In an era of environmental crisis, narratives of âhidden landsâ are resonant. Understood as sanctuaries in times of calamity, Himalayan hidden lands or sbas yul have shaped the lives of many peoples of the region. Sbas yul are described by visionary lamas called âtreasure findersâ who located hidden lands and wrote guidebooks to them. Scholarly understandings of sbas yul as places for spiritual cultivation and refuge from war have been complicated recently. Research now explores such themes as the political and economic role of âtreasure findersâ, the impact of sbas yul on indigenous populations, and the use of sbas yul for environmental protection and tourism. This book showcases recent scholarship on sbas yul from historical and contemporary perspectives.
Frances Garrett is Associate Professor of Tibetan and Buddhist at the University of Toronto. She has published on intersections between tantric practice, ritual knowledge and medical theory, as well as on the Gesar epic.
Geoffrey Samuel is Emeritus Professor at Cardiff University, Wales, U.K. and Honorary Associate at the University of Sydney, Australia, where he directs the Body, Health and Religion (BAHAR) Research Group. His academic career has been in social anthropology and religious studies. His current research interests include Tibetan yogic health practices, Tibetan medicine, and the dialogue between Buddhism and science.
Elizabeth McDougal, PhD candidate (due 2020), University of Sydney, has two Masters in Buddhist Studies and Indian Philosophy from University of Sydney and Banaras Hindu University, respectively. She has worked as a Tibetan-to-English translator for ten years and published several articles on the modernization of Tibetan Buddhism.
Preface
âGeoffrey Samuel, Frances Garrett and Elizabeth McDougal
Note on the Locations of the sbas yul Maps
Part 1: Introducing the sbas yul
Photo Essay: The Terrestrial Buddha Realm of sbas yul Padma bkod: A Visual Pilgrimage
âIan Baker
1 Hidden Lands of Tibet in Myth and History
âGeoffrey Samuel
Part 2: The sbas yul over Time: Historical Perspectives
2 Healing Mountains and Hidden Lands
âFrances Garrett
3 Did sbas yul Play a Part in the Development of Tibetan Book Culture?
âHildegard Diemberger
4 Early Echoes of sbas yul Padma bkod in the Lifestory of Thang stong rgyal po
âAnnie Heckman
5 Padma bkod through the Lens of Two Pilgrimage Guidebooks: Walking the Body of Rdo rje phag mo
âBarbara Hazelton
6 âA Great and Small Padma bkodâ: Guidebooks and Individual Journeys
âFranz-Karl Ehrhard
7 Prophecy and Fantastical Reality in Sle lung Bzhad paâi rdo rjeâs Journey to Padma bkod
âTom Greensmith
8 The Shapeshifting Goddess: The Consecration of Padma bkodâs Yang Sang Chu Region by the 20th-Century gter ston, Bdud âjoms drag sngags gling pa
âElizabeth McDougal
Part 3: The sbas yul in the Modern World: Ethnographic Perspectives