that constitute the knowledges and practices of Prajñāpāramitā textual systems. The second description elucidates a system of five paths, shaped by Indian Abhidharma and Yogācāra texts, that is commonly used by Tibetan commentators. The article demonstrates how the eight clear realizations and five paths are interrelated, yet distinct, modes of envisioning the bodhisattva path in the Ornament. While these path structures do not provide details of actual meditation experience, they do provide Tibetan Buddhists who follow the Ornament a structured worldview where a narrative of spiritual progress is possible and where the altruistic goal of Buddhahood can be attained.
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At the core of Buddhist eschatological tradition is the concept of dharma—an ordering principle of an unending and beginningless universe, oscillating in a “cyclic existence” of creation and dissolution. But how does this cosmological... more
At the core of Buddhist eschatological tradition is the concept of dharma—an ordering principle of an unending and beginningless universe, oscillating in a “cyclic existence” of creation and dissolution. But how does this cosmological principle shape Buddhist understanding and interpretation of the contemporary world order? This article relates Buddha’s dharma, with its primary themes of suffering and impermanence, to sociopolitical conditions in the realm of human affairs. Pointing out the dichotomy between the mundane (societal) and the supermundane (cosmological), the article argues that world order is a process of dissolution and re-emergence based on the differentiation of environmental conditions and human dispositions. It concludes that although Buddhist tradition departs from the normal “end of things” eschatology, relative eschatologies have developed
within the varied conditions in which Buddhism has flourished.
within the varied conditions in which Buddhism has flourished.
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An Annotated Translation, for the first time in English, of
Atiśa's Ratnakaraṇḍodghaṭamadhyamakopadeśa, “An Open Jeweled Basket, Special Instruction of the Middle Way.”
Atiśa's Ratnakaraṇḍodghaṭamadhyamakopadeśa, “An Open Jeweled Basket, Special Instruction of the Middle Way.”
Research Interests: Religion, Buddhism, Tibetan Philosophy, Buddhist Studies, Buddhist Sanskrit, and 13 moreMadhyamaka School, Tibetan Buddhism, Indian Buddhism, Buddhism especially mahayana Buddhist tradition, Madhyamaka, Religious Studies, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Mahayana, Mahayana Buddhism, Madhyamika Philosophy, History of Tantra In India, Vajrayana Buddhism In Tibet, and Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna
This paper examines the reception, development, and classification of the Abhisamayālaṃkāra and its related commentaries in Tibet from the ninth to fourteenth centuries as a case study in how sections of the Tibetan Bstan ’gyur... more
This paper examines the reception, development, and classification of the Abhisamayālaṃkāra and its related commentaries in Tibet from the ninth to fourteenth centuries as a case study in how sections of the Tibetan Bstan ’gyur
collections were formed and formulated. The first section of the paper analyzes the classification of Abhisamayālaṃkāra commentaries in early Tibetan registers such as the Lhan kar ma and ’Phang thang ma. Next, two influential Tibetan
scholar-librarians, Bcom ldan rig pa’i ral gri (1227-1305) and Bu ston rin chen grub (1290-1364), are compared with regard to their organization and classification of treatises such as the Abhisamayālaṃkāra. The third section provides a narrative
account of how Abhisamayālaṃkāra literature developed in Tibet based on the analysis of colophons and historical anecdotes. The paper concludes with a summary of the cultural forces that influenced the development and classification of Abhisamayālaṃkāra literature in Tibet.
collections were formed and formulated. The first section of the paper analyzes the classification of Abhisamayālaṃkāra commentaries in early Tibetan registers such as the Lhan kar ma and ’Phang thang ma. Next, two influential Tibetan
scholar-librarians, Bcom ldan rig pa’i ral gri (1227-1305) and Bu ston rin chen grub (1290-1364), are compared with regard to their organization and classification of treatises such as the Abhisamayālaṃkāra. The third section provides a narrative
account of how Abhisamayālaṃkāra literature developed in Tibet based on the analysis of colophons and historical anecdotes. The paper concludes with a summary of the cultural forces that influenced the development and classification of Abhisamayālaṃkāra literature in Tibet.
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... s) is a new addition to the series Critical Categories in the Study of Religion edited by the always-provocative Russell T. McCutcheon. ... The editors of Defining Buddhism(s), Karen Derris and Natalie Gummer, have skillfully brought... more
... s) is a new addition to the series Critical Categories in the Study of Religion edited by the always-provocative Russell T. McCutcheon. ... The editors of Defining Buddhism(s), Karen Derris and Natalie Gummer, have skillfully brought together ten essays by leading scholars of ...
The "stream of Dharma" metaphor often occurs in the early layers of the Buddha's teaching to illustrate how his followers may be carried to the ocean of nirvāṇa by implementing certain practices. A section found in the Saṃyutta-nikāya,... more
The "stream of Dharma" metaphor often occurs in the early layers of the Buddha's teaching to illustrate how his followers may be carried to the ocean of nirvāṇa by implementing certain practices. A section found in the Saṃyutta-nikāya, the 'Ganges repetition' (gaṅgāpeyyāla), is devoted to these metaphors and receives interpretative attention in Pāli commentaries. Is this metaphor found in Mahāyāna Buddhist scholarly works? If so, how is the metaphor used and what principles does its use illustrate? This paper compares the use of this metaphor among diverse Mahāyāna Buddhist exegetes found in India, China, and Japan. The paper examines the use of this metaphor by select thinkers such as Zhiyi (智顗, 538-597), Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (982-1054), Prajñāmukti, and Nichiren (日蓮, 1222-1282) to demonstrate how this trope is appropriated in Indian and East Asian Buddhism. The paper examines the points of difference between these select scholars to illustrate important distinctions between Indian Buddhist and East Asia Buddhist soteriology.
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This paper explores Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna’s system of worshipping the Twenty-One Tārās based on evidence of newly recovered Tibetan manuscripts. No Indian who visited Tibet in the past one thousand years had a greater impact on the... more
This paper explores Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna’s system of worshipping the Twenty-One Tārās based on evidence of newly recovered Tibetan manuscripts. No Indian who visited Tibet in the past one thousand years had a greater impact on the Buddhism there than Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (982–1054). Atiśa is renowned for his devotion to the goddess Tārā who appeared in his dreams and visions, and bestowed predictions upon him throughout his life. His charismatic devotion to the goddess was the impetus for the faithful worship of Tārā in Tibetan Buddhist culture. Atiśa’s lineage tradition of Tārā is the most distinguished among the five teaching traditions of Tārā in Tibet. The entire ritual edifice of worshipping Tārā in Tibet is built upon Atiśa’s major works on the goddess. Atiśa’s praise of the “Twenty-One Tārās” is iconographically one of the most popular in Tibetan painting, yet the mantras in the ritual evocation of these forms of Tārā have yet to be discussed in publication. This paper presents the mantras for evoking Tārā in Atiśa’s system based on recently recovered manuscripts. The paper provides an initial overview of recently recovered manuscripts of Atiśa’s system of the twenty-one Tārās. The paper then focuses upon a brief text entitled “The Cycle of Prophecies granted by Tārā to Atiśa." Based on this recently published work, the mantras for evoking the twenty-one Tārās and their accompanying hand gestures (mudrās) are described and analyzed for the first time in relation to the iconographic system of Atiśa’s Twenty-One Tārās.
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The Tiantai master Zhiyi (538-597 CE) is famous for popularizing the Buddhist cosmological concept of the ten worlds (十界,shíjiè) while the Indian Buddhist paṇḍita from Bengal, Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (982-1054 CE), is famous for his... more
The Tiantai master Zhiyi (538-597 CE) is famous for popularizing the Buddhist cosmological concept of the ten worlds (十界,shíjiè) while the Indian Buddhist paṇḍita from Bengal, Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (982-1054 CE), is famous for his stages of the path (lam rim) system. The ten worlds of Zhiyi are constituted by six realms (六道) and four noble worlds. Atiśa’s system, on the other hand, articulates a series of stages of realizations made by three types of spiritual individuals, those of small, medium, and superior spiritual capacity. This comparative paper compares how the ten worlds as conceived by Zhiyi are related to Atiśa’s Buddhist cosmology as found in his Stages of the Path (byang chub lam gyi rim pa ≈ *bodhipathakrama). The paper also examines the points of difference between the two Buddhist cosmologies to illustrate important distinctions between Indian Buddhist and East Asia Buddhist soteriology.
天台大師智顗（５３８−５９７CE）は、十界論という仏教的宇宙観を確立し広めたことで有名であるが、ベンガル出身のインド仏教学僧アティシャ ディーパンカラシュリージニャーナ（９８２−１０５４CE）は、ラムリム、つまり道次第という修行の階梯を確立した事で有名である。智顗の十界論は六道と四聖で構成されている一方で、アティシャのシステムは法を求める人々を「劣った能力の人」「中位の能力の人」「勝れた能力の人」という三種に分類し、それらの人々の悟りへの階梯を詳細に叙述している。
これらの二者の比較を意図とするこの発表では、智顗によって示された十界論が、アティシャの『道次第』に描かれた仏教的宇宙観と近似しあっている事についての比較研究を行う事を目的とするとともに、これらの二つの宇宙観がそれぞれ異なりを持っている事を検証し、それによってインド仏教と東アジア仏教の重要な相違点を描いていきたい。
天台大師智顗（５３８−５９７CE）は、十界論という仏教的宇宙観を確立し広めたことで有名であるが、ベンガル出身のインド仏教学僧アティシャ ディーパンカラシュリージニャーナ（９８２−１０５４CE）は、ラムリム、つまり道次第という修行の階梯を確立した事で有名である。智顗の十界論は六道と四聖で構成されている一方で、アティシャのシステムは法を求める人々を「劣った能力の人」「中位の能力の人」「勝れた能力の人」という三種に分類し、それらの人々の悟りへの階梯を詳細に叙述している。
これらの二者の比較を意図とするこの発表では、智顗によって示された十界論が、アティシャの『道次第』に描かれた仏教的宇宙観と近似しあっている事についての比較研究を行う事を目的とするとともに、これらの二つの宇宙観がそれぞれ異なりを持っている事を検証し、それによってインド仏教と東アジア仏教の重要な相違点を描いていきたい。
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The seventh-century Indian Buddhist master Candrakīrti is well-known for his influence upon Madhyamaka thought and practice in the history of Indian and Tibetan Buddhism, particularly through his Madhyamakāvatāra (Entrance to the Middle... more
The seventh-century Indian Buddhist master Candrakīrti is well-known for his influence upon Madhyamaka thought and practice in the history of Indian and Tibetan Buddhism, particularly through his Madhyamakāvatāra (Entrance to the Middle Way). This paper outlines significant variant readings of a verse found in the sixth chapter of Candrakīrti's Madhyamakāvatāra (6.79) and discusses the relevance and repercussions of this reading for Indian Buddhist Madhyamaka thought.
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The Buddha famously taught the Middle Way (Skt. madhyamā pratipat) between the extremes of existence and non-existence in the discourse to Kaccāyanagotta. In this early teaching the Buddha indicated the Middle Way between upholding a... more
The Buddha famously taught the Middle Way (Skt. madhyamā pratipat) between the extremes of existence and non-existence in the discourse to Kaccāyanagotta. In this early teaching the Buddha indicated the Middle Way between upholding a permanent and substantial " Self " (ātman), or denying the principles of causality (karma) and rebirth altogether. Did the Buddha teach the Middle Way in early Mahāyāna sūtras? If so, what kind of Middle Way did early Mahāyāna sūtras advocate? This paper examines the Middle Way as defined in two early Mahāyāna sūtras, the Kāśyapaparivarta and Ratnacūḍaparipṛcchā.
