Lewis Doney
My current research focus is on the pre-modern social status, daily lived experience and self-identity of Tibetans and those with whom Tibetans interacted within a wider Central Asian milieu.
Firstly, this means describing people of the Tibetan Empire (c. 600–850 CE), their relations with ruling forces and attempts to work with or mitigate asymmetric dependency. From a religious studies perspective, I explore the disparity between the Central Tibetan Buddhist doctrines espoused and spread by the Tibetan Empire and those of the multi-ethnic inhabitants of Dunhuang (敦煌) during the same period. I highlight the multi-ethnic background of the Tibetans themselves and how the Tibetan Empire maintained complex relations with those on its borders, and their Buddhism(s), as well as the lives of Tibetans, Chinese and others in Buddhist scriptoria in Dunhuang on the periphery of that empire.
Secondly, I investigate the later cultural effects of Buddhist literary depictions of the imperial period thoughout the Tibetan plateau and Himalayan regions, showing through narratological methods (applied to Buddhist histories and biographies especially) the beginnings of the re-envisioning of that empire as a source of new religious values and social norms. My research carries out text-critical studies of these works, focusing on the highly influential "Zangs-gling-ma" and "sBa-bzhed," identifying their precursors and charting the later process of their textual revision in Tibet.
These two foci, lived experience and later literary reinvention, afford the opportunity to revisit important imperial narratives and practices, as well as bring a fresh, theoretically backed approach to the study of Tibetan and Buddhist textual and material culture. Applying the insights of thinkers in the philosophy of history, social theory and literary studies uncovers both the cultural forces behind the Tibetan Empire and the growing hegemony of Buddhist value systems in Tibet from then on. This comparison thereby enables a re-evaluation of authoratative proclamations, traditional historiography and identities constructed thereby in early Tibetan Buddhist literature, art and ritual.
Firstly, this means describing people of the Tibetan Empire (c. 600–850 CE), their relations with ruling forces and attempts to work with or mitigate asymmetric dependency. From a religious studies perspective, I explore the disparity between the Central Tibetan Buddhist doctrines espoused and spread by the Tibetan Empire and those of the multi-ethnic inhabitants of Dunhuang (敦煌) during the same period. I highlight the multi-ethnic background of the Tibetans themselves and how the Tibetan Empire maintained complex relations with those on its borders, and their Buddhism(s), as well as the lives of Tibetans, Chinese and others in Buddhist scriptoria in Dunhuang on the periphery of that empire.
Secondly, I investigate the later cultural effects of Buddhist literary depictions of the imperial period thoughout the Tibetan plateau and Himalayan regions, showing through narratological methods (applied to Buddhist histories and biographies especially) the beginnings of the re-envisioning of that empire as a source of new religious values and social norms. My research carries out text-critical studies of these works, focusing on the highly influential "Zangs-gling-ma" and "sBa-bzhed," identifying their precursors and charting the later process of their textual revision in Tibet.
These two foci, lived experience and later literary reinvention, afford the opportunity to revisit important imperial narratives and practices, as well as bring a fresh, theoretically backed approach to the study of Tibetan and Buddhist textual and material culture. Applying the insights of thinkers in the philosophy of history, social theory and literary studies uncovers both the cultural forces behind the Tibetan Empire and the growing hegemony of Buddhist value systems in Tibet from then on. This comparison thereby enables a re-evaluation of authoratative proclamations, traditional historiography and identities constructed thereby in early Tibetan Buddhist literature, art and ritual.
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Books by Lewis Doney
This publication introduces and reproduces two manuscripts from what I argue is the earliest attested recension of the Zangs gling ma. The one hundred pages of introductory and supplementary material offered along with the reproductions not only make this case. They also aid the reader in gaining some familiarity with the texts, their “author,” and the wider tradition surrounding their central protagonist.
The popularity of Padmasambhava crosses both sectarian and cultural boundaries in Tibet, and influences everything from ritual and philosophy to art to dance from an early period onwards. So the texts reproduced in this work should be of great benefit to scholars of early Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan religious culture and Buddhist life-writing more generally.
