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A History of Buddhism in India and Tibet

An Expanded Version of the Dharma's Origins Made by the Learned Scholar Deyu

Published by Wisdom Publications
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

The first complete English translation of an important thirteenth-century history that sheds light on Tibet’s imperial past and on the transmission of the Buddhadharma into Central Asia.

Translated here into English for the first time in its entirety by perhaps the foremost living expert on Tibetan histories, this engaging translation, along with its ample annotation, is a must-have for serious readers and scholars of Buddhist studies. In this history, discover the first extensive biography of the Buddha composed in the Tibetan language, along with an account of subsequent Indian Buddhist history, particularly the writing of Buddhist treatises. The story then moves to Tibet, with an emphasis on the rulers of the Tibetan empire, the translators of Buddhist texts, and the lineages that transmitted doctrine and meditative practice. It concludes with an account of the demise of the monastic order followed by a look forward to the advent of the future Buddha Maitreya.

The composer of this remarkably ecumenical Buddhist history compiled some of the most important early sources on the Tibetan imperial period preserved in his time, and his work may be the best record we have of those sources today. Dan Martin has rendered the richness of this history an accessible part of the world’s literary heritage.

About The Author

Dan Martin is the author of over fifty articles as well as two books, Mandala Cosmogony and Unearthing Bon Treasures. A renowned scholar among scholars, he has published mainly on the literary, religious, and cultural history of Tibet from the late tenth century to the present. He has been a fellow at two Institutes for Advanced Studies in Jerusalem and Oslo. His publications include Tibetan Histories: A Bibliography of Tibetan-Language Historical Works, which after twenty-five years continues to be a leading resource in Tibetan Studies, as well as the monumental bibliography Tibskrit Philology.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Wisdom Publications (July 19, 2022)
  • Length: 984 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781614297420

Raves and Reviews

“This book is a treasure and a work of great service to those of us who are fascinated by Tibet's history and culture. Martin's translation—a massive achievement—allows readers to access a fascinating thirteenth-century Tibetan Buddhist history that has become a touchstone in Tibetan studies. The introduction is superb, and the notes throughout the work, in Martin's inimitable voice, include some great insights into this text's many delights and riddles.”

– Brandon Dotson, Associate Professor and Director, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Georgetown University

“Dan Martin’s translation of this capacious history of Buddhism in India and Tibet by the thirteenth-century Tibetan intellectual Deyu is in every sense of the word an amazing achievement. It is a veritable tour de force that has no rivals in the field of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies. Martin’s informative introduction reveals the depth and breadth of his own profound scholarship and illuminates the religious and socio-literary environment of Deyu’s work. The translation itself is simply a treat to read, and the easy-flowing diction of his English makes this remarkable work come to life in unexpected ways. Indeed, Martin’s diction belies the difficulties of the original text and goes to show how impossibly well he is equipped to translate this work. One notices at every step his exquisite control over the subject matter, and the copious notes that inform the translation never interfere with the text. This is a superb accomplishment!”

– Leonard van der Kuijp, Professor of Tibetan and Himalayan Studies, Harvard University

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More books in this series: Library of Tibetan Classics