Creating the Universe
Author | : Eric Huntington |
Publisher | : University of Washington Press |
Total Pages | : 296 |
Release | : 2019-01-20 |
ISBN-10 | : 9780295744070 |
ISBN-13 | : 0295744073 |
Rating | : 4/5 (70 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: Buddhist representations of the cosmos across nearly two thousand years of history in Tibet, Nepal, and India show that cosmology is a rich language for the expression of diverse religious ideas, with cosmological thinking at the center of Buddhist thought, art, and practice. In�Creating the Universe,�Eric Huntington presents examples of visual art and architecture, primary texts, ritual ideologies, and material practices�accompanied by extensive explanatory diagrams�to reveal the immense complexity of cosmological thinking in Himalayan Buddhism. Employing comparisons across function, medium, culture, and history, he exposes cosmology as a fundamental mode of engagement with numerous aspects of religion, from preliminary lessons to the highest rituals for enlightenment. This wide-ranging work will interest scholars and students of many fields, including Buddhist studies, religious studies, art history, and area studies.