Title
Luminous Bliss: A Religious History of Pure Land Literature in Tibet (Pure Land Buddhist Studies),Used
Processing time: 1-3 days
US Orders Ships in: 3-5 days
International Orders Ships in: 8-12 days
Return Policy: 15-days return on defective items
Payment Option
With an annotated English translation and critical analysis of the Orgyangling gold manuscript of the short SukhavativyuhasutraPure Land Buddhism as a whole has received comparatively little attention in Western studies on Buddhism despite the importance of buddhafields (pure lands) for the growth and expression of Mahayana Buddhism. In this first religious history of Tibetan Pure Land literature, Georgios Halkias delves into a rich collection of literary, historical, and archaeological sources to highlight important aspects of this neglected panAsian Buddhist tradition. He clarifies many of the misconceptions concerning the interpretation of otherworld soteriology in IndoTibetan Buddhism and provides translations of original Tibetan sources from the ninth century to the present that represent exoteric and esoteric doctrines that continue to be cherished by Tibetan Buddhists for their joyful descriptions of the Buddhist path. The book is informed by interviews with Tibetan scholars and Buddhist practitioners and by Halkias own participantobservation in Tibetan Pure Land rituals and teachings conducted in Europe and the Indian subcontinent.Divided into three sections, Luminous Bliss shows that Tibetan Pure Land literature exemplifies a synthesis of Mahayana sutrabased conceptions with a Vajrayana worldview that fits progressive and sudden approaches to the realization of Pure Land teachings. Part I covers the origins and development of Pure Land in India and the historical circumstances of its adaptation in Tibet and Central Asia. Part II offers an English translation of the short Sukhavativyuhasutra (imported from India during the Tibetan Empire) and contains a survey of original Tibetan Pure Land scriptures and meditative techniques from the dGelugspa, bKabrgyud, rNyingma, and Saskya schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Part III introduces some of the most innovative and popular mortuary cycles and practices related to the Tantric cult of Buddha Amitabha and his Pure Land from the Treasure traditions in the bKabrgyud and rNyingma schools.Luminous Bliss locates Pure Land Buddhism at the core of Tibets religious heritage and demonstrates how this tradition constitutes an integral part of both Tibetan and East Asian Buddhism.
⚠️ WARNING (California Proposition 65):
This product may contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.
For more information, please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.