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This paper examines the structure and content of the *Bodhipathakrama, a previously unstudied important manuscript preserved in Tibetan and attributed to Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (ca. 982-1054). Atiśa’s *Bodhipathakrama, one of the... more
This paper examines the structure and content of the *Bodhipathakrama, a previously unstudied important manuscript preserved in Tibetan and attributed to Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (ca. 982-1054). Atiśa’s *Bodhipathakrama, one of the earliest “stages of the path” works composed in Inner Asia, is found among the recently published Tibetan manuscript facsimiles of the Collected Works of the Kadampas (bka’ gdams pa gsung ’bum, 2006-2015). Atiśa, an Indian Buddhist mahāpaṇḍita during the first half of the eleventh century, is well known among both traditional Tibetan and modern scholars for his *Bodhipathapradīpa (byang chub lam gyi sgron ma) composed in Western Tibet for his Tibetan royal disciple lha bla ma Byang-chub ’od. The *Bodhipathapradīpa is generally considered to be the prototype for all subsequent stages of the path (lam rim) literature in Tibetan scholastic history. In contrast, Atiśa’s *Bodhipathakrama is virtually unknown to traditional and modern scholarship. This paper analyzes the structure and content of this important work and describes a number of small accompanying texts found within the 91 folio cursive script manuscript. The paper then compares the structure and content of Atiśa’s *Bodhipathakrama to Atiśa’s *Bodhipathapradīpa. This comparison illustrates that Atiśa’s *Bodhipathakrama includes topics found in later Tibetan stages of the path literature but absent from Atiśa’s *Bodhipathapradīpa, demonstrating that the *Bodhipathakrama was more influential than is commonly known. The paper concludes that the *Bodhipathakrama was composed for Atiśa’s close disciples within a context of teachings for individuals of highest capacity within the stages of the path approach. In its conclusion, the paper also suggests the historical conditions for why this important text by Atiśa has been forgotten and not acknowledged by subsequent generations of Tibetan scholars.
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This paper examines philosophical differences between Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (982-1054 CE) and Ratnākaraśānti (ca. 1000 CE) based on evidence from newly published Tibetan manuscripts of The Collected Works of the Kadampas (bka' gdams... more
This paper examines philosophical differences between Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (982-1054 CE) and Ratnākaraśānti (ca. 1000 CE) based on evidence from newly published Tibetan manuscripts of The Collected Works of the Kadampas (bka' gdams gsung 'bum). Atiśa is famous for his journey to Tibet and his teaching there for thirteen years. His teachings on Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna Buddhist thought and practice came to influence all subsequent traditions of Buddhism in Tibet. Ratnākaraśānti (ca. 1000 CE), also known as Śāntipa in Tibetan sources, was a formidable figure at Vikramaśīla monastery, renowned for his enormous breadth of learning and prolific scholarship. Traditional Tibetan historians describe Atiśa as Ratnākaraśānti's student in the study of Mahāyāna works at Vikramaśīla. Ratnākaraśānti is also recorded in these sources as being a tantric master in a number of lineages upheld by Atiśa. Yet, as this paper demonstrates based on newly published manuscripts, these two important Indian Buddhist scholars had significant differences in their philosophical views. Based on these newly available materials, the paper initially outlines how the Madhyamaka teachings that Atiśa received in his youth were in conflict with the views of Ratnākaraśānti that Atiśa learned while studying under him at Vikramaśīla. The paper briefly compares doctrines found in the works of Ratnākaraśānti and Atiśa to clearly demonstrate how they differed on a number of points of thought and exegesis. Although both Atiśa and Ratnākaraśānti claimed to follow the Middle Way (madhyamā pratipat) of Nāgārjuna, Atiśa's thought was influenced by Candrakīrti, while Ratnākaraśānti expounded his system based on Yogācāra sources. The paper outlines their differences in the application of the tetralemma, the use of negation in realizing the ultimate, their understanding of conventional reality, the role of the means of valid cognition (pramāṇa) in the path, and their understanding of Buddhahood. As a specific example to illustrate the differences between these two scholars, the paper focuses on the interpretation of Nāgārjuna's Yuktiṣaṣṭikā (verse 34), where Atiśa posited mental qualities as mere appearances that dependently arise while Ratnākaraśānti framed the ultimate nature of mental qualities as their " mere shining forth of non-duality " (advayaprakāśamātra). Ratnākaraśānti criticized positions that advocated " mere appearance " (snang ba tsam≈ *pratibhāsamātra) and Atiśa clearly articulated an interpretation of Madhyamaka emphasizing mere appearances based on the interpretation of this verse. The paper concludes that the philosophical differences between these two scholars provides evidence that Atiśa's Madhyamaka was a minority viewpoint at Vikramaśīla monastery, that these philosophical differences effected their master/disciple relationship in esoteric Buddhist practice, and that these differences were influential, in part, upon Atiśa's decision to leave Vikramaśīla for Tibet.
Research Interests: Religion, Buddhism, Indian Philosophy, Buddhist Philosophy, Buddhist Studies, and 12 moreMadhyamaka School, Indian Buddhism, Madhyamaka, Religious Studies, Esoteric Buddhism, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Mahayana, Nāgārjuna, Mahayana Buddhism, Vajrayana Buddhism, Indian Madhyamaka, and Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna
This paper examines the question of whether the notion of ekayāna, the single or universal vehicle (or way), in the early layers of the Lotus sūtra was a form of bodhisattva universalism as the scripture ostensively advocates, or a form... more
This paper examines the question of whether the notion of ekayāna, the single or universal vehicle (or way), in the early layers of the Lotus sūtra was a form of bodhisattva universalism as the scripture ostensively advocates, or a form of exclusivism in which the validity of other ways of Buddhist practice were not recognized. The paper initially outlines the concept of ekayāna in Mahāyāna Buddhist sūtras and then charts the development of the ekayāna concept within the broader Buddhist historical context of the period of the three vehicles. The paper then examines ekayāna, along with hīnayāna, " inferior vehicle " in the early layers (chapters 1-10) of the Lotus sūtra. The paper concludes that in the historical context of its early development, the Lotus sūtra was less universalistic, or egalitarian, than commonly thought.
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This paper examines the structure and content of Atiśa's Stages of the Path to Awakening (byang chub lam gyi rim pa, *bodhipathakrama), a previously unstudied important work found among the recently published manuscript facsimiles of the... more
This paper examines the structure and content of Atiśa's Stages of the Path to Awakening (byang chub lam gyi rim pa, *bodhipathakrama), a previously unstudied important work found among the recently published manuscript facsimiles of the Collected Works of the Kadampas (bka' gdams pa gsung 'bum, 2006-2015). Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (ca. 982-1054), one of the great Indian Buddhist scholars during the first half of the eleventh century, is well known among both traditional Tibetan and modern scholars for his A Lamp for the Path to Awakening (byang chub lam gyi sgron ma, *bodhipathapradīpa) composed in Western Tibet for his Tibetan disciple Byang-chub 'od. A Lamp for the Path to Awakening is generally considered to be the prototype for all subsequent stages of the path (lam rim) literature in Tibetan scholastic history. In contrast, Atiśa's Stages of the Path to Awakening is virtually unknown to traditional and modern scholarship. This paper provides an initial examination of the structure and content of this important work and describes a number of small accompanying texts found within the 91 folio cursive script manuscript. The paper then compares the structure of Atiśa's Stages of the Path to Awakening to Atiśa's Lamp for the Path to Awakening. The paper also compares the structure of the Stages of the Path to Awakening to other comparable early Kadampa based path texts of Po-to-ba (1027-1105), Shar-ba-pa Yon-tan grags (1070-1141 c.e.), and Gro-lung-pa (12 th century). This comparison illustrates that Atiśa's Stages of the Path to Awakening includes such topics as the rarity of human rebirth, the sufferings of cyclic existence, the principles of karma, among others, found in later stages of the path texts but absent from Atiśa's Lamp for the Path to Awakening. Atiśa's Stages of the Path to Awakening also concludes with instructions on the practice of quiescience (śamatha) and insight (vipaśyanā) rather than discussing Tantra as found in the Lamp for the Path to Awakening. Moreover, the instructions on insight in Atiśa's Stages of the Path to Awakening focuses on a non-conceptual direct vision of the emptiness of one's own mind, a significant difference from the analytical insight utilizing reasoning found in the Lamp for the Path to Awakening.
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The teachings of Madhyamaka (“middle way philosophy”) have been the basis of Tibetan Buddhist thought and practice since the eighth century. After the twelfth century Tibetan scholars distinguished two branches of Madhyamaka: Autonomist... more
The teachings of Madhyamaka (“middle way philosophy”) have been the basis of Tibetan Buddhist thought and practice since the eighth century. After the twelfth century Tibetan scholars distinguished two branches of Madhyamaka: Autonomist (rang rgyud pa) and Consequentialist (thal ’gyur ba, *prāsaṅgika). What distinctions in Madhyamaka thought and practice did twelfth century Tibetan scholars make to differentiate these two branches? This paper examines for the first time an early twelfth century Tibetan commentary that solely focuses upon the distinctions between Autonomist and Consequentialist Mādhyamikas. The paper outlines the structure and contents of the commentary and identifies six points that the twelfth century author emphasizes to distinguish Autonomist and Consequentialist branches of Madhyamaka. The paper identifies the commentary’s anonymous author as representing a previously unknown lineage of Tibetan Madhyamaka originating from Nag tsho lo tsā ba tshul khrims rgyal (1011-1064 CE), the well-known translator and disciple of Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (982-1054 CE).
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The Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya (T. Shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa’i snying po; C. Bore boluomiduo xin jing; J. Hannya haramitta shingyō; 般若波羅蜜多心經), known simply as the Heart Sūtra, is one of the most famous and widely commented upon sūtras in... more
The Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya (T. Shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa’i snying po; C. Bore boluomiduo xin jing; J. Hannya haramitta shingyō; 般若波羅蜜多心經), known simply as the Heart Sūtra, is one of the most famous and widely commented upon sūtras in Mahāyāna Buddhist cultures. The scripture is preserved in at least seven Asian languages in two versions. The longer version preserved in Tibetan, and recited on a daily basis in Tibetan monasteries, contains a famous preliminary opening verse. The poetic verse praises the Perfection of Wisdom (prajñāpāramitā) and describes it, in part, as “ineffable, inconceivable…the essence of space.” Tibetan commentators often attribute the verse to either the Buddha’s son Rāhula or to the Prajñāpāramitāstrotra by Rāhulabhadra. The former attribution is an untraceable oral tradition and the verse is not found in the latter work as recent scholarship has documented. Is there a textual source for this verse? When did Tibetans begin to recite this verse in their monastic institutions? This paper documents an Indian source for this verse and provides evidence for its recitation in Indian Buddhist monasteries. The paper argues that Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (982-1054 CE) brought the practice of reciting this poetic verse prior to recitation of the Heart Sūtra based on new evidence from recently recovered Tibetan manuscripts. The paper concludes that the opening verse of the long Tibetan version of the Heart Sūtra originates in India and was ritually recited in at least one major Indian monastery during the late Pāla period.
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The teachings of Madhyamaka (“middle way philosophy”) have been the basis of Tibetan Buddhist thought since the eighth century. After the twelfth century Tibetan scholars distinguished two branches of Madhyamaka: Autonomist (rang rgyud... more
The teachings of Madhyamaka (“middle way philosophy”) have been the basis of Tibetan Buddhist thought since the eighth century. After the twelfth century Tibetan scholars distinguished two branches of Madhyamaka: Autonomist (rang rgyud pa) and Consequentialist (thal ’gyur ba, *prāsaṅgika). However, before this common and well-known distinction was established, early twelfth century Tibetan followers of the Indian Buddhist scholar Atiśa classified his teachings as “mere appearance Madhyamaka” (snang tsam dbu ma pa, *pratibhāsamātra-madhyamaka). The paper examines this previously unknown Tibetan classification based on a recently recovered early commentary attributed to Rnal ’byor pa shes rab rdo rje (ca. 1120). The paper articulates the characteristics of this type of Madhyamaka and compares this doxographic category with other late Indian classifications of Madhyamaka. The paper concludes by demonstrating how the identification of this Tibetan doxographic category contributes to understanding the history of Madhyamaka in Tibet, particularly during the eleventh to thirteenth centuries.
