Dispelling the Darkness: A Jesuit’s Quest for the Soul of Tibet.

The Italian Jesuit Ippolito Desideri was one of the most remarkable of the many remarkable Jesuits who made the perilous journey to Buddhist lands. The present volume provides an introduction to his encounter with Buddhist philosophy, describing his efforts to save the souls of the people of Tibet. In 1721, as he waited in Tibet for a letter from Rome that would grant him papal permission to remain in Tibet and carry out his mission to convert its people to the true faith, he continued writing what he considered his magnum opus, a massive treatise, written in excellent classical Tibetan, complete with citations from Buddhist texts, to prove the errors of Buddhism. This book is a study of Desideri's unfinished masterpiece. It includes extended excerpts from Desideri's Inquiry concerning the Doctrines of Previous Lives and Emptiness, translated into a European language for the first time here. It also contains a detailed commentary, discussing Desideri's deft use of Buddhist terms and tropes to make his case. In addition, the volume includes a full translation and study of Desideri's Essence of the Christian Religion. Here, he offers his refutation of the doctrine of emptiness before going on to set forth the tenets of the Roman Catholic faith in the vocabulary of Tibetan Buddhism.-- Provided by publisher In a remote Himalayan village in 1721, the Jesuit priest Ippolito Desideri awaited permission from Rome to continue his mission to convert the Tibetan people to Christianity. In the meantime, he forged ahead with an ambitious project: a treatise, written in classical Tibetan, that would refute key Buddhist doctrines. If he could convince the Buddhist monks that these doctrines were false, thought Desideri, he would dispel the darkness of idolatry from Tibet.Offering a fascinating glimpse into the historical encounter between Christianity and Buddhism, Dispelling the Darkness brings Desideri's Tibetan writings to readers of English for the first time. This authoritative study provides extended excerpts from Inquiry concerning the Doctrines of Previous Lives and Emptiness, Desideri's unfinished masterpiece, as well as a full translation of Essence of the Christian Religion, a companion work that broadens his refutation of Buddhism. Desideri possessed an unusually sophisticated understanding of Buddhism and a masterful command of the classical Tibetan language. He believed that only careful argumentation could demolish the philosophical foundations of Buddhism, especially the doctrines of rebirth and emptiness that prevented belief in the existence of God. Donald Lopez and Thupten Jinpa's detailed commentary reveals how Desideri deftly used Tibetan literary conventions and passages from Buddhist scriptures to make his case.When the Vatican refused Desideri's petition, he returned to Rome, his manuscripts in tow, where they languished unread in archives. Dispelling the Darkness brings these vital texts to light after centuries of neglect. In a remote Himalayan village in 1721, the Jesuit priest Ippolito Desideri awaited permission from Rome to continue his mission to convert the Tibetan people to Christianity. In the meantime, he forged ahead with an ambitious a treatise, written in classical Tibetan, that would refute key Buddhist doctrines. If he could convince the Buddhist monks that these doctrines were false, thought Desideri, he would dispel the darkness of idolatry from Tibet. Offering a fascinating glimpse into the historical encounter between Christianity and Buddhism, Dispelling the Darkness brings Desideris Tibetan writings to readers of English for the first time. This authoritative study provides extended excerpts from Inquiry concerning the Doctrines of Previous Lives and Emptiness , Desideris unfinished masterpiece, as well as a full translation of Essence of the Christian Religion , a companion work that broadens his refutation of Buddhism. Desideri possessed an unusually sophisticated understanding of Buddhism and a masterful command of the classical Tibetan language. He believed that only careful argumentation could demolish the philosophical foundations of Buddhism, especially the doctrines of rebirth and emptiness that prevented belief in the existence of God. Donald Lopez and Thupten Jinpas detailed commentary reveals how Desideri deftly used Tibetan literary conventions and passages from Buddhist scriptures to make his case. When the Vatican refused Desideris petition, he returned to Rome, his manuscripts in tow, where they languished unread in archives. Dispelling the Darkness brings these vital texts to light after centuries of neglect. Contents Introduction 1. Introduction to Inquiry concerning the Doctrines of Previous Lives and Emptiness 2. Selections from Inquiry concerning the Doctrines of Previous Lives and Emptiness 3. Introduction to Essence of the Christian Religion 4. Essence of the Christian Religion A Final Thought Appendix 1: Topical Outline (sa bcad ) of the Inquiry Appendix 2: Subjects of the Inquiry Appendix 3: A Latin Version of the Inquiry Notes Acknowledgments Index In a remote Himalayan village in 1721, the Jesuit priest Ippolito Desideri wrote a treatise in classical Tibetan intended to refute key Buddhist doctrines and dispel the darkness of idolatry from Tibet. __Dispelling the Darkness__ provides extended excerpts from this unfinished masterpiece and a full translation of a companion work.