Books (solo edited) by Lewis Doney
Papers by Lewis Doney
The BuddhistRoad project is housed within the Center for Religious Studies (CERES) and its head, Volkhard Krech, has outlined various possible effects of inter-religious contact that range from conscious rejection to identification of parts of another religion with parts of one’s own. However, Krech’s key insight is that the religions taking part in this meeting are to a lesser or greater extent constituted by such interactions, as are their very ideas of themselves and others as religions. He states that possible consequences of “contacts between religions in the religious field can be the adaptation and amalgamation, as well as the eradication, of religious opponents internally or externally, the mystical sublimation and salvation religiosity, as well as inner-worldly radicalization and (missionary or charitable) activism” and that effects can be felt within both inter-religious and intra-religious relationships—but in different ways. Here especially, we editors find a connection between the impact of non-Buddhist influence and doctrine.
Here, I wish to draw attention to similar themes arising in accounts of Master Vairocana dating from the 8th to 11th century, pre-dating the longer biographical portraits dedicated to his life in Tibetan literature. This contribution to Toni Huber's Festschrift, though not exhaustive, but I hope that it chimes with his interests in cross-border Himalayan journeys and the importance of “India” in Tibetan narratives and forges another link between his recent research on non-Buddhist Himalayan priests and early Tibetan Buddhist historiography.
Sam Gill proposes a three-fold structuring principle for the study of prayer that would work for the early Tibetan context and for other rituals such as sacrifices and divination too: as Text, as Act and as Subject. These three foci, fields of source material or perspectives from which to consider prayer help to split the work of analysing prayer-related data found in certain contexts into more manageable parts. Further, if followed more widely in religious studies, philology etc., this would allow for easy comparison of like with like once that context-specific analysis work is done.
However, the scholars who brought these bells to wider attention focused almost exclusively on the content of the inscriptions as texts of historical interest, briefly describing the bells as “of Chinese pattern.” However, one may ask, what does that really mean? Is there one “Chinese” type or design for bells? In what ways and to what extent do the Tibetan exemplars adhere to this/these form(s)? This chapter focuses on art-historical aspects of Tibetan imperial temple bells, attempting to answer these questions by comparing the bells with the few examples extant in Buddhist Asia.
Towards the end of the eighth century, Khri Srong lde brtsan also presided over the growing institutionalization of Buddhism in his empire, as a state religion (though not necessarily the only one). This patronage was epitomized by his construction of the bSam yas Monastery, one of the first large-scale Buddhist constructions on the Tibetan plateau. Its architecture shows signs of influence from the older Buddhist cultures surrounding the empire at this time—most notably South Asia and China.
It will be seen that this period, when seemingly “everything happened” for the Tibetans and their neighbours in the north and east, constituted a moment of high connectivity in religious and material culture, trade, war and diplomatic relations not to be matched again in the region until the Mongol Yuan dynasty.
The tradition of Padmasambhava’s religious biography has its roots in southern Tibet and matured within the Rnying ma school, which claims to possess an unbroken lineage dating back to the imperial period. However, this biographical tradition has exerted a huge influence on later historiography across the schools, including the ecumenical and foreign policy of the Dalai Lamas.
Investigating the Central Eurasian theme of exile and return to power in state formation mythology, as well as Indic narratives of renouncing the throne in favour of the spiritual life, helps to clarify the processes involved in the introduction of both of these important topoi into early Tibetan biographies. Understanding the divergences between the Central Eurasian and Indic heritage of these Tibetan tales then allows for a preliminary discussion of the changing relation between religious and royal figures in early Tibetan biographical narratives. Finally, grounding these changes in theoretical discussions of types of fiction, mythology and historiography uncovers some of the narrative mechanisms which enabled a shift from status based upon kinship, military endeavour and fealty to the emperor as the highest member of Tibet to religious status drawing on Indic social structures. It will be seen that such a shift opened up the possibility that a subject of the emperor (at least rhetorically) could outshine an instantiation of indigenous divine kingship—a Buddhist cleric superior to royalty.
This publication introduces and reproduces two manuscripts from what I argue is the earliest attested recension of the Zangs gling ma. The one hundred pages of introductory and supplementary material offered along with the reproductions not only make this case. They also aid the reader in gaining some familiarity with the texts, their “author,” and the wider tradition surrounding their central protagonist.
