Glimpses of The Oral History of Tibetan Studies

Authors

  • Renée Ford University of North Carolina
  • Rachael Griffiths Austrian Academy of Sciences
  • Anna Sehnalova University of Oxford/Columbia University
  • Daniel Wojahn University of Oxford

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/bsrv.21197

Keywords:

Tibetan and Himalayan Studies, Buddhist Studies, Oral History, Online Archive, Intellectual History

Abstract

The Oral History of Tibetan Studies (OHTS) project collects memories of individuals who have contributed to the formation of Tibetan Studies as an independent academic discipline in the second half of the twentieth century. Through interview recordings, it explores two aspects: the development of the discipline itself, and the distinctive life-stories of the individuals involved. The project includes scholars and academics, Tibetan teachers and traditional scholars, artists, photographers, book publishers, and sponsors. The oral testimonies also provide crucial information on related academic fields, such as Buddhist and Religious Studies, Anthropology, and Asian Studies more generally, and present a kaleidoscope of broader social, cultural, and educational developments. Of particular interest is the interconnection with Buddhist Studies, as exemplified in the UK and through links with the International Association of Buddhist Studies. This report aims to introduce the project, its open access online archive, and future plans.

Author Biographies

  • Renée Ford, University of North Carolina

    Renée Ford is a Lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina. She received her Ph.D. in the religion department at Rice University with a dissertation on the role of devotion and faith in the Nyingma tradition. Her research interests include religious contemplative practices, Buddhist epistemology, and the role of devotion in Tibetan tantric texts.

  • Rachael Griffiths, Austrian Academy of Sciences

    Rachael Griffiths is a postdoctoral researcher at the Austrian Academy of Sciences. She holds a D.Phil. in Oriental Studies from the University of Oxford, with a thesis on the life and activities of the celebrated lama and scholar, Sumpa Khenpo Yeshe Paljor (Sum pa ye shes dpal ’byor).

  • Anna Sehnalova, University of Oxford/Columbia University

    Anna Sehnalova is a D.Phil. student in Anthropology at the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on Tibetan cultural reflections of landscape and wildlife, including medical and ritual traditions, and mountain cults within their broad socio-cultural, historical, and modern contexts, and their interactions with Buddhism.

  • Daniel Wojahn, University of Oxford

    Daniel Wojahn is a D.Phil. student in Oriental Studies at the University of Oxford. Building on his training in both Tibetan and Mongolian language his current research focuses on the intersection between these two cultures during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries while concentrating on the development of law in Central Tibet during that time.

References

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Film Interviews with Leading Thinkers & Anthropological Ancestors Project, www.cam.ac.uk>Video & Audio>Collections: https://sms.cam.ac.uk/collection/1092396. Accessed on 15th April 2021.

Generations of Buddhist Studies, https://networks.h-net.org>All Networks>HBuddhism>Pages: https://networks.h-net.org/node/6060/pages/3572157/generations-buddhist-studies. Accessed on 15th April 2021.

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Published

2021-11-25

Issue

Vol. 38 No. 2 (2021)

Section

Review Essays

How to Cite

Ford, R. ., Griffiths, R. ., Sehnalova, A. ., & Wojahn, D. . (2021). Glimpses of The Oral History of Tibetan Studies. Buddhist Studies Review, 38(2), 253-264. https://doi.org/10.1558/bsrv.21197