The Gathering of Intentions: A History of a Tibetan Tantra

by Jacob Dalton

The Gathering of Intentions reads a single Tibetan Buddhist ritual system through the movements of Tibetan history, revealing the social and material dimensions of an ostensibly timeless tradition. By subjecting tantric practice to historical analysis, the book offers new insight into the origins of Tibetan Buddhism, the formation of its canons, the emergence of new lineages and ceremonies, and modern efforts to revitalize the religion by returning to its mythic origins.

The ritual system explored in this volume is based on the Gathering of Intentions Sutra , the fundamental "root tantra" of the Anuyoga class of teachings belonging to the Nyingma ("Ancient") school of Tibetan Buddhism. Proceeding chronologically from the ninth century to the present, each chapter features a Tibetan author negotiating a perceived gap between the original root text―the Gathering of Intentions ―and the lived religious or political concerns of his day. These ongoing tensions underscore the significance of Tibet's elaborate esoteric ritual systems, which have persisted for centuries, evolving in response to historical conditions. Rather than overlook practice in favor of philosophical concerns, this volume prioritizes Tibetan Buddhism's ritual systems for a richer portrait of the tradition.

Genres: Buddhism

272 pages, Paperback

First published March 29, 2016

About the author

Jacob Paul Dalton, Ph.D. (Buddhist Studies, University of Michigan, 2002; B.A., Marlboro College, 1993) is the first Khyentse Foundation Distinguished Professor of Tibetan Buddhism and South and Southeast Asian Studies Chair at the University of California at Berkeley. Previously, he was a professor at Yale University and a researcher at the British Library.

Dalton's research focuses on Nyingma religious history, tantric ritual, early Tibetan paleography, and the Dunhuang manuscripts.