Prisoners of Shangri-La - Tibetan Buddhism and the West (Hardcover, New)

Through Western eyes Tibet has always been a remote and mysterious place; a land of monasteries and lamas, who are possessed of a secret wisdom which can - if rightly understood - transform our spiritual lives for the better. There is also a parallel tradition, on the part of many Western academics, of dismissing Tibetan Buddhism - 'Lamaism' - as debased and worthless. So pervasive are these views of Tibet that they have come to affect even the self-perception of Tibetans in exile. But they are flawed visions of the reality, in urgent need of correction, which is exactly what Lopez provides here. Gently but firmly he demolishes these mythical images of Tibet and in their place he presents us, in most elegant prose, with a true picture of Tibetan religion, its literature and sacred art (all of which have been woefully misunderstood). Released from our 'mind-forged manacles' we can now appreciate Tibetan Buddhism as it really is: a living religion that is neither a museum exhibit nor the private domain of super-gurus. (Kirkus UK)

In this book, Donald Lopez provides the first cultural history of the strange encounter between Tibetan Buddhism and the West. Charting the flights of Western fantasies of Tibet and its Buddhist legacy, Lopez presents fanciful visions of Tibetan life and religion, ranging from the utopian to the demonic. He examines, among much else, the politics of the term "Lamaism", a pejorative name for Tibet's religion; the various theosophical, psychedelic, and New Age purposes served by The Tibetan Book of the Dead; the strange case of the Englishman with three eyes; and the unexpected history of the most famous of all Buddhist mantras, om mani padme hum. Throughout, Lopez demonstrates how myths of Tibet pervade both the products of pop culture and learned scholarly works.

General

Imprint:	University of Chicago Press
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	May 1998
First published:	May 1998
Authors:	Donald S. Lopez
Dimensions:	235 x 160 x 27mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover
Pages:	290
Edition:	New
ISBN-13:	978-0-226-49310-7
Categories:	Books > Reference & Interdisciplinary > Interdisciplinary studies > Cultural studies > History of ideas, intellectual history Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Non-Christian religions > Religions of Indic & Oriental origin > Buddhism > Tibetan Buddhism Books > Religion & Spirituality > Non-Christian religions > Religions of Indic & Oriental origin > Buddhism > Tibetan Buddhism Promotions
LSN:	0-226-49310-5
Barcode:	9780226493107

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!