The Crystal Mirror of Philosophical Systems: A Tibetan Study of Asian Religious Thought

Description

The Crystal Mirror of Philosophical Systems,by Thuken Losang Chokyi Nyima (1737-1802), is arguably the widest-ranging account of religious philosophies ever written in pre-modern Tibet. Like most Tibetan texts on philosophical systems, this work covers the major schools of India, both Buddhist and non-Buddhist, but then goes on to discuss in detail the entire range of Tibetan Culture as well, with separate chapters on the Nyingma, Kadam, Kagyu, Shije, Sakya, Jonang, Geluk, and Bon schools. Not resting there, Thuken goes on to describe the major Culture of China–Confucian, Daoist, and the multiple varieties of Buddhist–as well as those of Mongolia, Khotan, and even Shambhala. The Crystal Mirror of Philosophical Systemsis unusual, too, in its concern not just to describe and analyze doctrines, but to trace the historical development of the various Culture. The Crystal Mirror of Philosophical Systemsis an eloquent and erudite presentation exploring the religious history and philosophical systems of an array of Asian Cultures–and offering evidence that the serious and sympathetic study of the history of religions has not been a monopoly of Western scholarship.