New Book> Donald Lopez on the 84 Mahasiddhas

H-Buddhism New Book> Donald Lopez on the 84 Mahasiddhas

Discussion published by Nikko Odiseos on Monday, May 27, 2019

Dear Friends,

I am pleased to share our latest release,Seeing the Sacred in Samsara: An Illustrated Guide to the Eighty-Four Mahāsiddhas by Donald Lopez.

This exquisite full-color presentation of the lives of the eighty-four mahāsiddhas, or “great accomplished ones,” offers a fresh glimpse into the world of the famous tantric yogis of medieval India. The stories of these tantric saints have captured the imagination of Buddhists across Asia for nearly a millennium. Unlike monks and nuns who renounce the world, these saints sought the sacred in the midst of samsara. Some were simple peasants who meditated while doing manual labor. Others were kings and queens who traded the comfort and riches of the palace for the danger and transgression of the charnel ground. Still others were sinners—pimps, drunkards, gamblers, and hunters—who transformed their sins into sanctity.

Lopez explores various topics in this work: the path of tantra; the nature of siddhis; the historicity of the mahasiddhas; the textual sources related to them; the framework, patterns, and makeup of the stories, the role of the setting in charnal grounds; and the roles of women - only 4 of the main figures are women, but female beings feature in about half the images. He then goes on to talk about this particular collection of paintings, commissioned in eastern Tibet, all reproduced in the book at their original size along with an exploration of each figure. Lopez also looks at the history of painting these figures, diving into the impact of Situ Panchen and including a translation of Kathog Rigdzin Tsewang Norbu.

"This book makes available for the first time a beautiful set of paintings of the Indian siddhas from early twentieth century Tibet. Lopez’s introduction provides the reader with a marvelous overview of the siddhas, their social context, the tantric tradition to which they belonged, their doctrines, and their depiction in Tibetan art history. A feast for both the eye and the mind,Seeing the Sacred in Samsara is a superb primer on one of the most important and fascinating saintly confederations in all of Buddhist history." —José Cabezón, Dalai Lama Professor of Tibetan Buddhism and Cultural Studies, University of California Santa Barbara

"Seeing the Sacred in Samsara is a gem that should adorn the library of every Tibetan Buddhist or that of anyone who has more than a passing interest in Tibetan Buddhism. This book brings to life the stories of the Indian mahāsiddhas, hugely important figures in the imagination of the Tibetan Vajrayana tradition." —Thupten Jinpa, Principal English Translator to His Holiness the Dalai Lama

"Commissioned from an artist in eastern Tibet by a senior member of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama’s government but never displayed or published before, these remarkable paintings offer fresh insight into the workings of a master painter and the conversion of religious concepts into images. Written with his characteristic clarity and elegance, Professor Lopez has produced a book that will be a delight for admirers of Tibetan painting and a wonderful resource for students of Tibetan Buddhism." —Clare Harris, Professor of Visual Anthropology, University of Oxford

Citation: Nikko Odiseos. New Book> Donald Lopez on the 84 Mahasiddhas. H-Buddhism. 05-27-2019. https://networks.h-net.org/node/6060/discussions/4157589/new-book-donald-lopez-84-mahasiddhas Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. 1 H-Buddhism

On Sale: 05/28/2019 Pages: 232 Size: 7 X 9 ISBN: 9781611804041

More Info: http://shmb.la/mahasiddhas

For Desk and Exam compies, please visit Penguin Random House, our global distributor: https://penguinrandomhouseeducation.com/desk-and-exam/

Nikko Odiseos President Shambhala Publications | Snow Lion Publications 4720 Walnut St | Boulder, CO 80301 | o: 720-799-8245 [email protected]

New Book&gt; Donald Lopez on the 84 Mahasiddhas

New Book> Donald Lopez on the 84 Mahasiddhas