The popularity of Padmasambhava crosses both sectarian and cultural boundaries in Tibet, and influences everything from ritual and philosophy to art to dance from an early period onwards. So the texts reproduced in this work should be of great benefit to scholars of early Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan religious culture and Buddhist life-writing more generally.
The BuddhistRoad project is housed within the Center for Religious Studies (CERES) and its head, Volkhard Krech, has outlined various possible effects of inter-religious contact that range from conscious rejection to identification of parts of another religion with parts of one’s own. However, Krech’s key insight is that the religions taking part in this meeting are to a lesser or greater extent constituted by such interactions, as are their very ideas of themselves and others as religions. He states that possible consequences of “contacts between religions in the religious field can be the adaptation and amalgamation, as well as the eradication, of religious opponents internally or externally, the mystical sublimation and salvation religiosity, as well as inner-worldly radicalization and (missionary or charitable) activism” and that effects can be felt within both inter-religious and intra-religious relationships—but in different ways. Here especially, we editors find a connection between the impact of non-Buddhist influence and doctrine.
Here, I wish to draw attention to similar themes arising in accounts of Master Vairocana dating from the 8th to 11th century, pre-dating the longer biographical portraits dedicated to his life in Tibetan literature. This contribution to Toni Huber's Festschrift, though not exhaustive, but I hope that it chimes with his interests in cross-border Himalayan journeys and the importance of “India” in Tibetan narratives and forges another link between his recent research on non-Buddhist Himalayan priests and early Tibetan Buddhist historiography.
Sam Gill proposes a three-fold structuring principle for the study of prayer that would work for the early Tibetan context and for other rituals such as sacrifices and divination too: as Text, as Act and as Subject. These three foci, fields of source material or perspectives from which to consider prayer help to split the work of analysing prayer-related data found in certain contexts into more manageable parts. Further, if followed more widely in religious studies, philology etc., this would allow for easy comparison of like with like once that context-specific analysis work is done.
However, the scholars who brought these bells to wider attention focused almost exclusively on the content of the inscriptions as texts of historical interest, briefly describing the bells as “of Chinese pattern.” However, one may ask, what does that really mean? Is there one “Chinese” type or design for bells? In what ways and to what extent do the Tibetan exemplars adhere to this/these form(s)? This chapter focuses on art-historical aspects of Tibetan imperial temple bells, attempting to answer these questions by comparing the bells with the few examples extant in Buddhist Asia.
Towards the end of the eighth century, Khri Srong lde brtsan also presided over the growing institutionalization of Buddhism in his empire, as a state religion (though not necessarily the only one). This patronage was epitomized by his construction of the bSam yas Monastery, one of the first large-scale Buddhist constructions on the Tibetan plateau. Its architecture shows signs of influence from the older Buddhist cultures surrounding the empire at this time—most notably South Asia and China.
It will be seen that this period, when seemingly “everything happened” for the Tibetans and their neighbours in the north and east, constituted a moment of high connectivity in religious and material culture, trade, war and diplomatic relations not to be matched again in the region until the Mongol Yuan dynasty.
The tradition of Padmasambhava’s religious biography has its roots in southern Tibet and matured within the Rnying ma school, which claims to possess an unbroken lineage dating back to the imperial period. However, this biographical tradition has exerted a huge influence on later historiography across the schools, including the ecumenical and foreign policy of the Dalai Lamas.
Investigating the Central Eurasian theme of exile and return to power in state formation mythology, as well as Indic narratives of renouncing the throne in favour of the spiritual life, helps to clarify the processes involved in the introduction of both of these important topoi into early Tibetan biographies. Understanding the divergences between the Central Eurasian and Indic heritage of these Tibetan tales then allows for a preliminary discussion of the changing relation between religious and royal figures in early Tibetan biographical narratives. Finally, grounding these changes in theoretical discussions of types of fiction, mythology and historiography uncovers some of the narrative mechanisms which enabled a shift from status based upon kinship, military endeavour and fealty to the emperor as the highest member of Tibet to religious status drawing on Indic social structures. It will be seen that such a shift opened up the possibility that a subject of the emperor (at least rhetorically) could outshine an instantiation of indigenous divine kingship—a Buddhist cleric superior to royalty.