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The Kāśyapaparivarta is regarded as a principal scripture among modern scholars of Mahāyāna Buddhism due to the antiquity of its oldest sections that were formed at the earliest developmental stages of Mahāyāna literature. The... more
The Kāśyapaparivarta is regarded as a principal scripture among modern scholars of Mahāyāna Buddhism due to the antiquity of its oldest sections that were formed at the earliest developmental stages of Mahāyāna literature. The currently known extant versions of the Kāśyapaparivarta are in Sanskrit in two Central Asian manuscripts, three Chinese versions, Khotanese fragments, and a ninth century Tibetan version preserved among Tibetan Kanjur collections. This paper identifies for the first time seven Old Tibetan fragments of the Kāśyapaparivarta found among the Stein and Pelliot collections from the ancient city-state of Dunhuang. Altogether, these fragments cover fifty-five out of the one hundred sixty-six sections of the editio princeps edited by Staël-Holstein (1926). One Sanskrit Kāśyapaparivarta manuscript preserves an earlier contracted prose-only version of the sūtra, while another Sanskrit manuscript contains an ‘extended’ version with verses followed by prose. As this presentation demonstrates, all the Tibetan Dunhuang fragments correspond with the earlier version without verses. This differs from the later Tibetan version found in Kanjur collections that has prose followed by verse. In addition, one fragment indicates that the Old Tibetan version of this sūtra was explicitly called Ratnakuṭa, a title that accords with the title found in extant Indian and Khotanese works. This title also differs from later Kanjur versions where the text is entitled ’Od srung gi le’u together with the reconstructed Sanskrit title Kāśyapaparivarta. One fragment also contains a segment missing from Tibetan canonical versions, and another fragment contains a segment not found in any other extant version of the Kāśyapaparivarta, whether Sanskrit, Chinese, Khotanese, or Tibetan. Based on this evidence, the paper concludes by pointing out how the Old Tibetan version of the Kāśyapaparivarta preserved at Dunhuang, although fragmentary, provides important clues to assessing the chronological development of this sūtra in its history of transmission.
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This paper discusses the results of applying phylogenetic analysis, a computer-based method derived from principles of evolutionary biology supported by philological study, to select examples of Mahāyāna sūtras found in Tibetan canonical... more
This paper discusses the results of applying phylogenetic analysis, a computer-based method derived from principles of evolutionary biology supported by philological study, to select examples of Mahāyāna sūtras found in Tibetan canonical collections (Tib. bka’-’gyur). The paper initially outlines the methodology for utilizing computer assisted cladistic techniques in investigating the genealogy of textual witnesses found in literary texts. Evolutionary biology and textual criticism have in common the principle that species or texts share derived characters in their evolutionary history that indicate relationships between ancestors and descendants. The paper then provides an overview of the results of philological and phylogenetical analysis of select Tibetan versions of Mahāyāna sūtras. Based on these results, the paper considers the costs and benefits of utilizing phylogenetics for the study of Tibetan canonical texts. The paper then concludes with a brief summation of the implications of phylogenetics for future philological study of Tibetan Buddhist canonical works.
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This paper examines the structure and important doctrinal points found in a recently discovered and published manuscript of the Stages of the Path (lam rim) by the renowned Tibetan scholar Sha-ra-ba Yon-tan grags (1070-1141 c.e.). The... more
This paper examines the structure and important doctrinal points found in a recently discovered and published manuscript of the Stages of the Path (lam rim) by the renowned Tibetan scholar Sha-ra-ba Yon-tan grags (1070-1141 c.e.). The Stages of the Path is a Tibetan Buddhist genre of literature that consists of works that outline teachings that lead a follower to the final goal of buddhahood. The prototype of the genre was created by the famous eleventh-century Indian master Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (ca. 982-1054), who wrote his Bodhipathapradīpa in Western Tibet. The Stages of the Path (lam rim) of Geshe Shar-ba-pa is one of the earliest known indigenous Tibetan lam-rim compositions that was previously not considered extant. This paper briefly describes the manuscript of this text, and then analyzes two doctrinal issues: Shar-ba-pa’s reconcilation of the Madhyamaka and Yogācāra rites for developing the aspiration for awakening (bodhicitta) and his understanding of Madhyamaka thought.
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This paper examines Atiśa’s Madhyamakopadeśa, “Special Instructions for [practicing] the Middle Way” as a Buddhist example of spiritual exercises within Hadot’s project for valuing philosophy as a way of life. Reading the Madhyamakopadeśa... more
This paper examines Atiśa’s Madhyamakopadeśa, “Special Instructions for [practicing] the Middle Way” as a Buddhist example of spiritual exercises within Hadot’s project for valuing philosophy as a way of life. Reading the Madhyamakopadeśa in a Hadotian fashion brings out how forms of practice and exercises of reason are utilized for soteriological purposes in 11th century Buddhist India and Tibet. The paper initially discusses the understanding of ‘spiritual exercise’ within Hadot’s works and briefly explores the correspondence, and contrast, that this concept has to Foucault’s ‘care of the self.’ The paper then applies Hadot’s reading of spiritual exercise to the Madhyamakopadeśa of Atiśa (982-1054 c.e). The Madhyamakopadeśa and its commentaries provide an important case study for a Hadotian reading of Buddhist spiritual exercises. The base text by the author, along with an Indian commentary by Prajñāmukti, a contemporary with Atiśa, as well as early 12th century Tibetan Kadampa commentaries provide evidence for Buddhist exercises of reason within a specific historical and soteriological context. Other Tibetan historical documents provide evidence for when, where, and why Atiśa wrote the Madhyamakopadeśa furnishing a contextual understanding that has parrallels with Hadot’s reading of ancient Greek and Roman philosophical thought. The paper relates spiritual exercises with practices outlined through upadeśa (“instruction”, Tib. man ngag) as it is applied to this specific genre affliated with Madhyamaka (‘middle way’) thought. The Madhyamakopadeśa and its commentaries bring together what has been previously been characterized as two distinct schematics: one involving rational analysis (Eltschinger 2008), that is, the schematic of three successive kinds of wisdom (thos sam sgom gsum kyi shes rab), and the other being the five sciences (pañcavidyā). Moreover, as these works never directly cite or reference either Dignāga or Dharmakīrti regarding the means of valid knowledge (pramāṇa, tshad ma), ‘reasoning’ (yukti) for followers of Atiśa signifies an ‘internal’ Buddhist form of critical analysis that is different from hetu-vidyā, the ‘external’ epistemological devices used to defend Buddhist Dharma and defeat non-Buddhist opponents. The paper demonstrates how internal Buddhist forms of reasoning in these texts function as “exercises of reason” within the soteriological framework of an Indo-Tibetan Mahāyāna Buddhist path system advocated in the 11-12th centuries.
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The concept of the “single vehicle” (一乘, ekayāna) is found in various Mahāyāna sūtras such as the Śrīmālādevīsiṃhanāda-nirdeśa and Laṅkāvatāra. In these sūtras, the term ‘ekayāna’ signifies the ‘one path’ that leads to full Buddhahood as... more
The concept of the “single vehicle” (一乘, ekayāna) is found in various Mahāyāna sūtras such as the Śrīmālādevīsiṃhanāda-nirdeśa and Laṅkāvatāra. In these sūtras, the term ‘ekayāna’ signifies the ‘one path’ that leads to full Buddhahood as opposed to other paths that are considered unreal. The single vehicle is a celebrated notion in the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka or Lotus Sūtra, whose characterization of the ekayāna strongly influenced forms of Buddhism in East Asia. The earliest of Chinese Buddhist sūtra translations to discuss the single vehicle are Dharmarakṣa’s Lotus sūtra (Zhengfahua jing 正法華經, T. 263), translated in 285 CE, and Avaivartikacakrasūtra (Aweiyuezhizhe jing 阿惟越致遮經, T. 266), translated in 284 CE. In order to gain a greater understanding of the notion of the single vehicle in self-proclaimed Mahāyāna sūtras, this paper examines the characteristics of this concept found in the Avaivartikacakra sūtra and compares these to the characteristics found in the Lotus sūtra. The comparison between these two sūtras’ portrayal of the single vehicle illustrates underlying similarities in how the single vehicle is conceived but also clarifies important differences of meaning that broaden scholarly knowledge of the single vehicle in Mahāyāna literature.
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This paper examines the tensions between Buddhist epistemology and Madhyamaka-oriented views of reality as expressed through Atiśa’s (982–1054 C.E.) “Entry to the Two Realities” (Satyadvayāvatāra) and recently identified early Kadampa... more
This paper examines the tensions between Buddhist epistemology and Madhyamaka-oriented views of reality as expressed through Atiśa’s (982–1054 C.E.) “Entry to the Two Realities” (Satyadvayāvatāra) and recently identified early Kadampa (bka’ gdams pa) commentaries on the two realities (satyadvaya). An issue for a number of Indian Buddhist thinkers was the question of the role that the means of valid knowledge (pramāṇa) had in Buddhist soteriology. This paper argues that Atiśa and his Kadampa commentators upheld a traditional pre-sixth century Buddhist separation of ‘reasoning’ (yukti), an ‘internal’ Buddhist form of critical analysis, from hetu-vidyā, the ‘external’ epistemological devices used to defend Buddhist Dharma and defeat non-Buddhist opponents. The tension between Buddhist epistemology and Madhyamaka for these authors was mitigated through employing epistemological devices to refute opponents but not for realizing ultimate reality. Atiśa and his followers emphasize that direct realization of ultimate reality comes from non-conceptual meditative cultivation and not through means of valid knowledge (pramāṇa, tshad ma). As these authors never directly cite or reference either Dignāga or Dharmakīrti regarding reasoning procedures, the paper concludes that the processes of yukti followed by these commentaries represents a “pure” Madhyamakan lineage tradition derived from the Prajñāpāramitā and the works of Nāgārjuna to realize emptiness.
The Avaivartikacakrasūtra is an important Mahāyāna sūtra preserved in three canonical Chinese versions and a Tibetan canonical version among extant Buddhist canonical collections. This paper discusses the results of analyzing an Old... more
The Avaivartikacakrasūtra is an important Mahāyāna sūtra preserved in three canonical Chinese versions and a Tibetan canonical version among extant Buddhist canonical collections. This paper discusses the results of analyzing an Old Tibetan fragment of the Avaivartikacakrasūtra from Dunhuang preserved in the Stein Collection (IOL Tib J 53). The paper details the results of restoring the proper order of the manuscript’s folios and compares the Buddhist terminology found in the fragment against the early ninth century Sanskrit-Tibetan lexicon, the Mahāvyutpatti. The paper also identifies for the first time additional Tibetan fragments that belong to this manuscript from among unidentified Tibetan Mahāyāna sūtra fragments preserved in the Stein collection. The paper concludes with a summary of the stemmatic relations that the fragment preserves compared against a collation of Tibetan canonical exemplars based upon the results of philological study and phylogenetic analysis, a computer-based method derived from principles of evolutionary biology.
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This paper identifies and analyzes a previously unidentified, yet well-known, stanza found in a number of Madhyamaka (“Middle Way Philosophy”) commentaries and discusses its rhetorical use among both traditional and modern scholars. A... more
This paper identifies and analyzes a previously unidentified, yet well-known, stanza found in a number of Madhyamaka (“Middle Way Philosophy”) commentaries and discusses its rhetorical use among both traditional and modern scholars. A translation of this stanza reads, “The leader of the world has taught that there is no nirvāṇa in nirvāṇa. A knot tied with space is released through space itself” (anirvāṇaṃ hi nirvāṇaṃ lokanāthena deśitaṃ / ākāśena kṛto granthir ākāśenaiva mocitaḥ //). The first section of the paper identifies this verse as part of a Mahāyāna sūtra preserved in Chinese and Tibetan. The Chinese and Tibetan versions of this stanza from the sūtra are documented and compared against the Sanskrit preserved in Candrakīrti’s Prasannapadā providing clear evidence for its identification. The paper notes other sūtras that also utilize a “knot and space” analogy to illustrate non-conceptuality (nirvikalpa) or emptiness (śūnyatā). The paper then discusses the context of the stanza and compares this to the rhetorical use of the stanza in the Madhyamaka commentaries of Bhāviveka (6th century), Candrakīrti (7th century), and Avalokitavrata (late 7th century). The verse is cited in Madhyamaka commentaries in the context of the twenty-fifth chapter of Nāgārjuna’s Madhyamakaśāstra that analyzes nirvāṇa. The verse is cited, but not identified, by at least five modern authors on Madhyamaka philosophy. The paper concludes by noting the contextual differences between the place of this stanza in its sūtra context, its use by traditional Indian commentators, and how the stanza has been understood in modern scholarship.
