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Condolences to victims of the March 11 Japan quake

A few words to offer my condolences to the people of Japan in the wake of the March 11 earthquake/tsunami, which has wreaked widespread devastation and taken thousands of lives. May the suffering there be swiftly overcome, and may something be learned and acted upon in order to reduce future suffering.

Followers of the Mahāyāna are instructed to empathise with people they do not necessarily know or like. This is a corollary of the truism that it is easier to understand those who are close to you, or part of your own experience; serious empathy requires serious effort. I therefore hope you will forgive my narrowness when I say that it saddens me to think how this will affect my friends and colleagues in Japan.

Earthquake catfish write 'Sanskrit' talismans. Namazu-e, Ibaraki-ken (1855).

One of my first experiences of Japan, shortly after arriving on a self-funded visit fifteen years ago, was of a tiny hostel room clattering in a tremor. Today I have correspondence postmarked at Sendai, located next to the epicentre of the quake, which came with offprints of articles that taught me a lot. I feel fortunate that Japan’s second-to-none Buddhist studies culture is the first I encountered, even though it now no longer produces more scholarship in this field than the rest of the world combined. Over the years, I have come to realise that Japan’s excellence in this field is truly an embarrassment of riches; many brilliant Japanese scholars I have met are quietly anxious that they will never be able to make a living. And now this happens. 頑張って下さい。

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Ishida, ‘Dharmottara’s Pramāṇaviniścayaṭīkā 2’ (2011)

Hisataka Ishida. „Dharmottaras Pramāṇaviniścayaṭīkā zum auf der Realität basierenden logischen Nexus“. Ph. D. Dissertation, Philologisch-Kulturwissenschaftliche Fakultät, Universität Wien, 2011. [official site / PDF]

Vienna is producing dissertations on the pramāṇa manuscripts in China at an impressive rate. I note, however, that projects which might have been expected to showcase the cultural achievements of Tibet do not always turn out that way:

From the Abstract

Since the manuscript is a codex unicus, a diplomatic edition is also included, as is an edition of the Tibetan translation. The [necessity of including the] latter is due to the fact that, upon closer examination, it became apparent that the Tibetan translation shows frequent “deviations”, likely due to the free translation style of the Tibetan translator monk rNgog Lotsaba. These deviations cannot be briefly stated in the critical apparatus of the Sanskrit edition in a manner that would be meaningful for the reader, and thus this edition has been added.

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Sciberras, ‘Buddhist Philosophy & Environmentalism’ (2010)

Sciberras, Colette. ‘Buddhist Philosophy and the Ideals of Environmentalism’. Doctoral thesis, Durham University, 2010. [official site / PDF.]

From the Abstract

I argue that the teachings found in the Pāli canon cannot easily be reconciled with a belief in the intrinsic value of life, whether human or otherwise. This is because all existence is regarded as inherently unsatisfactory, and all beings are seen as impermanent and insubstantial, while the ultimate spiritual goal is often viewed, in early Buddhism, as involving a deep renunciation of the world.

Therefore, the discussion focuses mostly on the Mahāyāna, which, I suggest has better resources for environmentalism because enlightenment and the ordinary world are not conceived as antithetical. Continue reading “Sciberras, ‘Buddhist Philosophy & Environmentalism’ (2010)”

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Jones, ‘Of offal & others: 2 works by David-Neel’ (2010)

Robert William Jones, II. ‘Of offal, corpses, and others: an examination of self, subjectivity, and authenticity in two works by Alexandra David-Neel’. Thesis (M.A.) Florida Atlantic University, 2010. [UMI / PDF]

From the Abstract

Kawaguchi & David-Neel, 1916This thesis examines two works (My Journey to Lhasa and Magic and Mystery in Tibet) by Alexandra David-Neel. […] Central to this study is an examination of a claim by His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama that David-Neel creates an “authentic” picture of Tibet. In order to do this the first chapter establishes a working definition of authenticity based on both Western philosophy and Vajrayana Buddhism. This project argues that the advanced meditation techniques practiced by Alexandra David-Neel allow her to access a transcendent self that is able to overcome the self/other dichotomy. It also discusses the ways in which abjection and limit experiences enhance this breakdown. Finally, this thesis examines the roles that gender and a near absence of female Tibetan voice play in complicating the problems of self, subjectivity, and authenticity within these texts.

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Wright, ‘The Guhyasamāja Piṇḍikṛta-sādhana’ (2010)

Guhyasamāja Piṇḍikṛtasādhana kumbhastambhas

Roger Wright. ‘The Guhyasamāja Piṇḍikṛta-sādhana and its context’. MA thesis (Religions), School of Oriental and African Studies, 2010. [PDF (‘internet version’)]

From the Abstract (sic)

This paper analyses and comments on the Piṇḍikṛta-sādhana, a ritual practice manual for the Guhyasamāja Highest Yoga Tantra, attributed to Nāgārjuna. It is based on a correlated translation of the Sanskrit and Tibetan versions of the text prepared for the purpose. […]
Particular attention has been given to making the translation of the visualizations of the architecture and the deities themselves clear by providing tables and illustrations. The philosophical background of the text is investigated and the way in which that was subtly altered by subsequent commentators when it no longer fitted the later “philosophical climate” is made clear. The continuity of the practice is discussed, from its inception to the present day.

