Tibetan Graduate Studies Seminar
by Oxford University
The Tibetan Graduates Studies Seminar (TGSS) is a weekly series of colloquia and guest lectures at the Oriental Institute.The intended purpose of the TGSS is to give MPhil and DPhil candidates a platform to present their work-in-progress and receive feedback from staff and affiliated scholars of the field. Additionally, the weekly time slot will also allow visiting scholars to present their current research. They are provided with the opportunity to engage in similar ways with both students and fellows of the Tibetan Studies department.
Episodes
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Asian Territorial Deity Cosmologies as Vehicles for the Transmission of Buddhadharma (Oxford Treasure Seminar Series)
Robert Mayer's analysis of Guru Chowang's enduring connection between territorial deity cosmologies and the preservation of hidden teachings in Tibetan Buddhism Academic scholars are accustomed to understanding gter as sacred texts often associated with Padmasambhava, within a cult deriving...
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Nāgas and relic treasures in the Mahāvaṃsa (Oxford Treasure Seminar Series)
Kristin Scheible uncovers the hidden role of nāgas in defining Buddhist treasures and explores their surprising significance in safeguarding sacred relics through early texts Much of the literature on nāgas in Indian Buddhist monasticism has focused on their rain-making and monastery-protecting...
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Recalibrating the Perspective on Tibetan and Himalayan History: Identity- and Nation-Building in Bhutan
In this talk, Dr. Dagmar Schwerk presents the work-in-progress of her current research project, an investigation into identity- and nation-building in eighteenth-century Bhutan In this talk, Dr. Dagmar Schwerk presents the work-in-progress of her current research project, an investigation into...
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‘Treasures’ (gter ma) and treasure-finders in Yungdrung Bön: a Tibetan tradition spanning a thousand years (Oxford Treasure Seminar Series)
This talk presents an outline of the Yungdrung Bön ’Treasure’ tradition The Tibetan Bön religion, often called Yungdrung (‘Eternal’) Bön by its adherents, arose in Central Tibet at the same time as the ‘Latter Propagation’ (phyi dar) of Buddhism, i.e. in the 10th-11th century CE. In fact, it…
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Yoginīs, Revelation, and Hidden Knowledge in Tantric Śaivism (Oxford Treasure Seminar Series)
This presentation examines Śākta transformations of conceptions of revelation and the transmission of esoteric knowledge in Mantramārga Śaivism This presentation examines Śākta transformations of conceptions of revelation and the transmission of esoteric knowledge in Mantramārga Śaivism. In...
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Nectar, Water, or Blood? A Buddhist History of Perceptual Relativism
In this talk, Jacob Fisher presents his research on a history of the Buddhist discussions surrounding perceptual relativism, in India and Tibet Indian and Tibetan epistemologists have spent millennia grappling with the central philosophical questions of relativism and intersubjectivity. This talk...
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A Chorus of Voices Chanting the Names of Mañjuśrī Rong-zom Chos-kyi-bzang-po’s Commentary on the Nāmasaṅgīti, and Its Indian Sources
Nicola Bajetta takes us through Rongzom Chökyi Zangpo's commentary on the Nāmasaṅgīti, a hymn of praise dedicated to Mañjuśrī Among the circa thirty-two extant works by the seminal rNying-ma scholar Rong-zom Chos-kyi-bzang-po (11th–12th cent.), his Explanation in Three Points (rNam gsum bshad pa)...
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Sūtra in Early Buddhist Treasure Texts (Oxford Treasure Seminar Series)
Reinier Langelaar’s talk on early Tibetan treasure literature’s influences, inspirations, and narrative themes Early Tibetan treasure literature was pivotal in the development of a distinctly Buddhist vision of Tibetan history. In formulating such narratives, two influential early works, the...