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This paper examines the use of nirukta or nirvacana (‘semantic elucidation’) in selected examples from self-proclaimed Mahāyāna Buddhist texts to theorize, as well as illustrate, one among several rhetorical techniques utilized by early... more
This paper examines the use of nirukta or nirvacana (‘semantic elucidation’) in selected examples from self-proclaimed Mahāyāna Buddhist texts to theorize, as well as illustrate, one among several rhetorical techniques utilized by early to middle period Indian Buddhist authorial communities in the social formation of what comes to be known as “Mahāyāna.”
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Pelliot Tibétain 1257 is an early bilingual manuscript preserved from the ancient city-state of Dunhuang composed in Tibetan and Chinese. The rolled paper manuscript consists of three pages of Buddhist scripture titles and seven pages of... more
Pelliot Tibétain 1257 is an early bilingual manuscript preserved from the ancient city-state of Dunhuang composed in Tibetan and Chinese. The rolled paper manuscript consists of three pages of Buddhist scripture titles and seven pages of Buddhist terms in Tibetan and Chinese. Pelliot Tibétain 1257 provides early evidence for the complexity of translation techniques between Tibetan and Chinese during the Tibetan occupancy of Dunhuang (ca. 786-848 c.e.) and before the standardization of Tibetan translation practices reflected in the Mahāvyutpatti, a Sanskrit-Tibetan lexicon whose final redaction was sanctioned by imperial decree in 814 c.e. Previous scholarship related to Pelliot Tibétain 1257 has suggested that the manuscript was from a Chinese monastery and that it was utilized to help Chinese scholars translate Tibetan. This paper re-evaluates this presumption based upon a close analysis of the scribal writing and complete transcription of the scripture list and vocabulary. The paper argues that Pelliot Tibétain 1257 was a document circulated by Tibetans, presumably among Chinese monasteries in Dunhuang, to learn the Chinese equivalents to Tibetan translation terminology that was already in use among Tibetans. The Tibetan terminology list is comprised of translation terms in Old Tibetan, consisting of terms that reflect an interest in term equivalents for Chan Chinese terminology and Chinese equivalents for Indic based sources such as the Saṃdhinirmocana sūtra and other Mahāyāna sūtras, terms that would be important for the Samye debate held around 792-794 ce. The list of texts is from a local Chinese based source, either a catalogue or an actual depository of texts, found in Dunhuang. Although the actual date of the manuscript is difficult to determine, the Tibetan text of the manuscript’s documents contain orthographic and paleographic features that place its initial composition between 779 and 814 c.e. Pt. 1257 is therefore one of the earliest known Tibetan lexicons of Buddhist terminology and an authoritative source for documenting Tibetan translations of Mahāyāna sūtras preserved in Old Tibetan.
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This paper addresses recent interdisciplinary developments in the philological study of Tibetan Buddhist canonical works, including cladistic computer-based phylogenetic analysis, through a study of the Tibetan version of the Sūtra of... more
This paper addresses recent interdisciplinary developments in the philological study of Tibetan Buddhist canonical works, including cladistic computer-based phylogenetic analysis, through a study of the Tibetan version of the Sūtra of Jayamati. The Sūtra of Jayamati is a brief work whose versions are preserved in one Sanskrit manuscript and found in multiple editions of the Tibetan canonical collection known as the Kanjur. The paper discusses the results of philological and phylogenetical analysis of a Tibetan Dunhuang version against a collation of twelve different Kanjur editions providing clear evidence for the genealogical transmission of the sūtra from the eighth to the eighteenth century among Tibetan scriptoriums and printing houses. The paper concludes with a brief summation of the implications of phylogenetics for future philological study of Tibetan Buddhist canonical works.
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An overlooked aspect in the study of Tibetan Buddhism is the Geluk-pa (dge-lugs-pa) understanding of Tuṣita Heaven as a Pure Land. Ever since Tsong-kha-pa Blo-gzang grags pa (1357-1419) founded the monastery of dGa’-ldan (Skt. Tuṣita,... more
An overlooked aspect in the study of Tibetan Buddhism is the Geluk-pa (dge-lugs-pa) understanding of Tuṣita Heaven as a Pure Land. Ever since Tsong-kha-pa Blo-gzang grags pa (1357-1419) founded the monastery of dGa’-ldan (Skt. Tuṣita, “Heaven of Joy”) his Geluk-pa followers have placed devotional emphasis on creating merit to form links with the Buddha Maitreya, and Maitreya’s Pure Land of Tuṣita. This paper examines selected works of Tsong-kha-pa and his immediate followers to discern the historical conditions for the emergence of Maitreya’s Tuṣita Heaven as a Pure Land and as a place of devotion.
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This paper examines a newly discovered and recently published Sanskrit manuscript of the Jayamatiparipṛcchāsūtra (‘Inquiry of Jayamati’) and documents its relation, previously unrecognized, as part of another Mahāyāna sūtra. As the modern... more
This paper examines a newly discovered and recently published Sanskrit manuscript of the Jayamatiparipṛcchāsūtra (‘Inquiry of Jayamati’) and documents its relation, previously unrecognized, as part of another Mahāyāna sūtra. As the modern study of Mahāyāna sūtra literature has produced only a handful of confirmed cases that record shared textual material between sūtras, the identification documented in this paper provides important evidence for how authorial communities compiled and redacted “Mahāyāna” Buddhist texts. The paper first analyzes the philological relations between the extant Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese contents of the shared material between these two sūtras. The paper notes that as the extant editions of the Jayamatiparipṛcchā have different accounts of its introductory settings and closing audiences, that this brief sūtra was mostly likely redacted according to the Mūlasarvāstivāda monastic rules of ‘how to make up a sūtra’ (Schopen 2004). The paper then argues that the different implications of the shared content between these two sūtras serves as a case study of how Mahāyāna sūtras were utilized for rhetorical purposes.
Research Interests:
This presentation provides a report in progress on an Old Tibetan fragment of the Avaivartikacakra sūtra from Dunhuang in the Stein Collection (IOL Tib J 53). IOL Tib J 53 is the longest and one of the earliest Tibetan Mahāyāna sūtra... more
This presentation provides a report in progress on an Old Tibetan fragment of the Avaivartikacakra sūtra from Dunhuang in the Stein Collection (IOL Tib J 53). IOL Tib J 53 is the longest and one of the earliest Tibetan Mahāyāna sūtra fragments (No. 53, La Vallée Poussin 1962) preserved from the ancient Central Asian city-state of Dunhuang (pre. 9th century). The fragment was acquired during the second Central Asia expendition (1907) of Aurel Stein (1862-1943) to Dunhuang (Stein 1921) and is currently preserved in the British Library and available on microfilm (Yamaguchi et al 1977-1988). This previously unexamined fragment is historically and philologically valuable because of its antiquity, its geographical origin, and its length. The manuscript is forty-four folios in length covering nearly seventy percent of the Avaivartikacakra sūtra. This paper details the results of restoring the order of the manuscript’s folios, compares the Buddhist terminology found in the fragment against the imperially decreed Sanskrit-Tibetan lexicon, the Mahāvyutpatti, of 814 c.e. (Scherrer-Schaub 2002), and identifies a previously unattributed Sanskrit verse related to the sūtra. The paper concludes with a brief summary of the stemmatic relations that the fragment preserves compared against a collation of Tibetan canonical exemplars of the sūtra to provide evidence for layers of transmission that precede later mainstream blockprint editions .
This paper addresses recent developments in the philological study of Tibetan Buddhist canonical works through a case study drawn from the Kanjur (Tib. Bka’-’gyur, “translated words of the Buddha”). The example related to the Bka’-’gyur... more
This paper addresses recent developments in the philological study of Tibetan Buddhist canonical works through a case study drawn from the Kanjur (Tib. Bka’-’gyur, “translated words of the Buddha”). The example related to the Bka’-’gyur examines an ancient Tibetan fragment of the Phyir mi ldog pa’i ’khor lo zhyes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Avaivartikadharmacakra sūtra) in comparison with extant manuscript and block print versions of the sūtra preserved in various editions of the Bka’-’gyur. The fragment of the Phyir mi ldog pa’i ’khor lo is the longest early Tibetan Mahāyāna sūtra fragment preserved from the ancient Central Asian city-state of Dunhuang and provides extensive data for analyzing the genealogical transmission of the sūtra from the eighth to the eighteenth century among Tibetan scriptoriums and printing houses. The paper discusses the latest methods and techniques to examine this philological data including cladistic computer-based phylogenetic analysis and classical stemmatic textual criticism.
This paper examines the development of 11th-12th century Tibetan Abhisamayālaṃkāra (mngon par rtogs pa’i rgyan) commentaries in the light of new evidence from recently published pre-15th century bKa' gdams pa works. Tibetan scholars from... more
This paper examines the development of 11th-12th century Tibetan Abhisamayālaṃkāra (mngon par rtogs pa’i rgyan) commentaries in the light of new evidence from recently published pre-15th century bKa' gdams pa works. Tibetan scholars from the 11th-12th centuries had a formative and long-lasting effect on the development of Buddhist scholasticism in Tibet. However, scholarly understanding of many authors from this period has been impeded by the lack of direct textual evidence. In the past few years a number of lost texts have been discovered, culminating in the recent publication of two 30-volume collections of pre-15th century bKa' gdams pa works by the dPal-brtsegs Research Centre for Old Tibetan Manuscripts (dPal brtsegs bod yig dpe rnying zhib 'jug khang) based in Lhasa. Within these two 30-volume collections are twenty-three previously unexamined Abhisamayālaṃkāra commentaries. The Abhisamayālaṃkāra has had the most lasting impact of any sūtra commentary in Tibet serving as a gateway for the study of Prajñāpāramitā sūtras by Tibetan Buddhists of all schools. This paper examines colophons and lineage lists found in a select number of these 11th-12th commentaries and compares these lists with previous scholarship on the topic. The result of this analysis indicates that the transmission of the Abhisamayālaṃkāra during the 11th-12th century centered around two competing textual communities—a previously unknown ‘seng ’bum’ lineage that eventually develops into the authoritative textual system of rNgog lo tsā ba blo ldan shes rab (1059-1109 c.e.) and a lineage derived from the tenth century Bengali master Atiśa Dipaṃkāraśrījñāna (982-1054 c.e.) that eventually dissipates.
Research Interests:
‘How Mādhyamikas Meditate’ with Prof. James B. Apple. This presentation focuses on Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna's system of Mādhyamika meditation. This event will largely focus on Part 3 of James B. Apple’s acclaimed book, Jewels of the... more
‘How Mādhyamikas Meditate’ with Prof. James B. Apple. This presentation focuses on Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna's system of Mādhyamika meditation. This event will largely focus on Part 3 of James B. Apple’s acclaimed book, Jewels of the Middle Way: The Madhyamaka Legacy of Atisa and His Early Tibetan Followers.
April 21, 2021 from 6pm to 8pm US PDT Time
www.tsechenling.org
Registration is required - you can register using the Tickets link on this page, or through our website. If you are able, please consider sponsoring this course (includes registration).
https://tsechenlingcenter.ticketspice.com/atia-dpakara-jewels-of-the-middle-way-with-profjames-
b-apple
April 21, 2021 from 6pm to 8pm US PDT Time
www.tsechenling.org
Registration is required - you can register using the Tickets link on this page, or through our website. If you are able, please consider sponsoring this course (includes registration).
https://tsechenlingcenter.ticketspice.com/atia-dpakara-jewels-of-the-middle-way-with-profjames-
b-apple
Research Interests:
Atiśa Dīpaṃkara: Illuminator of the Awakened Mind with James B. Apple Friday, August 28, 2020 from 6pm to 8pm US PDT Time This course will be presented via Facebook LIVE on our Facebook page.... more
Atiśa Dīpaṃkara: Illuminator of the Awakened Mind
with James B. Apple
Friday, August 28, 2020 from 6pm to 8pm US PDT Time
This course will be presented via Facebook LIVE on our Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/events/269820591020572/
Few figures in the history of Buddhism in Tibet have had as far-reaching and profound an influence as the Indian scholar and adept Atiśa Dīpaṃkara (982–1054). Atiśa is best known for introducing many of the core Mahāyāna teachings that are widely practiced throughout the Tibetan Buddhist world, including the Stages of the Path to Awakening and Mind Training (lojong), as well as having contributed to highly influential commentaries on Madhyamaka that synthesize various schools of thought. In addition, Atiśa was an influential practitioner of Tantra.
