This book explores the Buddhist role in the formation of Tibetan religious thought and identity. In three major sections, the author examines Tibet's eighth-century conversion, sources of dispute within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and the continuing revelation of the teaching in both doctrine and myth.

Kapstein, Matthew T.

Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press

IRL Press at Oxford University Press

Oxford Institute for Energy Studies

German Historical Institute London

United Kingdom and Ireland, United Kingdom

Oxford, New York, England, 2000

Reprinted, New York, 2002

January 14, 2002

PS, 2002

1, 2000

Includes bibliographical references (p. [275]-303) and index.

The Tibetan Assimilation Of Buddhism Explores The Manner In Which Buddhism Penetrated Tibetan Religious Thought And Became A Core Component Of Tibetan Identity. Author Matthew Kapstein Examines Tibet's Eighth-century Conversion To Buddhism, The Tensions That Arose From Competing Lines Of Transmission And Interpretation, And The Continuing Revelation Of Buddhist Teaching In The Myths And Doctrines Of The Ancient Nyingmapa School. These Themes - Conversion, Contestation, And Memory - Form A Unifying Framework For The Diverse Case Studies Described In This Book. Drawing On A Wide Range Of Original Tibetan Sources Such As Historical Narratives, Imperial Edicts, Philosophical Treatises, Polemical Writings, And Works On Yoga And Meditation, Kapstein Introduces The Varied Textures To Thought And Expression Within The Tibetan Buddhist Tradition. Throughout This Study, The Investigation Of Specific Topics Is Informed Methodologically And Theoretically By Contemporary Work In Religion, History, And Philosophy. By Drawing On Modern Systems Of Thought, Kapstein Is Able To Illuminate The Subject In A Manner That Speaks To Our Own Cultural World. Offering A Wide-ranging View Of The History And Development Of Tibetan Buddhism, This Book Is Required Reading For Scholars And Students Of Buddhism And Asian Religions, Historians Of Religion, And Anyone Seeking Deeper Knowledge Of The Buddhist Tradition.--book Jacket. A Brief Chronology Of Tibetan Buddhism -- 1. Introduction: Death, Literacy, And Tibet's Buddhist Elite -- Pt. I. Conversion And Narrative -- 2. The Chinese Mother Of Tibet's Dharma-king: The Testament Of Ba And The Beginnings Of Tibetan Buddhist Historiography -- 3. The Mark Of Vermilion: Rebirth And Resurrection In An Early Medieval Table -- 4. Plague, Power, And Reason: The Royal Conversion To Buddhism Reconsidered -- Pt. Ii. Sources Of Contestation -- 5. From Korea To Tibet: Action At A Distance In The Early Medieval World System -- 6. What Is Tibetan Scholasticism? Three Ways Of Thought -- 7. The Purificatory Gem And Its Cleansing: A Late Polemical Discussion Of Apocryphal Texts -- Pt. Iii. Myth, Memory, Revelation -- 8. The Imaginal Persistence Of The Empire -- 9. Samantabhadra And Rudra: Myths Of Innate Enlightenment And Radical Evil -- 10. The Amnesic Monarch And The Five Mnemic Men: Memory In The Great Perfection Tradition -- App. The Prayer Of Great Power -- Tibetan References -- Sanskrit References -- Chinese References -- Western Language References. Matthew T. Kapstein. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [275]-303) And Index.

"The Tibetan Assimilation of Buddhism explores the manner in which Buddhism penetrated Tibetan religious thought and became a core component of Tibetan identity. Author Matthew Kapstein examines Tibet's eighth-century conversion to Buddhism, the tensions that arose from competing lines of transmission and interpretation, and the continuing revelation of Buddhist teaching in the myths and doctrines of the ancient Nyingmapa school. These themes - conversion, contestation, and memory - form a unifying framework for the diverse case studies described in this book." "Drawing on a wide range of original Tibetan sources such as historical narratives, imperial edicts, philosophical treatises, polemical writings, and works on yoga and meditation, Kapstein introduces the varied textures to thought and expression within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Throughout this study, the investigation of specific topics is informed methodologically and theoretically by contemporary work in religion, history, and philosophy. By drawing on modern systems of thought, Kapstein is able to illuminate the subject in a manner that speaks to our own cultural world." "Offering a wide-ranging view of the history and development of Tibetan Buddhism, this book is required reading for scholars and students of Buddhism and Asian Religions, historians of religion, and anyone seeking deeper knowledge of the Buddhist tradition."--Résumé de l'éditeur

1 online resource (xx, 316 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (pages 275-303) and index
Print version record
A Brief Chronology of Tibetan Buddhism -- 1. Introduction: Death, Literacy, and Tibet's Buddhist Elite -- pt. I. Conversion and Narrative -- 2. The Chinese Mother of Tibet's Dharma-King: The Testament of Ba and the Beginnings of Tibetan Buddhist Historiography -- 3. The Mark of Vermilion: Rebirth and Resurrection in an Early Medieval Table -- 4. Plague, Power, and Reason: The Royal Conversion to Buddhism Reconsidered -- pt. II. Sources of Contestation -- 5. From Korea to Tibet: Action at a Distance in the Early Medieval World System -- 6. What Is "Tibetan Scholasticism"? Three Ways of Thought -- 7. The Purificatory Gem and Its Cleansing: A Late Polemical Discussion of Apocryphal Texts -- pt. III. Myth, Memory, Revelation -- 8. The Imaginal Persistence of the Empire -- 9. Samantabhadra and Rudra: Myths of Innate Enlightenment and Radical Evil -- 10. The Amnesic Monarch and the Five Mnemic Men: "Memory" in the Great Perfection Tradition -- App. The Prayer of Great Power -- Tibetan References -- Sanskrit References -- Chinese References -- Western Language References

Thanks to the international celebrity of the Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism is attracting more attention than at any time in its history. There have been numerous specialist studies of individual Tibetan texts, however, this study focuses on the rich variety of types of Tibetan discourse. It brings to bear the methodological insights of contemporary human sciences and, at the same time, offers to non-specialist readers an impression of the broad domain of Tibetan religious and philosophical thought. Ranging widely over the immense corpus of Tibetan literature, Kapstein illuminates many of the distinctive Tibetan contributions and points out some of the insights.; This book is intended for scholars and students of Buddhism and Asian Studies

Before Buddhism made its presence felt in Tibet, as it did during the eight and ninth centuries C.E., and even as the Buddha's teaching began to establish itself there, it was but one of several foreign ways of culture with which the Tibetans were becoming familiar.

This volume brings to bear the methodological insights of the contemporary human sciences and at the same time aims to convey to non-specialist readers an impression of the broad domain of Tibetan religious and philosophical thought

2023-06-28