Zim Pickens

The tantric Buddhist path of eleventh-century India was increasingly mediated by the figure of the guru. New preliminary practices (puraścaraṇa) prepared the student for the rarified encounters of initiation and esoteric meditation instruction. The more everyday foundational practices (ādikarma), meant for Buddhist householders, also emphasized the role of the guru. This dissertation project begins with an analysis of these two Sanskrit genres, then turns to the rise of preliminary practices (sngon ‘gro) in Tibet. The relevant ritual manuals reveal how innovative methods for worshipping the guru—such as the gurumaṇḍala—were first developed, then refashioned into larger ritual systems. The latter practices played a central role in the development of distinct Tibetan schools and their corresponding versions of the Buddhist path.

The Tricycle Foundation is dedicated to making Buddhist teachings and practices broadly available. In 1991 the Foundation launched Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, the first magazine intended to present Buddhist perspectives to a Western readership. Tricycle soon became the leading independent journal of Buddhism in the West, where it continues to be the most inclusive and widely read vehicle for the dissemination of Buddhist views and values. Scholarly contributions to Tricycle illuminate readers’ spiritual concerns and help them to better understand assumptions that shape and have shaped how Buddhists view their traditions. The Buddhism Public Scholar will advise editors on developments and trends in Buddhist scholarship, vet articles related to Buddhist history and thought, and compose and edit articles for a non-specialist audience.