cover image Religions of Tibet in Practice

Religions of Tibet in Practice

. Princeton University Press, $37.95 (560pp) ISBN 978-0-691-01183-7

This, the fourth volume in the Princeton Readings in Religion series and professedly the first substantial anthology of Tibetan religious literature to appear in English, is an extraordinary achievement. Splitting its hugely complex subject into thematic areas--accounts of time and place, remarkable lives, rites and techniques, prayers and sermons, dealing with death and demons--the book includes essays by 17 contributors who introduce texts from all periods of Tibetan spirituality as well as from a wide variety of Tibetan Buddhist sects. A dense, very informative and lucid 36-page introduction covers all the major themes of Tibetan religions, including the distinctions between interconnected lore, the history of Bon (the indigenous religion of Tibet) and Buddhism. As complete as the book is, however, the editor has not included Tibetan translations of Indian philosophical or exegetical works, preferring instead to offer ""a compendium of the popular or lay practice of the common folk."" In addition, the texts themselves are lightly and unobtrusively annotated. While this makes the texts very readable, those seeking specific information will need to consult heavily the promised index (not seen by PW). The book includes black-and-white illustrations (also not seen by PW) and a brief bibliography after each excerpt. (Apr.)