Field Research on the History of Tibetan Religion (Library of the Centuries)

Author: Li Anzai
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-05-01
Features: The author traveled from the occupied Beijing to the Northwest, and after overcoming numerous difficulties and obstacles, conducted an extensive field study in the Gannan Tibetan area. He spent over three years investigating Labrang Monastery, one of the six major monasteries of the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism, and gathered a wealth of materials. These were compiled into Field Research on the History of Tibetan Religion, which is widely regarded both domestically and internationally as a masterpiece of Tibetan religious history research based on field investigations and social surveys (as quoted in the preface by Lei Jieqiong). The book introduces the cultural background and historical overview of Tibetan culture, with a focus on Tibetan beliefs before the adoption of Buddhism and early Buddhism; the Gelugpa sect—reformative or ruling Buddhism; and the Gelugpa monasteries—Labrang Monastery. Although this work was written half a century ago, it marks the beginning of field studies on Tibetan Buddhism in China and represents the academic standards of its time.