“…Atiśa has always been dear to the hearts of Tibetans, and by bringing his words and deeds to life, Apple shows us precisely why this is so—and why we ourselves should look to Atiśa for guidance.” —Roger R. Jackson, Professor Emeritus of Asian Studies and Religion, Carleton College
About the speaker:
James B. Apple is Professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Calgary. His research focuses on the critical analysis of the Mahāyāna sūtras and topics within Indian and Tibetan Buddhism. His books include Jewels of the Middle Way: The Madhyamaka Legacy of Atiśa and His Early Tibetan Followers, A Stairway taken by the Lucid: Tsong kha pa's Study of Noble Beings, and Stairway to Nirvāṇa.
This event will largely focus on James B. Apple’s acclaimed book, Atiśa Dīpaṃkara: Illuminator of the Awakened Mind (Shambhala, 2018). We encourage you purchase this amazing work which is composed for a general audience.
Order direct from Shambhala here:
https://www.shambhala.com/authors/a-f/james-b-apple/atisa-dipamkara.html
To delve deeper into the thought of Atiśa, we encourage you to also seek out Professor Apple’s other recent publication Jewels of the Middle Way: The Madhyamaka Legacy of Atisa and His Early Tibetan Followers (Wisdom, 2018).
Order direct from Wisdom Publications here:
https://wisdomexperience.org/product/jewels-middle-way/
with James B. Apple
Friday, August 28, 2020 from 6pm to 8pm US PDT Time
This course will be presented via Facebook LIVE on our Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/events/269820591020572/
Few figures in the history of Buddhism in Tibet have had as far-reaching and profound an influence as the Indian scholar and adept Atiśa Dīpaṃkara (982–1054). Atiśa is best known for introducing many of the core Mahāyāna teachings that are widely practiced throughout the Tibetan Buddhist world, including the Stages of the Path to Awakening and Mind Training (lojong), as well as having contributed to highly influential commentaries on Madhyamaka that synthesize various schools of thought. In addition, Atiśa was an influential practitioner of Tantra.
“…Atiśa has always been dear to the hearts of Tibetans, and by bringing his words and deeds to life, Apple shows us precisely why this is so—and why we ourselves should look to Atiśa for guidance.” —Roger R. Jackson, Professor Emeritus of Asian Studies and Religion, Carleton College
About the speaker:
James B. Apple is Professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Calgary. His research focuses on the critical analysis of the Mahāyāna sūtras and topics within Indian and Tibetan Buddhism. His books include Jewels of the Middle Way: The Madhyamaka Legacy of Atiśa and His Early Tibetan Followers, A Stairway taken by the Lucid: Tsong kha pa's Study of Noble Beings, and Stairway to Nirvāṇa.
This event will largely focus on James B. Apple’s acclaimed book, Atiśa Dīpaṃkara: Illuminator of the Awakened Mind (Shambhala, 2018). We encourage you purchase this amazing work which is composed for a general audience.
Order direct from Shambhala here:
https://www.shambhala.com/authors/a-f/james-b-apple/atisa-dipamkara.html
To delve deeper into the thought of Atiśa, we encourage you to also seek out Professor Apple’s other recent publication Jewels of the Middle Way: The Madhyamaka Legacy of Atisa and His Early Tibetan Followers (Wisdom, 2018).
Order direct from Wisdom Publications here:
https://wisdomexperience.org/product/jewels-middle-way/
Research Interests:
The teachings of Madhyamaka (“middle way philosophy”) have been the basis of Tibetan Buddhist thought and practice since the eighth century. After the twelfth century, Tibetan scholars distinguished two branches of Madhyamaka: Autonomist... more
The teachings of Madhyamaka (“middle way philosophy”) have been the basis of Tibetan Buddhist thought and practice since the eighth century. After the twelfth century, Tibetan scholars distinguished two branches of Madhyamaka: Autonomist (rang rgyud pa) and Consequentialist (thal ’gyur ba, *prāsaṅgika). What distinctions in Madhyamaka thought and practice did twelfth century Tibetan scholars make to differentiate these two branches? This presentation focuses upon a newly identified twelfth century Tibetan manuscript on Madhyamaka from the Collected Works of the Kadampas: Khu lo tsā ba’s Treatise on the Svātantrika/Prāsaṅgika Distinction.
Research Interests:
This presentation focuses on the understanding of Maitreya’s Tuṣita Heaven as a Pure Land (maitreyakṣetra, byams pa’i zhing, miroku jōdo) in Tibetan forms of Buddhism. The presentation centers upon practices in Gelukpa (dge-lugs-pa)... more
This presentation focuses on the understanding of Maitreya’s Tuṣita Heaven as a Pure Land (maitreyakṣetra, byams pa’i zhing, miroku jōdo) in Tibetan forms of Buddhism. The presentation centers upon practices in Gelukpa (dge-lugs-pa) forms of Buddhism that visualize Maitryea’s Pure Land in Tuṣita Heaven in the context of venerating the ‘root’ guru Tsong-kha-pa Blo-gzang grags pa (1357-1419). A point of focus is the historical conditions that develop for the Geluk-pa veneration of Tsong-kha-pa as well as the conditions for the emergence of Maitreya’s Tuṣita Heaven as a Pure Land in Tibetan forms of Buddhism.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Indian Buddhist commentary on the Prajñāpāramitā preserved in Sanskrit and
Tibetan.
Tibetan.
Research Interests: Buddhism, Tibetan Philosophy, Buddhist Studies, Tibetan Buddhism, Indian Buddhism, and 13 moreBuddhism especially mahayana Buddhist tradition, Yogacara Buddhism, Abhidharma, Mahayana, Mahayana Buddhism, Bodhisattva, Asanga, Maitreya, Prajñāpāramitā, Abhisamayalamkara, dharmakaya, Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā, and Buddhist Studies - Gradual Path
Bodhisattva of wisdom in Mahāyāna forms of Buddhism.
Research Interests:
The pāramitās, or perfections, are virtues that are fully developed by a bodhisattva
(Buddha-in-training) to become a Buddha.
(Buddha-in-training) to become a Buddha.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Buddhist saints are consensually recognized embodiments and exemplars of those who have actualized the principles of Śākyamuni Buddha’s teachings. In Buddhist cultural formations they are ideal figures, such as arhats or bodhisattvas, who... more
Buddhist saints are consensually recognized embodiments and exemplars of those who have actualized the principles of Śākyamuni Buddha’s teachings. In Buddhist cultural formations they are ideal figures, such as arhats or bodhisattvas, who have undergone bodily, verbal, and mental transformation through meditative cultivations, spiritual practices, and exercises of discernment. Within a Buddhist worldview, they represent an individual’s full development of wisdom and unconditional love.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (982-1054 c.e.) was an Indian Mahāyāna Buddhist scholar-adept who revitalized Buddhism in Tibet during the early 11th century.
Research Interests:
Indian Buddhist bodhisattva philosopher renowned for his use of reasoning in articulating a subtle vision of middle way philosophy (madhyamaka) and an outline of the path of Mahāyāna Buddhism.
Research Interests:
Gedun drubpa (དགེ་འདུན་གྲུབ་པ་, dge-’dun-grub-pa, First Dalai Lama, 1391–1474), major scholar-saint in the Gelukpa (Tib. dge-lugs-pa) school of Tibetan Buddhism who was a close disciple of Tsong kha pa, founder of Tashilhunpo (bkra-shis... more
Gedun drubpa (དགེ་འདུན་གྲུབ་པ་, dge-’dun-grub-pa, First Dalai Lama, 1391–1474), major scholar-saint in the Gelukpa (Tib. dge-lugs-pa) school of Tibetan Buddhism who was a close disciple of Tsong kha pa, founder of Tashilhunpo (bkra-shis lhun-po) monastery, and posthumously designated as the First Dalai Lama.
Research Interests:
Gyeltsap Darma Rinchen (rgyal tshab dar ma rin chen [1364-1432]). Important philosopher-saint in the Gelukpa (dge lugs pa) school of Tibetan Buddhism who was the immediate successor to Tsong-kha-pa and first throne holder of Ganden... more
Gyeltsap Darma Rinchen (rgyal tshab dar ma rin chen [1364-1432]). Important philosopher-saint in the Gelukpa (dge lugs pa) school of Tibetan Buddhism who was the immediate successor to Tsong-kha-pa and first throne holder of Ganden monastery (dga’ ldan khri pa).
Research Interests:
Indian Mahāyāna Buddhist monk-scholar who greatly influenced the early formations of
Buddhism in Tibet through his writings on meditation and philosophy.
Buddhism in Tibet through his writings on meditation and philosophy.
Research Interests:
Khedrub Jey (mkhas grub dge legs dpal bzang [1385-1438 C.E.]), one of the most important scholar-saints in the history of the Tibetan Buddhist scholastic tradition, who is considered to be the third patriarch of the Gelukpa (dge lugs pa),... more
Khedrub Jey (mkhas grub dge legs dpal bzang [1385-1438 C.E.]), one of the most important scholar-saints in the history of the Tibetan Buddhist scholastic tradition, who is considered to be the third patriarch of the Gelukpa (dge lugs pa), or Gandanpa (dga’ ldan pa), school that was founded by Tsong kha pa blo bzang grags pa (1357-1419).
Research Interests:
Nāropā (956-1040 CE) was an Indian Tantric Buddhist master whose life and teachings were highly regarded in Tibet.
Research Interests:
Tsong kha pa blo bzang grags pa, (1357-1419),
Renowned scholar, monk, philosopher who was one of the most profoundly influential and innovative minds in the history of Tibetan Buddhism.
Renowned scholar, monk, philosopher who was one of the most profoundly influential and innovative minds in the history of Tibetan Buddhism.
Research Interests:
The following is an English translation of The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “The Questions of the Householder Vīradatta (Āryavīradattagṛhapatiparipṛcchā-nāma-mahāyāna-sūtra). The Questions of the Householder Vīradatta is preserved in Gāndhārī... more
The following is an English translation of The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “The Questions of the Householder Vīradatta (Āryavīradattagṛhapatiparipṛcchā-nāma-mahāyāna-sūtra). The Questions of the Householder Vīradatta is preserved in Gāndhārī fragments and in Chinese, Tibetan, and Mongolian versions. There are three Chinese versions: the Pusa xiuxing jing 菩薩修⾏經 translated by Bo Fazuo circa 290–306 ᴄᴇ (Taishō 330), the Quan shou chang zhe hui 勸授⻑者會 translated by Bodhiruci in 713 ᴄᴇ (Taishō 310(28)), and the Wu wei shou suo wen da cheng jing 無畏授所問⼤乘經 translated by Dānapāla circa 980 ᴄᴇ. The Tibetan version is preserved in one Dunhuang manuscript (IOL Tib J 184) and approximately twenty-eight Kangyur editions. This English translation is based on a complete Dunhuang Tibetan manuscript (IOL Tib J 184), which was compared against another Dunhuang Tibetan manuscript (IOL Tib J 185) and seven Kangyur editions. The IOL Tib J 184 manuscript version is the oldest and most complete version of the extant Tibetan textual witnesses.
Research Interests:
The verse is an oral tradition attributed to Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (982-1054). The English translation (Apple, 2019, p. 6): "I pay homage to the awakening mind, Which destroys any rebirth in the lower realms, Liberates from all... more
The verse is an oral tradition attributed to Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (982-1054). The English translation (Apple, 2019, p. 6): "I pay homage to the awakening mind, Which destroys any rebirth in the lower realms, Liberates from all obstructions, and Illuminates the majesty of complete buddhahood."
