Sunday, January 8, 2012

David B. Gray - The Cakrasamvara Tantra: The Discourse of Sri Heruka (Sriherukabhidhana)

CLICK IN THE COVER TO DOWNLOAD THIS (AND MANY OTHER)  PDF!

The first complete study and annotated translation into English of the Chakrasamvara Tantra from both Sanskrit and Tibetan sources. This text is a foundational scripture of one of the most important Indian Buddhist tantric traditions. Along with the Hevajra Tantra, it is one of the earliest and most influential of the Yogini Tantras, a genre of tantric Buddhist scripture that emphasizes female deities, particularly the often fiercly depicted yoginis and dakinis.

The introductory essay provides an analysis of the historical and intellectual contexts in which the tantra was composed, including its complex interrelationship with Hindu Saiva traditions, and also investigates the history of its adaptation by Buddhists. The translation was made on the basis of the surviving Sanskrit mansuscripts of the tantra and its commentaries, as well as parallel passages in related explanatory tantras (vyakhytantra). It also takes into consideration two different Tibetan translations of the root text, and several Tibetan commentaries. The translation itself is heavily annotated, with extensive translations from the Indian and Tibetan commentaries on the text. Includes a trilingual glossary and index.

No comments:

Post a Comment