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Early Teachings on the Four Phurpas and the Relationship between the Revelatory and Transmitted Textual Tradition (Oxford Treasure Seminar Series)
Early teachings on the Four Phurpas in the light of the Eightfold Buddha Word, Embodying the Sugatas (bka' brgyad bde gshegs 'dus pa) revelation of Myang ral Nyi ma 'od zer (1124-1192), and the relationship between the Revelatory (gter ma) and Transmitted Myang ral's twelfth century revealed…
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Exploring relationships between theory of practice and practice by looking at the Abhisamayālaṃkāra in Gelukpa scholasticism
Chandra Ehm's investigation into the foundations of the Geluk monastic curriculum The commentarial corpus of the Abhisamayālaṃkāra, as we find it in the scholarship of the gelukpa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, clearly outlines soteriological paths on how to achieve the religious goal of...
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The Transformation of Nyingma Identity: Some Key Developments in Contemporary Nyingma Monastic Education
Nicholas Hobhouse on Developments in Contemporary Nyingma Monastic Education This presentation, which draws upon the speaker’s ongoing PhD research, will examine some of the key developments that have taken place in Nyingma monastic education, both in ‘exile’ and inside Eastern Tibet, since the...
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Forms of Buddhist treasures (re)discovered in Kalmykia (Oxford Treasure Seminar Series)
Valeriya Gazizova's talk on several cases of ‘treasure’ concealment and discoveries in the Buddhist society of postsocialist Kalmykia I shall discuss several cases of ‘treasure’ concealment and discoveries that can be somewhat subsumed under the broader category of Tibetan gter ma in the Buddhist...
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Exploring Rendawa’s Madhyamaka Legacy
Drukgyel Tsering's talk on Rendawa Shonu Lodro (1349–1412), the famed teacher of Lama Tsongkhapa and important progenitor of Madhyamaka philosophy in Tibet Red mda' ba gzhon nu blo gros (1349–1412) was one of the most exceptional scholars in 13th and early 14th century Tibet. He played a critical...
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The Rgyud sde spyi rnam ascribed to Rin chen bzang po (958–1055) and its authoritative sources
Sonam Choden discusses Lo tsā ba Rin chen bzang po's composition of his "General Presentation of the Tantric Systems" and its authoritative sources While numerous Indian works translated by Lo-chen Rin-chen-bzang-po (958–1055) have been transmitted through the Tibetan Buddhist Canon and are thus...
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How Tibetans Received and Perceived the Yuan Edicts: Some Preliminary Observations
This lecture highlights Tibetan responses to the Mongol imperial bureaucratic practices during the 14th century The value of government documents for studying the 13–14th-century Tibetan history has long been recognized. But we do not know much about the procedures of drafting, issuing,...
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Theorizing Buddhist Revelation in the Great Lamp of the Dharma Dhāraṇī Scripture (Oxford Treasure Seminar Series)
The Great Lamp of the Dharma Dhāraṇī Scripture and its theory on scriptual revelation in the Mahāyāna tradition. The Great Lamp of the Dharma Dhāraṇī Scripture (Da faju tuoluoni jing 大法炬陀羅尼經), extant only in a late sixth-century Chinese translation, purports to transform the wielder of its…
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A typology of modes of revelations in Chinese religious history (Oxford Treasure Seminar Series)
Vincent Goossaert's talk on the ritual production of revelation in Chinese religious history This talk will provide an overview of the modes of producing revelations in Chinese religious history, based on my recently published book Making the Gods Speak (Cambridge, Harvard University Asia Center,...
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Towards a textual discourse analysis of Longchenpa’s writings on Buddha nature
Gregory Forgues presents his research on Longchenpa's writings on Buddha nature This presentation offers a new perspective on the discourse of Longchenpa (Klong chen rab ’byams pa dri med ’od zer 1308–1363) regarding the central doctrinal concept of bde gshegs snying po (*sugatagarbha), a synonym...
