Synopses & Reviews
Gendun Chopel is considered the most important Tibetan intellectual of the twentieth century. His life spanned the two defining moments in modern Tibetan history: the entry into Lhasa by British troops in 1904 and by Chinese troops in 1951. Recognized as an incarnate lama while he was a child, Gendun Chopel excelled in the traditional monastic curriculum and went on to become expert in fields as diverse as philosophy, history, linguistics, geography, and tantric Buddhism. Near the end of his life, before he was persecuted and imprisoned by the government of the young Dalai Lama, he would dictate the
Adornment for Nagarjunas Thought, a work on Madhyamaka, or “Middle Way,” philosophy. It sparked controversy immediately upon its publication and continues to do so today.
The Madmans Middle Way presents the first English translation of this major Tibetan Buddhist work, accompanied by an essay on Gendun Chopels life liberally interspersed with passages from his writings. Donald S. Lopez Jr. also provides a commentary that sheds light on the doctrinal context of the Adornment and summarizes its key arguments. Ultimately, Lopez examines the long-standing debate over whether Gendun Chopel in fact is the author of the Adornment; the heated critical response to the work by Tibetan monks of the Dalai Lamas sect; and what the Adornment tells us about Tibetan Buddhisms encounter with modernity. The result is an insightful glimpse into a provocative and enigmatic work that will be intrigue anyone seriously interested in Buddhism or Asian religions.
About the Author
Donald S. Lopez Jr. is the Arthur E. Link Distinguished University Professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan. His books include Curators of the Buddha: The Study of Buddhism under Colonialism; Prisoners of Shangri-La: Tibetan Buddhism and the West; and Critical Terms for the Study of Buddhism, all published by the University of Chicago Press.
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. The Life
2. The Text
3. The Commentary
4. The Author
5. The Critics
6. The Question of Modernity
Index