Research Interests:
The Dwelling Place of Mañjuśrī first presents a dialogue between Mañjuśrī and Śāriputra regarding the activity of “dwelling” (vihāra) during meditation, the nature of dharmas, and the “true nature” (tathatā). This opens into a... more
The Dwelling Place of Mañjuśrī first presents a dialogue between Mañjuśrī and Śāriputra regarding the activity of “dwelling” (vihāra) during meditation, the nature of dharmas, and the “true nature” (tathatā). This opens into a conversation between Mañjuśrī and a large gathering of monks whereby Mañjuśrī corrects the monks’ misinterpretations. Mañjuśrī then instructs Śāriputra on the enduring and indestructible nature of the realm of sentient beings and the realm of reality. Finally, the power of Mañjuśrī’s teaching is explained and reiterated by the Buddha.
Research Interests:
Translation of the Mañjuśrīvihāra sūtra from Tibetan.
Research Interests:
English translation of the Jayamatiparipṛcchāsūtra from the Tibetan.
Research Interests:
Translation of Tibetan version of the Avalokiteśvaraparipṛcchāsaptadharmaka based on ten editions of the Tibetan Kanjur (bka' 'gyur)
Research Interests:
Asian Religions is a general introduction to the academic study of Asian religious traditions. The course familiarizes students with the major religious and philosophical traditions of select geographical areas in South, Central, and East... more
Asian Religions is a general introduction to the academic study of Asian religious traditions. The course familiarizes students with the major religious and philosophical traditions of select geographical areas in South, Central, and East Asia. While refining the skills of empathetic description and non-evaluative comparison, the course also examines religion as an area of academic study, examining the function of religion in relation to human beliefs, social practices, and culture in general. A primary goal of the course is for all students to learn to define, accurately describe, and compare in a non-evaluative manner, various religious traditions within Asia so as to discover significant similarities and differences in various forms of human thought and behavior.
Research Interests:
Religious Studies 327 is a selective survey of the philosophical, cultural, and historical aspects of Buddhist and related formations in Tibet. The course surveys the history of Buddhism in Tibet, from Buddhism's introduction into this... more
Religious Studies 327 is a selective survey of the philosophical, cultural, and historical aspects of Buddhist and related formations in Tibet. The course surveys the history of Buddhism in Tibet, from Buddhism's introduction into this country up to the predominance of Tibet's four principal Buddhist traditions. The course then focus upon selected thematic topics such as the gradual stages to awakening (lam rim) literature, mind training (blo sbyong), buddha-nature, tantra, women in Tibetan Buddhism, life and institution of the Dalai Lama, along with the issues of orientalism and the modern interpretation of Tibetan Buddhist formations.
Research Interests:
Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) , Three Important Pathways (lam gtso rnam gsum).
Course handout for module on Géluk (dge lugs) in Tibetan forms of Buddhism.
Course handout for module on Géluk (dge lugs) in Tibetan forms of Buddhism.
Research Interests: Buddhism, Buddhist Philosophy, Tibetan Philosophy, Tibetan Studies, Buddhist Studies, and 10 moreTibet, Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan Literature, Tibetan and Himalayan societies, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan History, Tibetan Language, Classical Tibetan Language, Buddhist Meditation, and Buddhist History
This seminar examines Buddhist Thought in India. Buddhists like to place emphasis not on belief as such but on practicing, following a path, and knowing, directly seeing. This direct 'seeing things the way they really are' is held to free... more
This seminar examines Buddhist Thought in India. Buddhists like to place emphasis not on belief as such but on practicing, following a path, and knowing, directly seeing. This direct 'seeing things the way they really are' is held to free a person from the depths of suffering through cognitive transformation. By 'Buddhist thought' we mean, in this general context, the discussions, speculations, and arguments concerning 'how things really are.' In this seminar we will try to understand this issue through the works of various Buddhist philosophers beginning with Śākyamuni Buddha (480-400 BCE) through to Candrakīrti (ca. 570-650 CE). In examining the primary sources (via translations), we will question the notion of "schools" of Buddhism as historical realities while accepting the importance of "schools" for subsequent traditions. The goal is to perceive continuities between the works of philosophers while recognizing their unique attempts to solve some persistent philosophical problems.
Research Interests: Buddhism, Menander, Buddhist Studies, Madhyamaka School, Indian Buddhism, and 15 moreTheravada Buddhism, Madhyamaka, Yogacara Buddhism, Yogacara, Abhidharma, Mahayana, Nāgārjuna, Candrakīrti, Mahayana Buddhism, Buddha, Buddhist Suttas, Vasubandhu, Prajnaparamita, Vimalakirti Sutra, and Samdhinirmocana-sutra
Mahāyāna streams of Buddhism have had a profound impact on the shape of Buddhist formations in India, throughout Asia, and beyond. This course examines, in a selected survey format, the classification, cultural formations, literature, and... more
Mahāyāna streams of Buddhism have had a profound impact on the shape of Buddhist formations in India, throughout Asia, and beyond. This course examines, in a selected survey format, the classification, cultural formations, literature, and systematic thought of Mahāyāna doctrines and practices utilizing a range of interdisciplinary methods and approaches. The course focuses on the problems of classification and definition; the "new metaphysics" of emptiness; controversies in the conception of Buddhahood; the centrality of compassion; visualization and other meditation techniques; the role of faith and the practices of lay people; and the development of the bodhisattva ideal.
Research Interests:
Religious Studies 319 focuses upon the formation and development of Esoteric Buddhism in South Asia from c. 500 CE to 1200 CE. Esoteric Buddhist formations, as part of broader pan-Indic cultural movements known as Tantra, are some of the... more
Religious Studies 319 focuses upon the formation and development of Esoteric Buddhism in South Asia from c. 500 CE to 1200 CE. Esoteric Buddhist formations, as part of broader pan-Indic cultural movements known as Tantra, are some of the most popular yet most misunderstood forms of Buddhism. In this course, we will examine the social and historical contexts for the formation of Esoteric movements as well as consider some of the many questions concerning the history, literature, and practices of these cultural movements.
Research Interests:
Asian Religions is a general introduction to the academic study of Asian religious traditions. The course familiarizes students with the major religious and philosophical traditions of select geographical areas in South, Central, and East... more
Asian Religions is a general introduction to the academic study of Asian religious traditions. The course familiarizes students with the major religious and philosophical traditions of select geographical areas in South, Central, and East Asia. While refining the skills of empathetic description and non-evaluative comparison, the course also examines religion as an area of academic study, examining the function of religion in relation to human beliefs, social practices, and culture in general. A primary goal of the course is for all students to learn to define, accurately describe, and compare in a non-evaluative manner, various religious traditions within Asia so as to discover significant similarities and differences in various forms of human thought and behavior.
Research Interests:
As an introduction to Buddhism, this course focuses on the historical development of Early Buddhist formations (500 BCE to 100 CE), investigating their beginnings and transformation in India and other SE Asian cultures. The course begins... more
As an introduction to Buddhism, this course focuses on the historical development of Early Buddhist formations (500 BCE to 100 CE), investigating their beginnings and transformation in India and other SE Asian cultures. The course begins by examining the historical and cultural context in which Early Buddhism began, first as represented in the life and teachings of Siddhārtha Gautama, and then followed by the socio-cultural institutions and religious practices that developed after his life. The course then examines the cosmological structures of Buddhist universes, the early socio-economic structure of Buddhist schools and institutions, including the relationships between monastic and lay communities, the oral/written transmission of texts, as well as the archaeology of Buddhist devotion that develops during the Mauryan period with the worship of stūpas, relics, and images. The course concludes with describing Buddhist developments in the northwestern borderlands (Gandhāra) and a discussion on the place of women in early Buddhism.
Research Interests:
This course examines the lives of Indian and Tibetan Buddhist masters within their social historical context of India and Tibet. The course will examine the lives of the following four individuals: Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (982-1054),... more
This course examines the lives of Indian and Tibetan Buddhist masters within their social historical context of India and Tibet. The course will examine the lives of the following four individuals: Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (982-1054), Sönam Peldren (1328-1372), Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), and Gendun Chopel (1903-1951).
Research Interests: Religion, Buddhism, History of Religion, Tibetan Studies, Buddhist Studies, and 14 moreTibet, Biography, Anthropology of Tibet and the Himalayas, Tibetan Buddhism, Indian Buddhism, Tibetan Literature, Tibetan and Himalayan societies, Religious Studies, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan History, Mahayana Buddhism, Gender in Buddhism, Tibetan Biography, and Vajrayana Buddhism In Tibet
Asian Religions is a general introduction to the academic study of Asian religious traditions. The course familiarizes students with the major religious and philosophical traditions of select geographical areas in South, Central, and East... more
Asian Religions is a general introduction to the academic study of Asian religious traditions. The course familiarizes students with the major religious and philosophical traditions of select geographical areas in South, Central, and East Asia. While refining the skills of empathetic description and non-evaluative comparison, the course also examines religion as an area of academic study, examining the function of religion in relation to human beliefs, social practices, and culture in general. A primary goal of the course is for all students to learn to define, accurately describe, and compare in a non-evaluative manner, various religious traditions within Asia so as to discover significant similarities and differences in various forms of human thought and behavior.
Research Interests: Religion, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, History of Religion, and 13 moreJapanese Religions, Study of Religions, Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, Theravada Buddhism, Shinto, World Religions, Religious Studies, Comparison, Study of Religion, Mahayana, Comparative Study of World Religions, Vedas, and Anthropology of Religion
Mahāyāna streams of Buddhism have had a profound impact on the shape of Buddhist formations in India, throughout Asia, and beyond. This course examines, in a selected survey format, the classification, cultural formations, literature, and... more
Mahāyāna streams of Buddhism have had a profound impact on the shape of Buddhist formations in India, throughout Asia, and beyond. This course examines, in a selected survey format, the classification, cultural formations, literature, and systematic thought of Mahāyāna doctrines and practices utilizing a range of interdisciplinary methods and approaches. The course focuses on the problems of classification and definition; the "new metaphysics" of emptiness; controversies in the conception of Buddhahood; the centrality of compassion; visualization and other meditation techniques; the role of faith and the practices of lay people; and the development of the bodhisattva ideal.
Research Interests: Buddhism, Buddhist Studies, Madhyamaka School, Tibetan Buddhism, Indian Buddhism, and 15 moreBuddhism especially mahayana Buddhist tradition, Yogacara Buddhism, Yogacara, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Mahāyāna, Mahayana, Nāgārjuna, Candrakīrti, Mahayana Buddhism, Mahayana sutras, Bodhisattva, Vasubandhu, Mahāyāna Buddhist Tradition, Vimalakirti Sutra, and Bodhicitta
This seminar examines the history of Buddhist Thought in India. Buddhists like to place emphasis not on belief as such but on practicing, following a path, and knowing, directly seeing. This direct ‘seeing things the way they really are’... more
This seminar examines the history of Buddhist Thought in India. Buddhists like to place emphasis not on belief as such but on practicing, following a path, and knowing, directly seeing. This direct ‘seeing things the way they really are’ (Skt. yathābhūtadarśana ≈ P.
yathābhūtadassana) is held to free a person from the depths of suffering through cognitive transformation. By ‘Buddhist thought’ we mean, in this general context, the discussions, speculations, and arguments concerning ‘how things really are.’ In this seminar we will try to understand this issue through the works of various Buddhist philosophers beginning with Śākyamuni Buddha (480-400 BCE) through to Candrakīrti (ca. 570-650 CE).
yathābhūtadassana) is held to free a person from the depths of suffering through cognitive transformation. By ‘Buddhist thought’ we mean, in this general context, the discussions, speculations, and arguments concerning ‘how things really are.’ In this seminar we will try to understand this issue through the works of various Buddhist philosophers beginning with Śākyamuni Buddha (480-400 BCE) through to Candrakīrti (ca. 570-650 CE).
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Religious Studies 319 focuses upon the formation and development of Esoteric Buddhism in South Asia from c. 500 CE to 1200 CE. Esoteric Buddhist formations, as part of broader pan-Indic cultural movements known as Tantra, are some of the... more
Religious Studies 319 focuses upon the formation and development of Esoteric Buddhism in South Asia from c. 500 CE to 1200 CE. Esoteric Buddhist formations, as part of broader pan-Indic cultural movements known as Tantra, are some of the most popular yet most misunderstood forms of Buddhism. In this course, we will examine the social and historical contexts for the formation of Esoteric movements as well as consider some of the many questions concerning the history, literature, and practices of these cultural movements.