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Variants of the Rudra Subjugation Myth: Contrasting Themes in the Legends of Mahākāla and Vajrabhairava
Cameron Bailey's talk on wrathful deities and their myths While the Rudra/Maheśvara subjugation myth is well known in Tantric Studies there exist a great number of variant retellings of it in the Tibetan literary record which have largely been overlooked by scholarship. This presentation will...
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The Rise of Guru Yoga in Twelfth-Century Tibet
Zim Pickens looks at the origins of guru or lama worship in Tibet, introducing us to the Indian antecedents and the Tibetan emphasis on the role and status of the lama. In the twelfth century, Indian and Tibetan Buddhist authors drew from doctrinal and scriptural sources to promote new rites for...
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Treasure Hunting in the Philippine Islands (Oxford Treasure Seminar Series)
Where to Look for the Missing Plunder of Pirates, Ghosts, Rebels, Fairies, Colonisers, and Dictators Lost treasure is a recurrent motif in Philippine folklore. Treasure-seeking heroes are ordinary individuals who seek access to riches that have fallen under the jurisdiction of supernatural...
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Treasure Traditions in Greece (Oxford Treasure Seminar Series)
Charles Stewart's surveys the diversity of treasure traditions in Greece In this talk I will survey the diversity of treasure traditions in Greece. Treasures may take many forms beyond objects buried with the intention of later recovery by their owners. In general, treasures are valuables…
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'Tibetanness' in Dharamsala - how does the youngest generation of artists define their identity?
Paulina Koniuch introduces us to the latest Tibetan art trends in social media and how Tibetan identities are negotiated Expressing one’s identity while living in exile is no easy task, but young Tibetans around the world are finding new ways to communicate their views and needs, one of which is...
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Displacement: Tibetan Buddhist Contributions to the International Humanitarian Field
Dr Kilby's talk explores Tibetan Buddhist perspectives on displacement that can inform the international humanitarian response to the displacement crisis The world’s displaced population breaks new records each year and has now climbed to more than 100 million people. What insights can Buddhist...
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Dharmabhāṇakas, Siddhas, Avatārakasiddhas, and gTer stons (Oxford Treasure Seminar Series)
This lecture offers a new look at the origins of Gter ma literature in an intertextual framework. Academic authors on the origins of gter ma have generally agreed that the evolution of the gter ma traditions in Tibet must be seen as a confluence of both Indian and Tibetan influences. Yet...
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Early Explanations for the Appearance of Mahāyāna sūtras (Oxford Treasure Seminar Series)
A presentation looking at how early Mahayana sutras explain where they came from. This presentation argues that the authors of these texts shared a general understanding that the Buddha revealed them to advanced bodhisattvas during his lifetime and appointed them with the task of returning to the...
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Revelation and Rediscovery: Early Medieval Indian Origin Myths of the Tantras (Oxford Treasure Seminar Series)
David Gray talks about revelatory or "treasure" texts from Indian and Tibetan perspectives in a comparative framework. This presentation will attempt to shed some light on the process by which tantras are believed to have been revealed in the world in Indian Buddhist tantric traditions....
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Perfected Beings in Human Form: The Siddha Tradition in Śaiva Tantra (Oxford Treasure Seminar Series)
John Nemec's talk on the origin of siddha and its polysemic application in Sanskrit textual sources. It is well known that the term “siddha” comes to be used to refer to Śaiva, and other, masters who enter the earth in bodily form, as perfected beings thus authorized to teach. Often, they are...
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The Dharmabhāṇaka’s Body and the Ontologization of Authority (Oxford Treasure Seminar Series)
This talk by Natalie Gummer explores the role of Dharmabhāṇaka – those who recite the Dharma – in Mahāyāna Sutras In this presentation, Natalie Gummer looks at the “Chapter on the Benefits to the Performer of the Dharma” (dharmabhāṇakānuśaṃsāparivartaḥ) in the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka (Lotus Sūtra), in...
