Buddhist Civilization in Tibet by Tulku Thondup Rinpoche

Buddhist Civilization in Tibet by Tulku Thondup Rinpoche

First published in 1987, Buddhist Civilization in Tibet is unique among works in English as it provides a whole range of information on Tibetan religion and literature, with extensive scholarly data, in a compact single volume. An invaluable reference book, it shows what is available within different traditions and literature, and what will be helpful for English-speaking students who are interested in Tibetan Buddhism, its culture and literature.

In the first part of the book, the author provides a survey of Buddhism in Tibet, and an account of the doctrine and history of the four major Buddhist schools of Tibet—Nyingma, Kagyud, Sakya and Gelug—with lists of their major monastic institutions. In the second part, he gives an overview of Tibetan literature, with a summary of both the secular and religious literature of Tibet, and particular emphasis on the scope of literary works of the four major Buddhist schools.

Tulku Thondup Rinpoche was a much-respected lama, educated in the Tibetan monastic system. He went to India in 1958 as a refugee from Tibet and taught at Lucknow University and Visva-Bharati University. He was a visiting scholar at Harvard. He then settled in the USA, where he engaged in research and translation projects on Tibetan Buddhism.