Further examples of this tendency include the Le’u bdun ma prayer, the Sa skya Padma-vita (Ehrhard 2015) and finally the Vajrakīla work titled ’Phrin las kyi padmo rab tu rgyas pa’i nyin byed, composed by A mes (/ myes) zhabs Ngag dbang Kun dga’ bsod nams (1597–1659), all to be discussed in this contribution. These works blend biography and praise in different ways, but alike portray Padmasambhava as staying in the world for the benefit of all beings. Using these works and others, I shall explore the dependence of some Sa skya works containing descriptions of Padmasambhava on rNying ma predecessors attributed to such masters as Nyang ral, O rgyan gling pa (b. 1323) and Sangs rgyas gling pa (1340–1396), lay out the philological “roads taken” (and not taken) in their compilation, and discuss the roles that genre and ritual may play in some of these decisions.
I feel very privileged to be able to contribute to honouring Franz-Karl Ehrhard, who has devoted his own academic life to benefiting scholars and students of Tibetology and Buddhist Studies. I have known him only since he acted as the external examiner of my PhD thesis, but owe him a huge debt of gratitude for being a mentor to me both at LMU Munich and afterwards. During this time, Prof. Ehrhard has always selflessly shared his time, knowledge and resources with me and, I know, with many others.
The first part, “Impacts of Non-Buddhist Influences,” deals with the varied contacts between Buddhism and other religious traditions like Manichaeism, Christianity or Daoism in Eastern Central Asia between the 6th and the 14th century, and the influences these encounters had on Buddhist practices, materials and beliefs.
The second part, “Doctrines,” deals with themes of inter alia Buddhist orthodoxy, transmission of terminology and the geographical instantiation of belief, yet both of the two thematic clusters are in dialogue with each other throughout the volume and thus reflect the lively discussions of the conference itself.
Contributors include: Daniel Berounský, Michal Biran, Max Deeg, Lewis Doney, Mélodie Doumy, Meghan Howard Masang, Yukiyo Kasai, Diego Loukota †, Carmen Meinert, Sam van Schaik, Henrik H. Sørensen, and Jens Wilkens.
A printed volume was published in 2017: Erhard, Franz Xaver, Jeannine Bischoff, Lewis Doney, Jörg Heimbel, and Emilia Roza Sulek (eds.), Ancient Currents, New Traditions: Papers Presented at the Fourth International Seminar of Young Tibetologists. edition tethys: wissenschaft 1. Potsdam: edition tethys, 2017, ISBN 978-3-942527-05-7
To do this, it brings together all extant Tibetan sources on Khri Srong lde brtsan from the eighth to twelfth century. It rejects the attributed antiquity of some histories, on the basis of textual analysis. It also adds hitherto undiscovered texts to the already existing data, based on the author’s own discoveries. The thesis then describes Khri Srong lde brtsan’s imperial, royal and religious depictions as a process of metamorphosis over time. -----
Imperial texts depict him as a great Tibetan emperor (btsan po), endowed with the authority of his ancestors. The inscriptions at Brag lha mo and ’Phyongs rgyas even describe him as a bodhisattva, leading many of his subjects towards enlightenment. Post-imperial sources found at Dunhuang transform the emperor into a Dharma king. They identify him with idealised royal predecessors like Aśoka or King Tsa. Twelfth-century histories, such as the sBa bzhed and Nyang ral Nyi ma ’od zer’s Zangs gling ma, remember him as the patron and pupil of spiritually superior Buddhist masters. One Indian tantric master, Padmasambhava, even blames the king’s lack of faith for the future decline of the Dharma. These religious figures gradually displace the king as the central protagonists of his life history. -----
This thesis also uncovers the concerns that lie beneath early portrayals of Khri Srong lde brtsan. These include self-presentation, lineage legitimisation and complex relationships with the “golden age” of empire. The transformation of Khri Srong lde brtsan in Buddhist histories depends upon seismic shifts affecting Tibetan culture, including the cult of religious figures and the influx of Indian literary genres into Tibet.