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Medicine Mountains along the Himalayas: Healing, Trade, and Ecology
The Greater Himalayas extend through many different kinds of community. This lecture considers several ‘medicine mountains’, particular mountains that fold society and ecology together, and explores them as a comparative category
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Why Go on Pilgrimage? Geomancy and the Transformational Powers of Sacred Places in Tibetan Buddhism and Bon
This presentation considers the association between pilgrimage and healing in Tibet through an exploration of the process whereby natural sites are imbued with meaning This presentation considers the association between pilgrimage and healing in Tibet through an exploration of the process whereby...
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Reading khrims Between the Lines: The Rise of Legality in 13th Century Central Tibet
Daniel introduces us to the term khrims and looks at the “rise of legality” in 13th century Central Tibet. What were Tibetan ideas concerning the relationship between law and power? In the search for answers to whether “law” (khrims) existed in pre-modern Tibet, previous scholarship has uncovered...
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Virūpa is Virūpākṣa: Towards an Indo-Tibetan Siddha Corpus
Westin Harris opens the dialogue between Tibetan, Nāth and Yoga studies centred around the figure of Virūpa As the supposed originator of haṭhayoga’s Buddhist “source text,” the legendary siddha called Virūpa has arisen as a key figure of interest in Yoga and Nāth Studies. Nonetheless, such...
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Buddhism and Gender Perspectives in Sikkim: Historical and Contemporary Approaches
The talk explores the historical and contemporary influence of women in Sikkim from a Buddhist perspective Sikkim is a former Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas that was once blessed by Padmasambhava and prophesied as a so-called sbas yul, a sacred hidden land. So far, the lives and deeds of…
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Connections in the Making and Meaning of the Art of Bhutan and Tibet in the 17 th and 18 th Centuries: A Study of the Wall Paintings at Tango Monastery
Pu Lan discusses her PhD project, which explores the 17th-century Monastery of Tango and how it illustrates the development of wall painting technology in Bhutan The Kingdom of Bhutan retains an exceptional heritage of Buddhist wall paintings dating from the early 16 th century to the present. As...
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The Geluk Domestication of Tantra
Brenton Sullivan presents his new book "Building a Religious Empire: Tibetan Buddhism, Bureaucracy, and the Rise of the Gelukpa" and discuss the third chapter, "Institutionalizing Tantra", in more detail In his new book, "Building a Religious Empire Tibetan Buddhism, Bureaucracy, and the Rise of...
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The Mongolian Kanjur - Should Tibetologists Care?
Kirill Alekseev presents his latest research on the Mongolian Kanjur and its ramifications in Tibetan Studies The Mongolian Kanjur is a voluminous collection of sacred Buddhist texts structured in a specific way. It owes its name, origin, and to a great extent, its arrangement and contents to a...
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Layers of Protection: Everyday Life with Empowered Objects
In her talk, Inger Vasstveit discusses “empowered objects” - small Buddhist objects that people wear on their person - in relation to the broader socio-political and cosmological environment in India In this talk, I will focus on vital aspects connected to the ways Tibetans use and understand...
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Death by Poisoning: Cautionary Narratives and Inter-Ethnic Accusations in Contemporary Sikkim
Kikee Bhutia talks about the contemporary discourses around ‘othering’ in Sikkim and analyse the region’s inter-ethnic challenges This presentation explores the vernacular discourse surrounding the ambiguous nature of Dhuk lha (Poison deity) in Sikkim. Before its merger with India in 1975, Sikkim...
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Fervent admiration and devotion: Exploring devotional literature in the collected works of the 3rd Dodrupchen
Renée Ford's introduction to the devotional literature in the collected works of the 3rd Dodrupchen composed in admiration of his late teacher Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo. Devotion is a primary category in Tibetan Nyingma Buddhism The Third Dodrupchen Jigme Tenpa’i Nyima (1865-1926) writes in his The...
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The Role of Prophecies in the Construction of the Geluk Tradition
In this talk, Michael Ium explores the role of prophecies in the legitimation and construction of the Geluk tradition. The focus of this presentation is the role of prophecies in the early history of Ganden Monastery and the construction of the Geluk tradition. Beginning with those articulated...
