This survey offers insights into the history and structure of the Tibetan scholastic tradition, and the changes that it has undergone over the last 800 years. Drawing on numerous original Tibetan sources, the academic degrees are described along with the etymology of the various titles.

The ambit of Buddhist studies reflects not only the spiritual and philosophical domain of Buddhism but also a symbiotic relationship between the monastic establishment and protectors of cultural tradition-a trend that one sees in the context of Buddhist revivalist projects in Mongolia and Buryatia. The presence of a Buddhist order in the political realm has revived intellectual debates about the relationship between spiritual and temporal authority. The interface between South Asian and South East Buddhism on the one hand and Central Asian Buddhism on the other is also delicately balanced in Buddhist cultural discourse. The relevance of Buddhism in a globalized world has also given a new direction to the realm of Buddhist studies. This book takes into account the competing discourses of preservation and revival of Buddhism in the trans-Himalayan sector. It not only deals with the cultural ethos that Buddhism represents in this region but also the diverse Buddhist traditions that are strongly entrenched despite colonial intervention. Juxtaposed to the aesthetic variant is the extremely sensitive response of the Buddhist communities in India and Asiatic Russia centred round the issue of displacement. It is this issue of duality of common traditions and fractured identities that has been dealt with in the present volume. Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

Lesser Dragons is a timely introduction to the fascinating, complex, and vital world of China’s national minorities. Drawing on firsthand fieldwork in several minority areas, Michael Dillon introduces us to the major non-Han peoples of China, including the Mongols, the Tibetans, the Uyghur of Xinjiang, and the Manchus, and traces the evolution of their relationship with the Han Chinese majority. With chapters devoted to each of the most important minority groups and an additional chapter exploring the parallel but very different world of inter-ethnic relations in Taiwan, Lesser Dragons will interest anyone eager to understand the reality behind regional conflicts increasingly covered by global media. From the tense security situation in Xinjiang to China’s attitude toward Tibet and the Dalai Lama, to the resistance efforts of Mongolian herders losing traditional grasslands, Dillon’s book both examines clichés—such as those found in the Chinese press, which often portrays ethnic minorities as colorful but marginal people—and defies expectations. He shows us how these minority peoples’ religions, cultures, and above all languages mark these groups as distinct from the Chinese majority—distinct, yet endangered by the systemic forces of integration.

Comprises a literature review of research and policy publications related to basic and primary schooling and quality education in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR). These have been collected from selected official Chinese sources, Tibetan NGOs outside Tibet, international news agencies and Chinese, Tibetan, and international scholars with knowledge of social and educational issues in China and Tibet. The study is in two parts: Part I: a review of research and policy publications related to basic and primary education in Tibet/China, and Part II: an annex with a list of literature, websites and journals, and other statistical information.

"The two volumes of this study examine fundamental issues in Buddhist thought and practice, particularly the implications of the two truths (relative and ultimate). If, as Buddhist sources claim, all perceptions are overlaid with error, is it possible to have confidence in our knowledge of the world? If buddhas only perceive reality as it is, does this entail that they are incapable of relating to ordinary beings, who view their environment through a lens of false imaginings? Taktsang Sherap Rinchen, a 15th century Sakya scholar, explored the philosophical and practical ramifications of Madhyamaka antifoundationalism and accused Tsongkhapa, one of Tibet's most influential thinkers, of a fundamental incoherence that stems from an attempt to bring together the Epistemology tradition-which posits reliable epistemic instruments-and Prāsaṅgika Madhyamaka-which rejects any attempt at foundationalism. Both Taktsang and Tsongkhapa claim to correctly interpret Nāgārjuna and Candrakīrti but draw vastly different conclusions from their respective readings. The controversy Taktsang sparked has its roots in Indian debates regarding the implications of the two truths. These were further developed in Tibet and engaged some of Tibet's best minds for centuries. Our study, the first book length discussion of this literature, situates it in philosophical perspective, drawing parallels with contemporary global philosophy, and it also draws out the implications of the debate for the entire Buddhist enterprise of making sense of the world and presenting a path capable of leading beings to buddhahood"--

The most pressing economic challenges facing the Tibetan areas of western China relate to the marginalization of the majority of Tibetans from rapid state-led growth. The urban-rural divide plays an important role in this polarized dynamic but alone only partially explains differences with other Chinese regions, all of which generally exhibit strong spatial inequalities. This book therefore focuses on several further factors that determine the ethnically exclusionary character of current peripheral growth in the Tibetan areas. These include processes of urbanization, immigration, employment, and education as key factors underlying structural economic change.

Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) is by any measure the single most influential philosopher in Tibetan history. His articulation of Prasangika Madhyamaka, and his interpretation of the 7th Century Indian philosopher Candrakirti's interpretation of Madhyamaka is the foundation for the understanding of that philosophical system in the Geluk school in Tibet. Tsongkhapa argues that Candrakirti shows that we can integrate the Madhyamaka doctrine of the two truths, and of the ultimate emptiness of all phenomena with a robust epistemology that explains how we can know both conventional and ultimate truth and distinguish truth from falsity within the conventional world. The Sakya scholar Taktsang Lotsawa (born 1405) published the first systematic critique of Tsongkhapa's system. In the fifth chapter of his Freedom from Extremes Accomplished through Comprehensive Knowledge of Philosophy, Taktsang attacks Tsongkhapa's understanding of Candrakirti and the cogency of integrating Prasangika Madhyamaka with any epistemology. This attack launches a debate between Geluk scholars on the one hand and Sakya and Kagyu scholars on the other regarding the proper understanding of this philosophical school and the place of epistemology in the Madhyamaka program. This debate raged with great ferocity from the 15th through the 18th centuries, and continues still today. These two volumes study that debate and present translations of the most important texts produced in that context. Volume I provides historical and philosophical background for this dispute and elucidates the philosophical issues at stake in the debate, exploring the principal arguments advanced by the principals on both sides, and setting them in historical context. This volume presents English translations of each of the most important texts in this debate.

The book is an empirical research done by Prof. Madhu Rajput on socio-economic status of Tibetan women in exile. Though the author has focused on Tibetan women at Dharamsala and Dehradun, she takes readers to the era when Tibet was an independent nation, narrating their livelihood and traditions. It is a story of skillful adaptation they displayed in the face of drastically changed circumstances in exile to make their existence meaningful and contributory. In early 1960s during conflict, migration and resettlement, it were the Tibetan women and children who suffered the most, as out of their sheltered existence, they became vulnerable to various forms of gender-based exploitation. As a result of flight trauma, anxiety and hardships of beginning a life in exile, most of them suffer from psychological disorders which affect their social and family lives. In addition to many subjects discussed in the book, the author puts an effort to understand the challenges specific to Tibetan women and children, and create sensitization on the issue.

A sustained argument for Tibetan independence, this volume also serves as an introduction to many aspects of Tibetan culture, society, and especially religion with a compendium of biographies of the most significant religious and political figures.