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This course examines the lives of Indian and Tibetan Buddhist masters within the social historical context of India and Tibet. The course will examine the lives of the following four individuals: Atiśa Dīpaṃkara-śrījñāna (982-1054), Sönam... more
This course examines the lives of Indian and Tibetan Buddhist masters within the social historical context of India and Tibet. The course will examine the lives of the following four individuals: Atiśa Dīpaṃkara-śrījñāna (982-1054), Sönam Peldren (1328-1372), Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), and Gendun Chopel (1903-1951).
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Asian Religions is a general introduction to the academic study of Asian religious traditions. The course familiarizes students with the major religious and philosophical traditions of select geographical areas in South, Central, and East... more
Asian Religions is a general introduction to the academic study of Asian religious traditions. The course familiarizes students with the major religious and philosophical traditions of select geographical areas in South, Central, and East Asia. While refining the skills of empathetic description and non-evaluative comparison, the course also examines religion as an area of academic study, examining the function of religion in relation to human beliefs, social practices, and culture in general. A primary goal of the course is for all students to learn to define, accurately describe, and compare in a non-evaluative manner, various religious traditions within Asia so as to discover significant similarities and differences in various forms of human thought and behavior.
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Religious Studies 327 is a selective survey of the philosophical, cultural, and historical aspects of Buddhist and related formations in Tibet. We initially consider the Indian Buddhist doctrines and practices that are often essentialized... more
Religious Studies 327 is a selective survey of the philosophical, cultural, and historical aspects of Buddhist and related formations in Tibet. We initially consider the Indian Buddhist doctrines and practices that are often essentialized as "Buddhism," which nevertheless are necessary for understanding “Buddhism” as it developed in Tibet. The course then surveys the history of Buddhism in Tibet, from Buddhism’s introduction into this country up to the predominance of Tibet’s four principal Buddhist traditions. We then focus upon selected thematic topics such as the gradual stages to awakening (lam rim) literature, mind training (blo sbyong), buddha-nature, tantra, women in Tibetan Buddhism, life and institution of the Dalai Lama, along with the issues of orientalism and the modern interpretation of Tibetan Buddhist formations.
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RELS 323 Mahāyāna Buddhism examines, in a selected survey format, the classification, cultural formations, literature, and systematic thought of Mahāyāna doctrines and practices utilizing a range of interdisciplinary methods and... more
RELS 323 Mahāyāna Buddhism examines, in a selected survey format, the classification, cultural formations, literature, and systematic thought of Mahāyāna doctrines and practices utilizing a range of interdisciplinary methods and approaches. The course focuses on the problems of classification and definition; the "new metaphysics" of emptiness; controversies in the conception of Buddhahood; the centrality of compassion; visualization and other meditation techniques; the role of faith and the practices of lay people; and the development of the bodhisattva ideal.
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This course focuses upon the formation and development of Esoteric Buddhisms in South Asia from c. 500 c.e. to 1200 c.e. Esoteric Buddhist formations, as part of broader pan-Indic cultural movements known as Tantra, are some of the most... more
This course focuses upon the formation and development of Esoteric Buddhisms in South Asia from c. 500 c.e. to 1200 c.e. Esoteric Buddhist formations, as part of broader pan-Indic cultural movements known as Tantra, are some of the most popular yet most misunderstood forms of Buddhism.
Research Interests:
This seminar examines the history of Buddhist Thought in India. Buddhists like to place emphasis not on belief as such but on practicing, following a path, and knowing, directly seeing. This direct ‘seeing things the way they really are’... more
This seminar examines the history of Buddhist Thought in India. Buddhists like to place emphasis not on belief as such but on practicing, following a path, and knowing, directly seeing. This direct ‘seeing things the way they really are’ is held to free a person from the depths of suffering through cognitive transformation. By ‘Buddhist thought’ we
mean, in this general context, the discussions, speculations, and arguments concerning ‘how things really are.’ In this seminar we will try to understand this issue through the works of various Buddhist philosophers beginning with Śākyamuni Buddha (480-400 BCE) through to Candrakīrti (ca. 570-650 CE).
mean, in this general context, the discussions, speculations, and arguments concerning ‘how things really are.’ In this seminar we will try to understand this issue through the works of various Buddhist philosophers beginning with Śākyamuni Buddha (480-400 BCE) through to Candrakīrti (ca. 570-650 CE).
Research Interests:
This course focuses upon the formation and development of Esoteric Buddhisms in South Asia from c. 500 c.e. to 1200 c.e. Esoteric Buddhist formations, as part of broader pan-Indic cultural movements known as Tantra, are some of the most... more
This course focuses upon the formation and development of Esoteric Buddhisms in South Asia from c. 500 c.e. to 1200 c.e. Esoteric Buddhist formations, as part of broader pan-Indic cultural movements known as Tantra, are some of the most popular yet most misunderstood forms of Buddhism. In this course, we will examine the social and historical contexts for the formation of Esoteric movements as well as consider some of the many questions concerning the history, literature, and practices of these cultural movements.
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This seminar examines the discourse between Buddhism and Science. The discourses of Buddhism and Science have entered into public discussion and debate in recent decades. What is Buddhism? What is Science? What does the conjunction of... more
This seminar examines the discourse between Buddhism and Science. The discourses of Buddhism and Science have entered into public discussion and debate in recent decades. What is Buddhism? What is Science? What does the conjunction of these two terms imply? What is the history of this conjuction? Are Buddhism and Science compatible? What is the science of Buddhist-derived forms of meditation? This seminar critically examines these questions in the light of recent publications on the topic.
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An introduction to the basic ideas, history, and practices of the major Eastern religious traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shinto.
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Course Description: As an introduction to Buddhism, this course focuses on the historical development of Early Buddhist formations (500 BCE to 100 CE), investigating their beginnings and transformation in India and other SE Asian cultures.
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Course Description: This seminar examines the life of monks and nuns in the monastic Buddhism of classical India. The course will explore this subject matter through the work of Gregory Schopen, a distinguished scholar whose essays have... more
Course Description: This seminar examines the life of monks and nuns in the monastic Buddhism of classical India. The course will explore this subject matter through the work of Gregory Schopen, a distinguished scholar whose essays have focused on monastic Buddhism as represented primarily in the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya.
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This seminar examines, in a selected survey format, the classification and development of early Mahāyāna literature utilizing a range of interdisciplinary methods and approaches. The course focuses on the problems of classification and... more
This seminar examines, in a selected survey format, the classification and development of early Mahāyāna literature utilizing a range of interdisciplinary methods and approaches. The course focuses on the problems of classification and definition; social formation and mythmaking; controversies in the conception of Buddhahood; gender and identity; visualization and other meditation techniques; the role of faith and the practices of lay people; and the development of the bodhisattva ideal.
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This course examines, in a selected survey format, the classification, cultural formations, literature, and systematic thought of Mahāyāna doctrines and practices utilizing a range of interdisciplinary methods and approaches.
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Religious Studies 327 is a selective survey of the philosophical, cultural, and historical aspects of Buddhist and related formations in Tibet. The course surveys the history of Buddhism in Tibet, from Buddhism's introduction into this... more
Religious Studies 327 is a selective survey of the philosophical, cultural, and historical aspects of Buddhist and related formations in Tibet. The course surveys the history of Buddhism in Tibet, from Buddhism's introduction into this country up to the predominance of Tibet's four principal Buddhist traditions. We then focus upon selected thematic topics such as the gradual stages to awakening (lam rim) literature, mind training (blo sbyong), buddha-nature, tantra, women in Tibetan Buddhism, life and institution of the Dalai Lama, along with the issues of orientalism and the modern interpretation of Tibetan Buddhist formations.
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Religious Studies 314 is an introduction to classical literary Tibetan ( yig skad or yig rtsom bod yig). Classical literary Tibetan is the basis of Tibetan written culture that is common to educated people of all regions of Tibet, as well... more
Religious Studies 314 is an introduction to classical literary Tibetan ( yig skad or yig rtsom bod yig). Classical literary Tibetan is the basis of Tibetan written culture that is common to educated people of all regions of Tibet, as well as the countries where Vajrayana Buddhism is established. Classical literary Tibetan developed during the time period from the 12th to the 19th century.
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Course Description: This graduate seminar focuses upon the work of Jonathan Z. Smith in the study of religion. Jonathan Z. Smith is one of the most widely read theorists of religion and is best known for his critical analysis of religious... more
Course Description: This graduate seminar focuses upon the work of Jonathan Z. Smith in the study of religion. Jonathan Z. Smith is one of the most widely read theorists of religion and is best known for his critical analysis of religious studies as a discipline as well as his refinement of the comparative enterprise in the study of religion. This course examines fundamental theoretical and methodological issues in the scholarly study of religion within the map of Smith's intellectual project. Topics include: working with the data of religion, issues in definition, classification and taxonomy, the disciplined inquiry of comparison and the consequences of provocative juxtaposition, incongruity and difference, re-description, and theoretical translation.
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Course Description: This course provides a critical examination of various theories in the academic study of religion. In modern popular and scholarly usage, ―religion refers to a wide spectrum of meanings, reflecting problems of defining... more
Course Description: This course provides a critical examination of various theories in the academic study of religion. In modern popular and scholarly usage, ―religion refers to a wide spectrum of meanings, reflecting problems of defining the term and the variety of scholarly approaches to religion, religions, and the religious. The general instructional goal of the course is to become familiar with the core issues and problems related to the study of religion and with the main theories that inform the modern scholarly study of religion.
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Course Description: This section of Religious Studies 453 consists of an in-depth exploration of the Ornament for Clear Realization (Abhisamayālaṃkāra). The Ornament for Clear Realization is a verse summary of the Prajñāpāramitā ("... more
Course Description: This section of Religious Studies 453 consists of an in-depth exploration of the Ornament for Clear Realization (Abhisamayālaṃkāra). The Ornament for Clear Realization is a verse summary of the Prajñāpāramitā (" Perfection of Wisdom ") literature in Mahāyāna Buddhism and has great importance in Tibetan intellectual culture, as the text serves as a gateway for the study of Prajñāpāramitā sūtras by Tibetan Buddhists of all schools. The Ornament for Clear Realization provides an understanding of a particular Mahāyāna Buddhist worldview together with a detailed soteriological analysis of the path to Buddhahood. This course will examine the Ornament for Clear Realization, primarily through Tibetan commentaries, with the aim of gaining an understanding of how Mahāyāna Buddhists construct a meaningful universe for religious practice. The course will analyze this material from a synchronic perspective, as well as historical, and focus on thematic elements such as the nature of Indo-Tibetan scholasticism and commentarial exegesis, the altruistic intention to achieve Buddhahood (bodhicitta), the elucidation of Buddhist categories of Noble Beings, and the analysis of the embodied qualities of Buddhahood among other topics.
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This course provides a historical and conceptual introduction to
the religious and cultural traditions of China and Japan with special attention to Confucianism, Taoism, East Asian Buddhism, and Japanese popular religion.
the religious and cultural traditions of China and Japan with special attention to Confucianism, Taoism, East Asian Buddhism, and Japanese popular religion.
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Religious Studies 101 is a general introduction to the academic study of the religious traditions of the world. The course familiarizes students with the major religious and philosophical traditions of select geographical areas. While... more
Religious Studies 101 is a general introduction to the academic study of the religious traditions of the world. The course familiarizes students with the major religious and philosophical traditions of select geographical areas. While refining the skills of empathetic description and non-evaluative comparison, the course also examines religion as an area of academic study, examining the function of religion in relation to human beliefs, social practices, and culture in general. A primary goal of
the course is for all students to learn to define, accurately describe, and compare in a non-evaluative manner various religious traditions of the world so as to discover significant similarities and differences in
various forms of human behavior.
the course is for all students to learn to define, accurately describe, and compare in a non-evaluative manner various religious traditions of the world so as to discover significant similarities and differences in
various forms of human behavior.