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Liu pin fo lou (Building of Six Classes of Sutra and Tantra), the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon in the Forbidden City
Ziyi Shao takes us to the reign of the Qianlong Emperor and will show us around the Fan hua lou (Hall of Buddhist Efflorescence), one of the most complex and prominent Buddhist monuments in the Forbidden city Fan hua lou (Hall of Buddhist Efflorescence) is one of the most complex and prominent...
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Culture of Emotions: Uses and Interpretations of Musical Heritage in the Tibetan Refugee Community of Dharamsala
Chloé Lukasiewicz talk on the significance of music in the Tibetan refugee community in Dharamsala, India Little work on emotions in migration exists in anthropology, and ethnomusicology has not yet invested much in this field of research. Nor has such an approach been developed in Tibetan…
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Buddhism and the Rise of ‘the Tibetans’ (bod pa): Religion, Myth and the Promotion of Ethnicity in the Pre-modern Period
Apropos 'the Tibetans': Reinier Langelaar's talk focuses on the mythical origins and the promotion of ethnicity in historical Tibet There are ongoing interdisciplinary debates concerning the age and origins of inter-regional collective identities. Although recent work on “ethnicity” and...
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Human Remains in Tibetan Material Religion: An object centered approach
Ayesha Fuentes shares a unique and interdisciplinary insight into art conservation of human remains in Tibetan material religion This talk introduces research into the use and instrumentalization of human remains in Tibetan material religion – as skull vessels, bone ornaments, thighbone trumpets...
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Sacred Trash, Trash Talks, And Personhood
Bo Wang discussing the practice of depositing garments as offerings to sacred mountains in Eastern Tibet Different interpretations of what constitutes “trash” can reveal complex interactions between Tibetans and Han Chinese in the Eastern Himalayas. This talk adopts the term “trash talk” to...
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The First Tibetan Block Print: The Khara-Khoto Collection of Precious Dhāraṇīs with the Emperor's Postscript
Alla Sizova discusses the role of translation activities in the spread of Buddhism in the 12th century and outlines the extent of Tibetan influence on the Tangut culture. In the 12th century the spread of Buddhism in the Tangut Empire, including its translation and publication activities, reached...
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Fictional Facts or Factual Fiction? The Social Reality behind Kha stag ʼDzam yag’s "Diary" and Lhag pa Don grub’s "Life of a mule driver"
Fictional Facts or Factual Fiction? Lucia Galli's talk on self-representation and the social reality behind two Tibetan memoirs Cultural meanings and socio-historical realities hide in the interstices between literature and history, and narrative indisputably plays a central part in both…
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The Nechung Oracle and the Construction of Identity in the Tibetan Diaspora
The Oracle in Exile: Pema Choedon's talk on the Nechung Oracle and identity construction in the Tibetan Diaspora Nowadays, Tibetans in the diaspora are increasingly conscious of what they consider as their ‘culture,’ and certain cultural elements are therefore crucial in their identity formation....
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The Mortality of the Dalai Lama and its Scriptural Sources: A Study in Tibetan Buddhist Political Theology
I am currently focusing on the problem of the Dalai Lama’s mortality that is, the question of how to come to terms with his suffering and death, in light of the association between Tibetan kingship and the deity Avalokiteśvara. In this talk, I’ll share some of my work in progress on the divine...
About this show
The Tibetan Graduates Studies Seminar (TGSS) is a weekly series of colloquia and guest lectures at the Oriental Institute.The intended purpose of the TGSS is to give MPhil and DPhil candidates a platform to present their work-in-progress and receive feedback from staff and affiliated scholars of the field. Additionally, the weekly time slot will also allow visiting scholars to present their current research. They are provided with the opportunity to engage in similar ways with both students and fellows of the Tibetan Studies department.
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