Centre for Tantric Studies

The First International Workshop on Early Tantra was successfully held in Kathmandu, Nepal, from 15th to 26th September, 2008, bringing together over twenty-five participants from twelve countries.

The Workshop, consisting of readings in the morning sessions and presentations in the afternoons, was convened in connection with the Early Tantra project, which explores the interrelationships and ritual syntax of Śaiva, Buddhist, Vaiṣṇava and Saura tantric traditions in their formative period.

There were two public presentations, the first given by Prof. Alexis Sanderson (Oxford), summarising his work on ‘The Śaiva Age’, a study of Śaivism’s rise to prominence and its relationship with other religious currents during the early medieval period. The second public presentation, scheduled for the workshop’s closing session, was given by Péter-Dániel Szántó, and discussed various aspects of the Catuṣpīṭhatantra.

• For further information on the Workshop, please see our brief report.

We are pleased to announce an e-text of the Kāśyapīya Garuḍapañcākṣarīkalpa by Kāśyapa. This work in thirteen adhyāyas offers prescriptions on the treatment of poison, particularly snakebite, using various mantric procedures. It belongs to a once-common class of tantric literature, the Gāruḍatantras, of which few examples now survive.

This e-text was kindly input and contributed by Michael Slouber at the University of California, Berkeley.

We cordially welcome such contributions. Those who are interested in submitting e-texts are invited to read our guidelines.

• The e-text: GaPaKa.txt.

Our new e-text is a partly edited transcription by Prof. Harunaga Isaacson of the Abhiṣekanirukti of Jinasujayaśrīgupta, a student of the famous scholar Ratnākaraśānti.

In the Abhiṣekanirukti Jinasujayaśrīgupta treats in unusual detail theoretical questions concerning tantric Buddhist initiation, such as how and why the performance of this ritual is effective. A number of divergent views on these central questions are presented. This unique work has not been published before, though an earlier version of Prof. Isaacson’s text was included in the unpublished D. Phil. dissertation of Dr. Isabelle Onians, and translated as ‘The Explanation of Initiation’ (Oxford, 2001, pp.323–348).

• The e-text: AbhiNir.txt.
• See also other CTS e-texts.
• This is one of several Vajrayāna works being read in Prof. Isaacson’s ‘Conceptions of bodhi in Indian Tantric Buddhism’ class. See our current teaching program for details.