Guhyasamāja Piṇḍikṛtasādhana kumbhastambhas. Wright p.68

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Stout, ‘Buddhism & the State of the Union’ (2009)

Stout, Daniel R. ‘How the Buddhist concept of Right Speech would be applied towards diplomatic actions using the media: a case study from the 2002 State of the Union’. M.A. thesis, 2009. [http://hdl.handle.net/2097/1485/PDF]

From the Abstract

State of the Union Address, 2003 (AP)
In this analysis it is argued that current strategies of media diplomacy do lead to violence because they encourage power plays, violence, and overemphasis on national ego. The proposed alternative is to embrace a Buddhist alternative identified as Right Speech to overcome current deficiencies. The study found that President Bush’s 2002 State of the Union violated the tenets of Right Speech. The implications of violations including the increased likelihood of violence between nation states will be discussed.

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Serbaeva-Saraogi, ‘Relative Chronology of Śaiva Texts’ (2009)

Olga Serbaeva-Saraogi. ‘A Tentative Reconstruction of the Relative Chronology of the Śaiva Purāṇic and Śaiva Tantric Texts on the Basis of the Yoginī-related Passages’. In: Jezic, M; Koskikallio (eds.) Parallels and Comparisons: Proceedings of the Fourth Dubrovnik International Conference on the Sanskrit Epics and Purāṇas. Zagreb: 2009, pp.313–348. [official / PDF]

Dr. Serbaeva-Saraogi’s article inspired me to create the ‘required reading’ tag. This impressive piece of research is associated with a recently completed project at Universität Zürich, which sounds equally intriguing: ‘Translating the Non-Evident: “Altered States of Consciousness” in Vidyapitha Tantras and in Western Transcreations of “Tantrism”‘.

A Tentative Reconstruction of the Relative Chronology of the Śaiva Purāõic and Śaiva Tantric Texts on the Basis of the Yoginī-related Passages

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Jovic, ‘The Cult of the ’Go ba’i lha lnga’ (2010)

Nika Jovic. The Cult of the ’Go ba’i lha lnga: A Study With Pictorial and Written Material of the Five Personal Deities. M. A. thesis, Universitat Wien, 2010. 148 pp. [official site / PDF]

This thesis contains editions and translations of several Tibetan ritual texts: the ’Go ba’i lha lnga’i bsangs mchod by Ku saʼ li dha rma ba dzra (A), the ’Go baʼi lha lngaʼi bsang chog by Ku sa li dha rma ba dzwa (B), the ’Go ba’i lha lnga’i bsangs chog by the Ku sa li dha rma ba dzra (C) ‘Go ba’i lha lnga’i bsangs mchod by Ku sa li dha rma bdzra (D), the ’Go ba’i lha lnga’i bsangs mchod by Su pra mi dha rma ba dzra (E), the Lha lngaʼi gsol mchod bsod nams dpal skyed by Zhor sngags smyon (F), the ’Go ba’i lha lnga’i gsol mchod bsang dang bcas pa yar ngoʼi zla rgyas zhes bya ba by Ka rma ngag dbang yon tan rgya mtsho (G), the ‘Go ba’i lha lnga’i gsol mchod phen bdeʼi ʻdod ʻjo zhes bya ba by bTsun gzugs bLo bzang chos kyi nyi ma (H) and others.

From the Introduction

The following work is based upon my research on transcendental beings (Tib. lha) who belong to the category of Tibetan protective deities (Tib. srung ma). Continue reading “Jovic, ‘The Cult of the ’Go ba’i lha lnga’ (2010)”

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Mori, ‘The Rituals of Tantric Buddhism in India’ (2011)

The Rituals of Tantric Buddhism in IndiaMori, Masahide. Indo mikkyō no girei sekai (The Rituals of Tantric Buddhism in India). Sekai Shisōsha, 2011, 340pp. ISBN 978-4-7907-1498-9. [official site / amazon.co.jp]

森　雅秀〮著 『インド密教の儀礼世界』 世界思想社 7140円

“The iconology of tantric Buddhist ritual.
[This book] makes the full picture of tantric Buddhist ritual emerge through elucidation of the structure and semiology of ritual in Indian tantric Buddhism. Its illumination of [a previously] unknown ritual world, Buddhist studies and Indology, as well as religious studies, anthropology, history, archaeology and art history and so on will have a wide impact on several areas.” [translated blurb]