Papers by Matthew Kapstein
Celebrating 100 Years of Wisdom: Honouring His Eminence Yongdzin Lopon Tenzin Namdak, 2025
Presentation and translation of "The Canon Expounding the Sequence of Vehicles," the root text of... more Presentation and translation of "The Canon Expounding the Sequence of Vehicles," the root text of the Bonpo system of nine vehicles of spiritual practice according to the traditions of the "Central Treasure," originating with the translator and culture hero Berotsana.
Annuaire EPHE, Sciences religieuses, t. 126, 2019
Brief note on an interesting 'Brug pa bka' brgyud manuscript preserved in Paris. Part of my 2017-... more Brief note on an interesting 'Brug pa bka' brgyud manuscript preserved in Paris. Part of my 2017-2018 seminar at the EPHE, Paris.
Connaître Dieu Métamorphoses de la théologie comme science dans les religions monothéistes, 2024
A brief introduction to the Tibetan contemplative and philosophical genre of "Guides to the View.... more A brief introduction to the Tibetan contemplative and philosophical genre of "Guides to the View." This was written for an audience of theologians and published in a volume entitled "To Know God." But that's in fact not quite my theme here - I've never been comfortable with the idea of "theology" in a Buddhist context - and the article may be of some interest to those studying Tibetan Buddhism alone. Pierre Hadot's thinking on "spiritual exercise" is also referenced, however.
Tibetan Buddhism: Reason and Revelation, 1992
One of my golden oldies...
Living Treasure, 2023
A chapter from the autobiography of the 19th century Nyingmapa adept and visionary Khagye Terton,... more A chapter from the autobiography of the 19th century Nyingmapa adept and visionary Khagye Terton, relating his childhood in Amdo and unhappy experience as a recognized incarnation (tulku) in a leading Gelukpa monastery. The essay appears in the volume honoring Janet Gyatso.
Histories of Tibet, 2023
A study of Pelliot Tib. 4216, which appears to be the earliest printed document in Tibetan script... more A study of Pelliot Tib. 4216, which appears to be the earliest printed document in Tibetan script. Offers an analysis of the features of the document and a hypothesis concerning its origins. The essay appears in the volume honoring Leonard van der Kuijp.
Письменные памятники Востока/Pis’mennye Pamiatniki Vostoka, 2022
Russian translation of my earlier article "L'oubli des Russes, An (Almost) Forgotten Chapter in t... more Russian translation of my earlier article "L'oubli des Russes, An (Almost) Forgotten Chapter in the History of 19th-Century Orientalism," on the pioneering work of V. P. Vasilyev (1818-1900). The original will be found posted below.
Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines, 2022
A preliminary study of a collection of early texts of the Bon po Dzokchen tradition, the “Ninefol... more A preliminary study of a collection of early texts of the Bon po Dzokchen tradition, the “Ninefold Cycle of the Secrets of the Enlightened Mind.”
A Road Less Traveled, 2021
Introduction to, and text and translation of, a brief Madhyamaka treatise by an 11th-century Kash... more Introduction to, and text and translation of, a brief Madhyamaka treatise by an 11th-century Kashmiri author.
The Encyclopedia of Philosophy of Religion, 2021
The Encyclopedia of Philosophy of Religion, 2021
The Encyclopedia of Philosophy of Religion, 2021
Gateways to Tibetan Studies A Collection of Essays in Honour of David P. Jackson on the Occasion of his 70th Birthday, 2021
Study of a remarkable, though in some respects enigmatic, portrait thangka probably from early 16... more Study of a remarkable, though in some respects enigmatic, portrait thangka probably from early 16th century eastern Tibet.
Readings of Śāntideva’s Guide to Bodhisattva Practice, 2019
The Guide to Bodhisattva Practice (Bodhicaryāvatāra, hereafter, Guide) of Śāntideva is, before al... more The Guide to Bodhisattva Practice (Bodhicaryāvatāra, hereafter, Guide) of Śāntideva is, before all else, a practical guide for those who aspire to the life of a bodhisattva, an individual whose determining principle is the attainment of bodhi, or spiritual awakening. Not just his or her personal awakening, but rather the awakening of all, for bodhi, in the Mahāyāna Buddhism that Śāntideva espouses, is a universal principle. To become an individual determined by an orientation to awakening in this tradition, one must abandon the personal, self-centered viewpoint that is our habitual condition, in favor of a growing embrace of an all-encompassing vision. But just how this is to be understood is by no means immediately evident. Some puzzling aspects of Śāntideva's treatment of egolessness are at issue here.
Journal of Buddhist Ethics, 2021
Review article examining a recent book in the Routledge Studies in American Philosophy series: Wi... more Review article examining a recent book in the Routledge Studies in American Philosophy series: Wilfrid Sellars and Buddhist Philosophy: Freedom from Foundations. Edited by Jay L. Garfield.
On a Day of a Month of the Fire Bird Year, 2020
The Third Rgyal dbang Karma pa Rang byung rdo rje (1284-1339) occupies a position of outstanding... more The Third Rgyal dbang Karma pa Rang byung rdo rje (1284-1339) occupies a position of outstanding importance both in the history of his lineage and in Tibetan cultural history overall. The present article examines an early print from Ming-dynasty China of his edition and expansion of the JĀTAKAMĀLĀ OF ĀRYAŚŪRA, one of the masterworks of Buddhist literature.
The Other Emptiness, 2019
Presentation of Zhentong (gzhan stong) Madhyamaka thought as developed in two works of major 18th... more Presentation of Zhentong (gzhan stong) Madhyamaka thought as developed in two works of major 18th century figures in the Nyingmapa tradition of Mindroling (smin sgrol gling) monastery in Central Tibet.
Other People's Philology Uses of Sanskrit in Tibet and China, 14 th -19 th c
The Space of Meaning: Approaches to Indian Philology, edited by Silvia D'Intino and Sheldon Pollock., 2018
Survey of key features of the Tibetan engagement with Sanskrit studies during the period covered,... more Survey of key features of the Tibetan engagement with Sanskrit studies during the period covered, with some reference to the reception of this in China as well. The pdf may be accessed via the link: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02190087/document
Unearthing Himalayan Treasures: Festschrift for Franz-Karl Ehrhard, 2019
The teachings of the tantric lineage of the Zur clan, which flourished in West Tibet during the e... more The teachings of the tantric lineage of the Zur clan, which flourished in West Tibet during the early second millennium, have remained a missing element in the history of the “ancient,” Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. While the historical importance of the clan is well known and significant lines of transmission are attributed to it, few authentic works stemming from the Zur and detailing their tradition have appeared. The recent discovery of a major synthetic treatise, The All-Encompassing Lamp of Awareness, by a 12th century successor to the Zur and treating all major aspects of their doctrinal heritage, permits us for the first time to consider their contribution in substantial detail. The present article examines the provenance and authorship of this remarkable work.
Revue Internationale de Philosophie, 2019
On the beginnings of modern Western studies of Indian Buddhist philosophy, specifically with refe... more On the beginnings of modern Western studies of Indian Buddhist philosophy, specifically with reference to the work of Vasily P. Vasilyev (1818-1900) and its reception in Western Europe. Please note that this is the proof version and that there are a few small problems of spacing that remain, though the text itself is substantially correct.
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Papers by Matthew Kapstein
https://wileycatalog.com/the-encyclopedia-of-philosophy-of-religion-4-volume-set-swo4D
https://wileycatalog.com/the-encyclopedia-of-philosophy-of-religion-4-volume-set-swo4D
https://wileycatalog.com/the-encyclopedia-of-philosophy-of-religion-4-volume-set-swo4D