Research Interests:
Sanskrit 239 introduces the student to the fundamentals of the standard classical Sanskrit language for reading and translation purposes. The course is designed for students with no previous knowledge of Sanskrit. The aim of this course... more
Sanskrit 239 introduces the student to the fundamentals of the standard classical Sanskrit language for reading and translation purposes. The course is designed for
students with no previous knowledge of Sanskrit. The aim of this course is to acquaint the student with the Devanāgarī script, which is most commonly used for printing texts in Sanskrit; the method of transliteration into Roman script; the most common vocabulary
and the important grammatical features of the classical language as a preparation for reading. Emphasis will be placed on understanding written texts (reading) rather than on oral understanding (hearing), and on passive use (understanding) more than on active use
(composing sentences).
students with no previous knowledge of Sanskrit. The aim of this course is to acquaint the student with the Devanāgarī script, which is most commonly used for printing texts in Sanskrit; the method of transliteration into Roman script; the most common vocabulary
and the important grammatical features of the classical language as a preparation for reading. Emphasis will be placed on understanding written texts (reading) rather than on oral understanding (hearing), and on passive use (understanding) more than on active use
(composing sentences).
Research Interests:
Religious Studies 101 is a general introduction to the academic study of the religious traditions of the world. The course familiarizes students with the major religious and philosophical traditions of select geographical areas. While... more
Religious Studies 101 is a general introduction to the academic study of the religious traditions of the world. The course familiarizes students with the major religious and philosophical traditions of select geographical areas. While refining the skills of empathetic description and non-evaluative comparison, the course also
examines religion as an area of academic study, examining the function of religion in relation to human beliefs, social practices, and culture in general. A primary goal of the course is for all students to learn to define, accurately describe, and compare in a nonevaluative manner various religious traditions of the world so as to discover significant similarities and differences in various forms of human behavior.
examines religion as an area of academic study, examining the function of religion in relation to human beliefs, social practices, and culture in general. A primary goal of the course is for all students to learn to define, accurately describe, and compare in a nonevaluative manner various religious traditions of the world so as to discover significant similarities and differences in various forms of human behavior.
Research Interests:
This course surveys the history of Buddhism in Tibet, from Buddhism’s introduction into this country up to the predominance of Tibet’s four principal Buddhist traditions. We then focus upon selected thematic topics such as the gradual... more
This course surveys the history of Buddhism in Tibet, from Buddhism’s introduction into this country up to the predominance of Tibet’s four principal Buddhist traditions. We then focus upon selected thematic topics such as the gradual stages to awakening (lam rim) literature, mind
training (blo sbyong), buddha-nature, tantra, women in Tibetan Buddhism, life and institution of the Dalai Lama, along with the issues of orientalism and the modern interpretation of Tibetan Buddhism.
training (blo sbyong), buddha-nature, tantra, women in Tibetan Buddhism, life and institution of the Dalai Lama, along with the issues of orientalism and the modern interpretation of Tibetan Buddhism.
Research Interests:
Mahāyāna streams of Buddhism have had a profound impact on the shape of Buddhist formations in India, throughout Asia, and beyond. This course will examine, in a selected survey format, the classification, cultural formations,... more
Mahāyāna streams of Buddhism have had a profound impact on the shape of Buddhist formations in India, throughout Asia, and beyond. This course will examine, in a selected survey format, the classification, cultural formations, literature, and systematic thought of Mahāyāna doctrines and practices utilizing a range of interdisciplinary methods and
approaches. The course focuses on the problems of classification and definition; the “new metaphysics” of emptiness; controversies in the conception of Buddhahood; the centrality of compassion; visualization and other meditation techniques; the role of faith and the practices of lay people; and the development of the bodhisattva ideal.
approaches. The course focuses on the problems of classification and definition; the “new metaphysics” of emptiness; controversies in the conception of Buddhahood; the centrality of compassion; visualization and other meditation techniques; the role of faith and the practices of lay people; and the development of the bodhisattva ideal.
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This course examines Shamanism in the history of religions with attention to recent interdisciplinary approaches to the topic. The course initially examines the classification of " shamanism " as a category within the study of religion.... more
This course examines Shamanism in the history of religions with attention to recent interdisciplinary approaches to the topic. The course initially examines the classification of " shamanism " as a category within the study of religion. The course then investigates selected anthropological, social, and psychological elements including descriptive accounts of rituals, myths, and ecstatic experience associated with Shamanism. The course concludes with a retrospective analysis of anthropological approaches to the study of Shamanism and its relation to the history of religions.
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This course is designed as an in-depth examination of the Hindu bhakti or devotional traditions, focusing on three specific geographic/cultural regions within the Indian subcontinent: the Tamil-speaking South, the Hindi-speaking North,... more
This course is designed as an in-depth examination of the Hindu bhakti or devotional traditions, focusing on three specific geographic/cultural regions within the Indian subcontinent: the Tamil-speaking South, the Hindi-speaking North, and the Bengali-speaking region of eastern India. Keeping in mind both continuities and differences in the bhakti traditions of these three distinct cultural areas, we will examine a variety of devotional literatures in English translation and consider the enduring significance and use of that deeply emotional poetry in the lives of Hindus today. We will also trace the rise of the vernacular, non-brahmanic traditions of worship in relation to the development of Sanskrit mythologies of the gods and ritualized temple practice.
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As with most religious traditions, Buddhism varies from region to region, and even from village to village. An old Tibetan saying maintains, “Every valley has its unique dialect; every Lama has his unique Buddhism.” Such notions raise two... more
As with most religious traditions, Buddhism varies from region to region, and even from village to village. An old Tibetan saying maintains, “Every valley has its unique dialect; every Lama has his unique Buddhism.” Such notions raise two related questions. First, if one were to study
Buddhism in just its unique manifestations, would we be understanding “Buddhism” at all? And second, if we obscure the uniqueness of its manifestations in favor of some overarching sameness, are we discovering the/a “true” Buddhism?
Buddhism in just its unique manifestations, would we be understanding “Buddhism” at all? And second, if we obscure the uniqueness of its manifestations in favor of some overarching sameness, are we discovering the/a “true” Buddhism?
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Introduction to Buddhism Outline 2005.
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This course is intended to provide a general introduction to the complex range of religious phenomena conventionally referred to by the term "Hinduism." There will be considerable emphasis on the many divergent phenomena customarily... more
This course is intended to provide a general introduction to the complex range of religious phenomena conventionally referred to by the term "Hinduism." There will be considerable emphasis on the many divergent phenomena customarily thought to constitute Hinduism, with students encouraged to question the nature of the relations between these phenomena. The approach to the relevant materials will be historical, beginning with a treatment of the earliest developments related to
Hinduism (i.e., the world of the Vedas), and culminating with reflection on trends of the last two centuries. Throughout this historical survey, we will attend to the many different dimensions of our sources, attempting to appreciate their doctrinal, philosophical, devotional, ritual, and practical relevance. Students will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with doctrinal themes that recur throughout the tradition
(as well as some of the points of fracture); with the pantheon of gods worshipped by Hindus; with the role of women and caste; and with the ways in which the historical sources of Hinduism have been appropriated
by contemporary proponents, reformers, and critics of Hinduism.
Hinduism (i.e., the world of the Vedas), and culminating with reflection on trends of the last two centuries. Throughout this historical survey, we will attend to the many different dimensions of our sources, attempting to appreciate their doctrinal, philosophical, devotional, ritual, and practical relevance. Students will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with doctrinal themes that recur throughout the tradition
(as well as some of the points of fracture); with the pantheon of gods worshipped by Hindus; with the role of women and caste; and with the ways in which the historical sources of Hinduism have been appropriated
by contemporary proponents, reformers, and critics of Hinduism.
Research Interests:
In recent years Michel Foucault, Stanley Cavell, Pierre Hadot, and Alexander Nehamas have argued that in Greco-Roman antiquity and early Christianity, philosophy was regarded not primarily as a theoretical discipline, but as an art of... more
In recent years Michel Foucault, Stanley Cavell, Pierre Hadot, and Alexander Nehamas have argued that in Greco-Roman antiquity and early Christianity, philosophy
was regarded not primarily as a theoretical discipline, but as an art of living or a way of life. This seminar will examine the idea of the philosophical life in both contemporary and historical-comparative contexts.
was regarded not primarily as a theoretical discipline, but as an art of living or a way of life. This seminar will examine the idea of the philosophical life in both contemporary and historical-comparative contexts.
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This course focuses on the philosophy of Nāgārjuna, a crucially important (or unimportant?) Buddhist philosopher from the first or second century (CE) in South Asia. Nāgārjuna’s thought revolves around a critique of “essence” (svabhāva),... more
This course focuses on the philosophy of Nāgārjuna, a crucially important (or unimportant?) Buddhist philosopher from the first or second century (CE) in South Asia. Nāgārjuna’s thought revolves
around a critique of “essence” (svabhāva), and his critique results in the claim that all entities are “empty” (śūnya), in that they lack any such essence. For Nāgārjuna, this lack of essence, which he calls “emptiness” (śūnyatā), plays a central role in Buddhist soteriology, for it cures the “grasping at essences” (ātmagrāha) or essentialism that lies at the root of all suffering. The course centers on Nāgārjuna’s most famous (or infamous) work, Wisdom (prajñā) or the Root Verses on the Middle Way (Mūlamadhyamakakārikā).
around a critique of “essence” (svabhāva), and his critique results in the claim that all entities are “empty” (śūnya), in that they lack any such essence. For Nāgārjuna, this lack of essence, which he calls “emptiness” (śūnyatā), plays a central role in Buddhist soteriology, for it cures the “grasping at essences” (ātmagrāha) or essentialism that lies at the root of all suffering. The course centers on Nāgārjuna’s most famous (or infamous) work, Wisdom (prajñā) or the Root Verses on the Middle Way (Mūlamadhyamakakārikā).
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This course is a selective survey of the philosophical, cultural, and historical aspects of Tibetan Buddhism. The course then surveys the history of Buddhism in Tibet, from Buddhism’s introduction into this country up to the predominance... more
This course is a selective survey of the philosophical, cultural, and historical aspects
of Tibetan Buddhism. The course then surveys the history of Buddhism in Tibet, from Buddhism’s introduction into this country up to the predominance of Tibet’s four principal Buddhist traditions.
of Tibetan Buddhism. The course then surveys the history of Buddhism in Tibet, from Buddhism’s introduction into this country up to the predominance of Tibet’s four principal Buddhist traditions.
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This upper level seminar focuses upon the evolution of doctrines, practices and institutions described in the Pāli canon and in some of the key post-canonical texts associated with the Theravāda school of Buddhism. Readings selected from... more
This upper level seminar focuses upon the evolution of doctrines, practices and institutions described in the Pāli canon and in some of the key post-canonical texts associated with the Theravāda school of Buddhism. Readings selected from the Pāli canon will be made for class discussion of the readings. The principal themes in the literature of the Theravādin canon will be examined with reference to their relationship to
what Buddhists call the Three Jewels (ti-ratana in Pāli), namely the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha.
what Buddhists call the Three Jewels (ti-ratana in Pāli), namely the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha.
Research Interests:
This course provides a historical and conceptual introduction to the religious and cultural traditions of China and Japan with special attention to Confucianism, Taoism, East Asian Buddhism, and Japanese popular religion.
Research Interests:
Buddhists like to place emphasis not on belief as such but on practicing, following a path, and knowing, directly seeing. This direct ‘seeing things the way they really are’ is held to free the person from the depths of suffering through... more
Buddhists like to place emphasis not on belief as such but on practicing, following a path, and knowing, directly seeing. This direct ‘seeing things the way they really are’ is held to free the person from the depths of suffering through cognitive transformation. By ‘Buddhist philosophy’ we mean, in this general context, the discussions, speculations, and arguments concerning ‘how things really are.’ In this course we will try to understand this issue through the works of various Buddhist philosophers. In examining the primary sources (via translations), we will question the notion of “schools” of Buddhism as historical realities while accepting the importance of “schools” for subsequent traditions. The goal is to perceive continuities between the works of philosophers while recognizing their unique attempts to solve some persistent philosophical problems. Our hope is to integrate our study of Buddhist philosophy and our encounter with Buddhist meditation.