Projects
Re-Enacting the Past. The Heritage of the Early Bka' brgyud pa in the Life and Works of Gtsang smyon Heruka (1452-1507) and His Disciple Rgod tshang ras pa sNa tshogs rang grol (1482-1559)
Funding bodies: DAAD (2009-2010) and Gerda Henkel Stiftung (2010-2012)
Carried out by: Dr. Marta Sernesi
Outline
The project examines the religious biographies, writings and literary productions of gTsang smyon Heruka and his disciple rGod tshang ras pa sNa tshogs rang grol, accessible as block prints and manuscripts. These Tibetan masters were active in the early 16th century and belonged to a non-institutionalized tradition of the bKa' brgyud pa school, which practised the teachings of the so-called Ras chung snyan brgyud. The accounts of the lives of gTsang smyon and his disciples are modelled on this tradition, and the individuals were also influential players in the dissemination, codification and systematization of the literary works of their school; this process also involved adapting and rewriting the biographies of the founding figures of the tradition. The individual works and text cycles were largely produced as xylographs and made an important contribution to the dissemination of the technology of block printing in central Tibet. The project focuses on the study of newly accessible sources, primarily in the collections of the Nepal-German Manuscript Preservation Project (NGMPP) and to a lesser extent in the Tucci Tibetan Collection (IsIAO, Rome) and other European libraries.
Die Hagiographie des tibetischen Gelehrten Shākya-mchog-ldan (1428-1507): Quellen und historischer Kontext
Funding body: DFG (2010-2012)
Carried out by: Volker Caumanns, M.A.
Outline
Shākya-mchog-ldan (1428-1507) was one of the most important spiritual dignitaries of the Sa-skya Buddhist tradition in Tibet during the 15th century. Based on Tibetan source material – including a detailed biography – the project will develop a biographical study to assess Shākya-mchog-ldan's specific contribution to the cultural and religious history of Tibet. Special attention will be given to his activities as abbot of the gSer-mdog-can monastery in west-central Tibet. In this function, he maintained active contacts with numerous scholars from 1471 onwards and also proved to be a skilful "church politician" who knew how to secure the support of secular rulers.
Kingship and Religion in Tibet
Funding body: Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung (2010-2015)
Carried out by: Dr. Brandon Dotson
Outline
The project examines Tibetan kingship in its earliest written sources and builds on the innovative treatment of the so-called "Old Tibetan Annals" presented by Brandon Dotson. Subsequently, the further development of the concept of a sacred king in the folk religion and Buddhism of the Yarlung Dynasty will be examined. With the dominance of the teachings of Buddha Śākyamuni and their different traditions in Tibet from the 10th and 11th centuries onwards, the image of the Tibetan king underwent a change and a cultural milieu developed in which the political importance of kings was rather low and the ideal of the religious teacher or lama came to the fore. The project is primarily dedicated to these different perceptions and changed functions of sacred kingship in Tibet and the neighbouring Himalayan countries - taking into account ancient Tibetan texts, the diverse historiographical and biographical literature, and the interpretation of contemporary rituals and festivals. It is intended to make a decisive contribution to the study of the formation phase of Tibetan culture and to the relationship between kingship and religion in Asia in general.
Lexikologische Analyse des alttibetischen Wortschatzes unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Komposita
Funding body: DFG (2013-2015)
Carried out by: Joanna Bialek, M.A.
Outline
The main aim of the project is to examine selected Old Tibetan lexemes with regard to their semantics and word formation (in the case of compounds). Two groups of Old Tibetan sources are considered as the basis for the planned lexicological studies: 1. The already published inscriptions (Bell of Bsam yas, Bsam yas rdo riṅs, Bell of Khra 'brug, Khri lde sroṅ btsan's tomb, Mtshur phu, 'Phyoṅ rgyas, Rkoṅ po, Sino-Tibet treaty, Skar cuṅ, Bell of Yer pa, Źol rdo riṅs, Źva'i lha khaṅ); 2. Central Asian manuscripts (ITJ 750, Or. 8212.187, PT 1042, PT 1285, PT 1286, PT 1287, PT 1288). In selecting the lexemes suitable for analysis, the following criteria are taken into account: Whether it is a hapax legomenon, whether it has a hitherto unknown/idiosyncratic meaning/usage, whether it is of special interest for our understanding of Old Tibetan society, culture, religion or governance. The lexemes taken from the differentiated texts (religious, historical, administrative) are first examined lexicologically with special consideration of their social and cultural contexts. In addition to the detailed semantic (and in some cases also etymological) explanations, the lexicon is also accompanied by references and translations from Old Tibetan sources (including those that do not function directly as text corpora), which illustrate the linguistic context of a lexeme.
bKa’ brgyud History and Xylography in South-Western Tibet.
The Legacy of Yang dgon pa rGyal mtshan dpal bzang po (1213-1258)
Funding body: DFG (2013-2015)
Carried out by: Dr. Marta Sernesi
Outline
The present project is devoted to local religious history in South-Western Tibet from the 13th to 16th cent. This case study will focus on the neglected figure of Yang dgon pa rgyal mtshan dpal bzang po (1213-58), an influential master of the so-called Stod 'Brug pa bKa' brgyud pa school. The main sources of inquiry are histories, life stories, collected songs, sayings and teachings of the master, compiled by later holders of the lineage in the regions of La stod lHo and Mang yul Gung thang. These previously unstudied or little-known sources were for the most part printed in the 16th cent. in these Western Tibetan regions, employing the newly introduced technology of xylography.
This study will address topics which are at the core of contemporary Tibetological research on the bKa' brgyud school: the history of local lineages, the uncovering of life-stories and specific instructions of early masters, the study of early formulations of key-teachings such as the Great Seal, and the role of scriptural legacy, and of biographical and historical writing, in the construction of lineage self-representation. Moreover, the appraisal of an early printed compendium of Yang dgon pa's teachings, and other 16th cent. xylographs of his life and writings, allow to investigate the role of printing in the intellectual life of Western Tibet at the time, illuminating aspects of the the production and circulation of texts, the interactions among religious schools, and the compilation and codification process of a master's Collected Works.