Violence, Gender, and Ethics in Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhism

This paper argues for sustained critical attention to the instances of violence that pervade the life stories of exemplary Tibetan Buddhist women. In doing so, it challenges frameworks that interpret scenes of cruelty, abuse, and assault primarily in ways delimited by the spiritual progress achieved *in spite of* them. The hagiography of Yeshé Tsogyal (fl. 8th century) serves as a case study, both for illuminating what scholars talk about when they talk about violence in eminent female practitioners' *lives* and for rethinking analytical approaches to violent stories about accomplished women. The goal of this approach is to better equip scholars to evaluate the role of enlightenment narratives in normalizing gender-based forms of suffering and oppression.

Through reading and translating "Prophecies and Pure Perceptions" (ལུང་བསྟན་དང་ཉམས་མྱོང་དག་སྣང་།), found in vol. 149 of the Bon Katen spanning 52 pages, by Khandro Dechen Wangmo (1868-1935?), a female Bonpo treasure revealer from Kham Nyarong, located in the current Ganzi prefecture of Sichuan Province, China, I analyze the functions of this text and the ways in which she claims authority and agency through specific literary strategies. These strategies include the juxtaposition between the Dakinis' immediate recognition of her and Khandro Dechen Wangmo's "feigned ignorance," which allows her to claim a certain authority, along with her transition from being a medium receiving prophecy from various dakinis and siddhis to the agent who gives prophecy to others. This paper also discusses writing prophecy in the face of violence committed by political and social upheaval at the time to cope with and process the misfortunes that change has brought.

This paper offers preliminary reflections on a larger study, in which I seek to outline the roles of education and gender in determining whether and how patronage patterns have shifted with the rise of nuns’ education in recent decades. The larger project addresses relationships among monastics, and between monastics and laity, in the Drikung Kagyu communities found across the Himalayas. This paper describes research outcomes from initial phases of ethnographic fieldwork and data gathering in Drikung monasteries and nunneries in Ladakh and Uttarakhand, It describes the ways in which this author’s presuppositions about lay patronage were reinforced, as well as some unexpected results, while attending to the necessary consideration of how research positionality can influence one’s findings. I focus on who (and who is not) choosing to join Drikung monastic communities, and details of the internal and external pressures that are changing the face of Drikung monasticism in the 21st century.

The Seminal Heart (snying thig) tradition of the Great Perfection (rdzogs chen) begins with eleventh century Tibetan revelations, becomes dominant by the fourteenth, and has continued as such into the present. The difference in narrative, philosophy, and practice between these origins and contemporary realities is extraordinary, though the tradition stressed continuity throughout with the original scriptural sources. These striking transformations are not significantly acknowledged by Tibetan authors, apart from scattered references to discontinued practices, lost texts, and attenuated transmissions; there is even less attempt to explain or theorize these vast differences.  I will offer a history and theorization of these changes  to make sense of the drivers and significance of these patterns of profound continuity and discontinuity. In addition to detailing my methodology, I will reflect on the ethics and social conundrums of writing a history of a visionary tradition that is in deep tension with its own modern narratives.

This paper delves into the ethical and methodological dimensions of reconstructing the early Dzogchen Nyingthig tradition, from the 11th to 14th centuries, focusing on influential texts and methodological challenges. The investigation centers on key texts like the Eleven Words and Meanings, authored by Nyi ma ʼbum. Such texts serve as vital cornerstones for understanding the evolution of Nyingthig within Tibetan Buddhism. Subsequent texts, attributed to legendary masters like Vimalamitra and Padmasambhava, underscore the dynamic nature of Dzogchen teachings and the continual evolution of the tradition. It emphasizes the significance of Nyima bum's teachings as a roadmap for understanding later texts. This paper addresses the challenges of interpreting ancient texts, emphasizing the need for a critical approach. Engaging with contemporary Dzogchen communities and practitioners enriches scholarship, fostering a nuanced understanding of this ancient tradition. This research contributes to a deeper comprehension of the Dzogchen tradition, honoring its richness within Tibetan Buddhism.