Sacred Texts: Buddhism

Buddhism in Tibet: Preface

19th Century BuddhologyBuddhist IconographyTibetan Buddhism

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This is the preface to a 19th-century scholarly monograph on Tibetan Buddhism, written by Emil de Schlagintweit, drawing on fieldwork conducted by his brothers during a scientific expedition through Tibet and the Himalaya (1854–58). The work aims to describe Buddhism as practiced in Tibet after roughly twelve centuries of development there, situating it within a broader argument that Buddhism—like all religious systems—has undergone significant doctrinal and ritual transformation over time, shaped by geography, ethnicity, and successive reform movements. The author's primary sources are his brothers' firsthand observations and collected objects (ritual items, deity representations, texts), supplemented by Tibetan informants such as Chibu Lama and the scholarly work of Hodgson and Burnouf. A notable feature is the methodological emphasis on mechanical reproduction of religious imagery via transfer-paper to prevent artistic distortion, and on printing Tibetan-character texts directly rather than relying on translation alone. The preface signals a work that blends ethnographic collection, philological analysis, and visual documentation—distinctive for its era in combining European scientific expedition methodology with serious engagement with native sources and living informants.

Buddhism in Tibet: Preface

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