Tibetan Magic
Past and Present
Published on 18. September 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
272 pages
978-1-350-35498-2 (ISBN)
Description
This book focuses on the theme of magic in Tibetan contexts, encompassing both pre-modern and modern text-cultures as well as contemporary practices. It offers a new understanding of the identity and role of magical specialists in both historical and contemporary contexts.
Combining the theoretical approaches of anthropology, ethnography, religious and textual studies, the book aims to shed light on experiences, practices and practitioners that have been frequently marginalized by the normative mainstream monastic Buddhist
traditions and Western Buddhist scholarship, which focuses primarily on meditation and
philosophy.
The book explores the intersection between magic/folk practices and Tantra, a complex, socio-religious phenomenon associated not only with the religious and political elites who sponsored it, but also with 'marginal' ethnic groups and social milieus, as well as with lay communities at large, who resorted to ritual agents to fulfil their worldly needs.
Combining the theoretical approaches of anthropology, ethnography, religious and textual studies, the book aims to shed light on experiences, practices and practitioners that have been frequently marginalized by the normative mainstream monastic Buddhist
traditions and Western Buddhist scholarship, which focuses primarily on meditation and
philosophy.
The book explores the intersection between magic/folk practices and Tantra, a complex, socio-religious phenomenon associated not only with the religious and political elites who sponsored it, but also with 'marginal' ethnic groups and social milieus, as well as with lay communities at large, who resorted to ritual agents to fulfil their worldly needs.
Reviews / Votes
All attempts to define the "magic" concept in the book deliver fresh critical thinking on the matter regarding religion and its applicability as a universal category ... The book is invaluable for exercising our confrontation and transcending stereotypes regarding "magic," "religion," and related ideas and practices. * Religious Studies Review * Magic and Tibet belong together. The perception of magic has been a problem for Western scholars who have not been able to cope with it. The orphan of philosophy and religion is finally treated with respect in this book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in Tibet and the place of magic in it! * Daniel Berounsky, Associate Professor, Institute of Asian Studies, Charles University, Prague * This collection by established and emerging scholars broadens the field of the study of magic in Tibet in unique ways. Instead of delving on general discussions and theory, these essays examine key primary sources that altogether provide a coherent understanding of the practices, functions, agents, and aims of these little understood ritual secrets. No complete works have yet covered so much of the subject as does Tibetan Magic. * Marc Des Jardins, Associate Professor of East Asian Religions, Concordia University, Canada *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
10 bw illus
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
409 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-350-35498-2 (9781350354982)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
03/2024
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic
€31.99
Available for download
E-Book
03/2024
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic
€31.99
Available for download
Persons
Aleksandra Wenta is Lecturer in Indology and Tibetology at the University of Florence, Italy.
Cameron Bailey is an independent scholar, USA.
Cameron Bailey is an independent scholar, USA.
Content
Introduction, Cameron M. Bailey, Dongguk University, South Korea
and Aleksandra Wenta, University of Florence, Italy
Chapter 1: The Zla gsang be'u bum: A Compendium of ritual magic and sorcery, Amanda Nichole Brown, Florida State University, USA
Chapter 2: Magical Results of the Rituals in the Tara-mula-kalpa's Continuation Tantra, Susan Landesman, American Council of Learnt Societies Fellow, USA
Chapter 3:The Vajrabhairavatantra: Materia Magica and Circulation of Tantric Magical Recipes, Aleksandra Wenta, University of Florence, Italy
Chapter 4: The Magic that Lies Within Prayer: On Patterns of Magicity and Resolute Aspirations (smon lam), Rolf Scheuermann, Heidelberg University, Germany
Chapter 5: The Yogin's Familiars: Protector Deities as Magical Guides, Cameron M. Bailey, Dongguk University, South Korea
Chapter 6: Emic perspectives on the transubstantiation of words in Tibetan-script textual amulets, Valentina Punzi, University of Tartu, Estonia
Chapter 7: The Magical Causality of Poison Casting and Cancer among Tibetan Communities of Gyalthang, Eric D. Mortensen, Guilford College, UK
Chapter 8: Is there Magic in Gcod? An Expedition into (some of) the Complexities of Sadhana-Text Enactments, Nike-Ann Schroeder, Humboldt University, Germany
Chapter 9: Trainings for Sorcery, Magic, Mystic, Philosophy - for that which is called "the Great Accomplishment": Alexandra David-Neel's Written and Unwritten Tibetan Grimoires, Samuel Thevoz, University of Vienna, Austria
Afterword, Conceputalizing the 'magical' Tibet and beyond, Nicolas Sihle, Centre for Himalayan Studies, France
Index
and Aleksandra Wenta, University of Florence, Italy
Chapter 1: The Zla gsang be'u bum: A Compendium of ritual magic and sorcery, Amanda Nichole Brown, Florida State University, USA
Chapter 2: Magical Results of the Rituals in the Tara-mula-kalpa's Continuation Tantra, Susan Landesman, American Council of Learnt Societies Fellow, USA
Chapter 3:The Vajrabhairavatantra: Materia Magica and Circulation of Tantric Magical Recipes, Aleksandra Wenta, University of Florence, Italy
Chapter 4: The Magic that Lies Within Prayer: On Patterns of Magicity and Resolute Aspirations (smon lam), Rolf Scheuermann, Heidelberg University, Germany
Chapter 5: The Yogin's Familiars: Protector Deities as Magical Guides, Cameron M. Bailey, Dongguk University, South Korea
Chapter 6: Emic perspectives on the transubstantiation of words in Tibetan-script textual amulets, Valentina Punzi, University of Tartu, Estonia
Chapter 7: The Magical Causality of Poison Casting and Cancer among Tibetan Communities of Gyalthang, Eric D. Mortensen, Guilford College, UK
Chapter 8: Is there Magic in Gcod? An Expedition into (some of) the Complexities of Sadhana-Text Enactments, Nike-Ann Schroeder, Humboldt University, Germany
Chapter 9: Trainings for Sorcery, Magic, Mystic, Philosophy - for that which is called "the Great Accomplishment": Alexandra David-Neel's Written and Unwritten Tibetan Grimoires, Samuel Thevoz, University of Vienna, Austria
Afterword, Conceputalizing the 'magical' Tibet and beyond, Nicolas Sihle, Centre for Himalayan Studies, France
Index