It is a great honour for me to welcome you, on behalf of the Board, the Organizing Committee, and the Institute for Indology and Central Asian Studies, Leipzig, to the Fourth International Seminar of Young Tibetologists (ISYT).
The ISYT, which started off in London with some 40 young scholars of Tibetan Studies, has grown significantly. Two further conferences were held in Paris (2009) and Kobe (2012), and I am delighted to be able to host this fourth seminar here in Leipzig, with its august history of Tibetan Studies.
The University of Leipzig has offered teaching in Asian Studies and subsequently Tibetology from the nineteenth century onwards. Today, the Institute for Central Asian Studies can look back on more than fifty years of research excellence. Tibetology at Leipzig is highly interdisciplinary. Its cooperation with numerous different disciplines has resulted in many research projects, a number of which will be presented at this conference. The seminar is thus also a fitting place to celebrate Per K. Sørensen, professor for Tibetology here in the Institute, who will later this year celebrate his 65th anniversary. Prof. Sørensen is a vibrant and inspiring force in Tibetan Studies, a model of rigour and passion for both his students and the field.
232 presentation proposals were submitted for the Leipzig seminar. Each submission was reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers and the committee eventually accepted one third of the applicants. As a result, the seminar developed into a considerable size, but I hope it remains small and informal enough to create a positive atmosphere for scholarly but also personal exchange; and thus create a community of young scholars with a strong shared interest in Tibet and her culture.
This conference booklet will provide you with information on the academic and cultural program of the seminar, and contains all abstracts of research presented at the meeting.
The conference was organized by a team of scholars based at the five different universities of Leipzig University, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhlems-Universität Bonn, Freie Universität Berlin and Universität Hamburg:
Franz Xaver Erhard (Leipzig) Emilia Sulek (Berlin) Jeannine Bischoff (Bonn) Lewis Doney (Berlin) Jörg Heimbel (Hamburg)
In addition, the organizing team wants to thank all those who helped with reviewing, editing, translating, and consulting and in countless other forms, for their invaluable support:
Jean-Luc Achard, Amelie Bader, Piotr Balcerowicz, Agata Bareja-Starzynska, Jenny Bentley, Daniel Berounsky, Henk Blezer, Adelheid Buschner, Olaf Czaja, Yangdon Dhondup, Brandon Dotson, Barbara Gerke, Kalsang Norbu Gurung, Isabelle Henrion-Dourcy, Nathan Hill, David Holler, Theresia Hofer, Astrid Hovden, Lilian Iselin, Kazushi Iwao, Lama Japp, Berthe Jansen, Rudolf Kaschewsky, Seiji Kumagai, Dan Martin, Klaus-Dieter Mathes, Heinz Mürmel, Tim Myatt, Ai Nishida, Jann Ronis, Stefan Schley, Nicola Schneider, Mona Schrempf, Per K. Sørensen, Eva Sterzer, Gillian Tan, Lobsang Tenpa, Alice Travers, Sonam Tsering, Tashi Tsering, Maria Turek, Oxana Ukonew, Markus Viehbeck, Riika Virtanen, Daniel Wojahn, Antje Ziemer.
The Fourth International Seminar of Young Tibetologists received generous financial support from the international sponsors:
• Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Bonn, Germany)
• Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation (Taipei, Taiwan)
• Network for Co-operation Tibet Norway (Oslo, Norway)
• Trace Foundation (New York, USA)
• Foundation of the Saxon Academy of Sciences in Leipzig (Leipzig, Germany)
• University of Leipzig (Leipzig, Germany)
We have now six days packed with presentations and events, and we hope all participants, over the week ahead, will be able to share their most recent findings, network and enjoy time in the company of other young scholars with a passion for Tibetan Studies. We wish you all a successful and pleasant conference!
Leipzig, September 1, 2015
Franz Xaver Erhard
Convener, 4th International Seminar of Young Tibetologists
https://edition-tethys.org/ancient-currents-new-traditions/
also here: http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/ret/pdf/ret_37.pdf