Tibetan Ritual

Ritual is one of the most pervasive religious phenomena in the Tibetan cultural world. Despite its ubiquity and importance to Tibetan cultural life, however, only in recent years has Tibetan ritual been given the attention it deserves. This is the first scholarly collection to focus on this important subject. Unique in its historical, geographical, and disciplinary breadth, this book brings together eleven essays by an international cast of scholars working on ritual texts, institutions, and practices in the greater Tibetan cultural world - Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and Mongolia. While most of the chapters focus on Buddhism, two deal with rituals in Tibet's indigenous Bon religion. All of the essays are original to this volume. An extensive introduction by the editor provides a broad overview of Tibetan rituals and contextualizes the chapters within the field of Buddhist and Tibetan studies. The book should find use in advanced undergraduate courses and graduate seminars on Tibetan religion. It will also be of interest to students and scholars of ritual generally. Review "Presents an excellent collection of essays that show how ritual is an integral part of everyday life in Tibet." --Buddhadharma About the Author José Ignacio Cabezón is a professor in the Religious Studies Department at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he teaches Tibetan Buddhism.