Tantric Revisionings : New Understandings of Tibetan Buddhism and Indian Religion

Tantric Revisionings presents stimulating new perspectives on Hindu and Buddhist religion, particularly their Tantric versions, in India, Tibet or in modern Western societies. Geoffrey Samuel adopts an historically and textually informed anthropological approach, seeking to locate and understand religion in its social and cultural context. The question of the relation between 'popular' (folk, domestic, village, 'shamanic') religion and elite (literary, textual, monastic) religion forms a recurring theme through these studies. Six chapters have not been previously published; the previously published studies included are in publications which are difficult to locate outside major specialist libraries. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Preface and Acknowledgements Part I Starting Points 1. Introduction 2. Tibet as a Stateless Society and Some Islamic Paralleis Part II Historical 3. The Dissenting Tradition of Indian Tantra and its Partial Hegemonisation in Tibet 4. Tibetan Tantra as a Form of Shamanism: Some Reflections on the Vajrayāna and its Sharnanic Origins 5. Buddhism and the State in Eighth Century Tibet 6. Shamanism, Bon and Tibetan Religion 7. The Indus Valley Civilisation and Early Tibet 8. Ge-sar of gLing: The Origins and Meanings of the East Tibetan Epic Part III Religion in Contemporary Asia 9. Tibet and the Southeast Asian Highlands: Rethinking the Intellectual Context of Tibetan Studies 10. The Vajrayāna in the Context of Himalayan Folk Religion 11. The Effectiveness of Goddesses, or, How Ritual Works 12. Women, Goddesses and Auspiciousness in South Asia Part IV Buddhism and Other Western Religions 13. Tibetan Buddhism as a World Religion: Global Networking and its Consequences 14. The Westernisation of Tibetan Buddhism 15. The Attractions of Tantra: Two Historical Moments Index Tantric Revisionings Presents Stimulating New Perspectives On Hindu And Buddhist Religion, Particularly Their Tantric Versions, In India, Tibet Or In Modern Western Societies. Geoffrey Samuel Adopts An Historically And Textually Informed Anthropological Approach, Seeking To Locate And Understand Religion In Its Social And Cultural Context. The Question Of The Relation Between 'popular' (folk, Domestic, Village, 'shamanic') Religion And Elite (literary, Textual, Monastic) Religion Forms A Recurring Theme Through These Studies. Six Chapters Have Not Been Previously Published; The Previously Published Studies Included Are In Publications Which Are Difficult To Locate In Major Specialist Libraries.--jacket. Geoffrey Samuel. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.