Hevajra and Lam’bras Literature of India and Tibet as Seen Through the Eyes of A-mes-zhabs

By (author) Jan-Ulrich Sobisch

Book cover: Hevajra and Lam’bras Literature of India and Tibet as Seen Through the Eyes of A-mes-zhabs

Extent: 264 pages

Publisher: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag

Subjects: Buddhist Studies, Religious Studies

Series: Contributions to Tibetan Studies

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(November 2008)

ISBN: 9783895006524

6.69 x 9.49 inches

Price: $102.00

In stock

English description: The Hevajra Tantras and teachings of the ‘Path with Its Fruit’ (lam ‘bras) that originated in India have been central practices of Tibetan tantric Buddhism for a millenium. The Tibetans translated eight Hevajra transmissions with their tantras, commentaries, rituals, and instructions and authored countless scriptures in the context of the tantra and the ‘Path with Its Fruit’ that originated with the Indian Mahasiddha Virupa. Drawing on title lists (dkar chag), colophones, and commentaries authored between the 11th and 17th centuries, the author attempts a reconstruction of the Indian and Tibetan corpora of these transmissions, its literary history and relations to one another. German description: Die aus Indien stammenden Hevajra-Tantras und Lehren des “Pfades mitsamt Frucht”‘ (lam ‘bras) sind seit eintausend Jahren zentrale Praktiken des tibetischen tantrischen Buddhismus. Die Tibeter ubersetzten acht Hevajra-Uberlieferungslinien mit ihren Tantras, Kommentaren, Ritualen und Instruktionen und verfassten zahllose Schriften im Umfeld des Tantras und des auf den indischen Mahasiddha Virupa zuruckgehenden “Pfades mitsamt Frucht”. Das vorliegende Buch versucht auf der Basis von zwischen dem 11. und 17. Jahrhundert verfassten Titellisten (dkar chag), Kolophonen und Kommentaren die indischen und tibetischen Korpora dieser Uberlieferungen, ihre Literargeschichte und ihre Bezuge zueinander zu rekonstruieren.

Jan-Ulrich Sobisch studied Tibetology (with the secondary subjects Indology and Philosophy) at Hamburg University, where he received a Dr. phil. with a study of the three vow systems of Tibetan Buddhism (sdom pa gsum). He taught since 1996 in Hamburg and worked with several research grants at the universities of Hamburg and Munich. Since 2003 he works at Copenhagen University, where he is currently employed as associate professor for Tibetan Studies. His chief research interest focuses on the reception of tantric Buddhism in Tibet between the 11th and 15th centuries. He also works with Tibetan manuscripts and maintains a close relationship with contemporary Tibetan Buddhist scholars and yogis.<br/>

  • By (author) Jan-Ulrich Sobisch