Pilgrimage in Tibet / Edition 1

by Alex McKay

Overview

The Western image of Tibet as a sacred land is in many ways a mythical construction. But the Tibetans themselves have traditionally mapped out their land in terms of areas of sacred space, and pilgrimage, ensuring a high degree of mobility within all classes of Tibetan society. Pilgrims travelled to local, regional, and national centres throughout recorded Tibetan history. In recent years, pilgrimage has resumed in areas where it had been forbidden by the Chinese authorities, and has now become one of the most prominent religious expressions of Tibetan national identity.

In this major new work, leading scholars of Asian pilgrimage traditions discuss historical and contemporary aspects of pilgrimage within the Tibetan cultural world. Myths and legends, material conditions, textual sources, a modern pilgrim's impressions, political and economic influences, biographies and contemporary developments - all these and many other issues are examined here. The result is an informative and often entertaining work which contributes greatly to our knowledge of the history and culture of Tibet as well as the wider issues of religious power and practice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780700709922
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	03/25/1998
Pages:	242
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

McKay, Alex

Table of Contents

Introduction, Alex McKay; Chapter 1 ::, Katia Buffetrille; Chapter 2 On the Geographical and Material Contextuality of Tibetan Pilgrimage, Wim van Spengen; Chapter 3 Hindu Trading Pilgrims, John Clarke; Chapter 4 Khyung-sprul ’Jigs-med nam-mkha’i rdo-rje (1897–1955), Per Kværne; Chapter 5 On Pilgrimage for Forty Years in the Himalayas, Hanna Havnevik; Chapter 6 On the way to Kailash, Winand M. Callewaert; Chapter 7 The opening of the sBas Yul ‘Bras mo’i gshongs according to the Chronicle of the Rulers of Sikkim, Brigitte Steinmann; Chapter 8 ::, Andrea Loseries-Leick; Chapter 9 Kailas-Manasarovar in “Classical” (Hindu) and Colonial Sources, Alex McKay; Chapter 10 Tibetan Pilgrimage in the Process of Social Change, Peng Wenbin;

Editorial Reviews

'An academic work of great importance exploring new material and opening up new avenues of study.' - Wendy Palace, Asian Affairs

From the Publisher