Search Results: Religion Asia from Orchid Press

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2015. Memoirs of a 'dob-dob' or fighting monk, trained to keep the peace in a monastic community of several thousand monks, during and after the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959. Compiled by Hugh Richardson and edited by Tadeusz Skorupski. 135 pp.. Reprint. Soft Cover. New. 21.5 x 15.2 cm.

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2000. The autobiographical account of the extraordinary career and travels of scholar/author David Snellgrove, spanning his explorations of Central, South and Southeast Asian cultures over a period of 56 years. 587 pp., 65 colour and 178 b&w plates, 17 maps. First Edition. Hard Cover. New/new. 24.5 x 17.5 cm.

Warminster: Aris & Phillips, 1988. The former kingdom of Ladakh, in the Indian Himalaya, has attracted special interest among scholars and inspired hundreds of publications because it is one of the last regions in the world where traditional Tibetan Buddhist culture survives. This is the first bibliography to be published dealing solely with Ladakh, and includes material published in both Western and Asian languages. Entries arranged in alphabetical order of author's surname. Book block printed by Aris & Phillips; bound by Orchid Press in gold stamped dark brown cloth. 156 pp., over 1,100 entries, index by subject.. First Edition. Cloth. Fine. 22 x 15 cm.

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2002. A study of the Hindu elements in ancient Burmese religion, and their implications regarding early Indo-Burmese relations, based on the analysis of extant religious sculpture and images on cast coinage. An important work originally published in 1912, long out of print and until now, unavailable. 109 pp., 30 b&w plates, index. Soft Cover. New. 19 x 13.3 cm.

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2000. This delightful set of three small books outline in simple, but never simplistic, terms, the life of the Buddha, Buddhist teaching and monastic life in Thailand. The author lived in Chiang Mai for many years before his untimely death in 1995. His views are based on extensive reading on the sources of Buddhism, intensive interviews with senior and knowledgeable monks as well as his own religious participation and observations. The books are intended to give an understanding of and insight into a religion and its practices; a religion that, twenty five hundred years after the Buddha's death attracts the adherence of millions world wide, in Asia and in increasing numbers in the West. 288 pp. (boxed set of 3 x 96 pp.), glossary. Soft cover, slipcased. As New. 15.8 x 10.8 x 3.3 cm (case).

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 1987. Centuries old monuments in this barren but stunningly beautiful high altitude region bear witness to a rich but turbulent past.This book records 40 of the main Buddhist sanctuaries of Ladakh in coloured photographs, meticulously drawn plans and brief textual descriptions. Appendices address the Lamaistic pantheon, the Tibetan calendar and the affiliation of various monasteries with different Lama sects. With a preface by Maurice Herzog, and glossary of relevant terms and symbols. An indispensible guide for interested visitors and a valuable reference work on the monasteries and Buddhist sanctuaries of the region. vii, 134 pp. 63 colour and 39 b&w illustrations, one map. Cover lightly soiled from long storage, but interior still clean and bright (NOS).. First Edition. Soft Cover. Very Good/NOS - cover lightly soiled. 21 x 19 cm..

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2001. This book presents findings of research on a particular form of Buddhist ritual practised by Sakyas and Vajracaryas, the inheritors of the monastic tradition and the highest Buddhist castes among the Newars, the indigenous peoples of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. The author presents an authentic record of a unique form of Buddhist devotionalism and ritual : the everyday practices of the sole remnant of South Asia's once extensive Mahayana Buddhist community. The exoteric liturgies performed each day are described and the relationship of these rites to other elements of Newar Buddhist practice are analysed, in order to shed light on connections between the latter and Buddhist practices elsewhere. A major contribution to the study of South Asian ritual and Buddhist devotional practice. 387 pp., 23 colour and 11 b&w illustrations, bibliography, index. First Edition. Hard Cover. New/New. 22 x 16 cm.

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2006. A sensitively written and beautifully presented photographic essay exploring the lives of a community of Buddhist monks and nuns, young and old, in Laos. The authors' sincere interest was rewarded with candid comments and intimate photographs of the daily routines of these dedicated followers of the 2,500 year old Theravada tradition. The result is a unique record of some of the less obvious facets of the devotees' lives of hardship and joy, as lived in their temple-Wat Lok Pa Luang-on the outskirts of Laos' capital city, Vientiane. 128 pp., 130 colour plates, map. First Edition. Hard Cover. New/No Jacket as published. Illus. by Photography by Ilse Schrama. 17.5 x 24.5 cm.

Trumbull: Weatherhill, 2003. Treasures hide in the temples of Pagan-treasures in part never meant to be seen, enshrouded in the darkness of high vaults. They compose a unique ensemble in the Buddhist world of the eleventh to fourteenth century, giving us a glimpse of a lost splendour, and providing evidence of the major political, religious and artistic position that Pagan then held. Adorning the walls and ceilings of those monuments, they constitute a prayer to the Buddha: to the Buddha as a human being, to his last life, but also to his numerous lives when he was in search of the truth. This comprehensive study covers, for the first time, not only the murals found within temples near the historic city of Pagan, but also those within the monuments scattered elsewhere over the Pagan plain. Following an initial iconographic analysis, the author proceeds to reconstruct the overall vision of the murals within the broader context of the interior spaces of the temples, revealing these monuments as… Read More

Bangkok: White Orchid Press, 1998. A comparison between the seemingly incomparable cultures of Hinduism and Western style Capitalism, juxtaposing the belief systems, ideas and values that comprise the two systems. 204 pp., bibliography, index. First Edition. Hard Cover. New/new. 21.5 x 15.2 cm.

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2003. "The civilization of the Tibetan people is disappearing before our very eyes, and apart from a few gentle protests here and there, the rest of the world lets it go without comment and without regret. Many civilizations have declined and disintegrated in the past, but it is rare that one has the opportunity of being an informed witness of such events." (from the Preface) This revised edition of the classic work on the rapidly vanishing civilization of Tibet traces the evolution of Tibetan culture from its origins to Tibet's fall to the Chinese Communists in 1959 and the subsequent relocation of Tibetan culture and many Tibetan people. The authors illuminate the many facets of Tibetan culture, including the geography of Tibet, religion, artistic and literary development, and contemporary Tibetan politics. In discussing the history of this rich Central Asian civilization, they draw parallels with developments in historical Western Europe as well as detail the… Read More

Warminster: Aris & Phillips, 1980. Ladakh existed as an independent kingdom until 1834 when it became an integral part of India. It has, however, remained one of the few regions in which Tibetan Buddhism and the traditional Tibetan way of life continue to flourish. Professor Snellgrove and Tadeusz Skorupski were the first western scholars to visit Ladakh in 1974, shortly after a long ban on access was lifted, staying there through the hard winter months when the passes are blocked and when the religious life of Ladakh is especially active. This important study focuses on the monasteries of Zangskar and the cave temples of Ladakh. The Zangskar monasteries include Sumda, which is a contemporary foundation to Alchi; Sani, with its Kanika Choten; Karsha and Dzongkhul. Many of the monasteries of Central Ladakh were built upon the sites of caves where famous yogins and lamas had meditated, but the best preserved and most interesting murals are near Saspol. All these important sites are described and… Read More

Warminster: Aris & Phillips, 1979. Ladakh existed as an independent kingdom until 1834 when it became an integral part of India. It has, however, remained one of the few regions in which Tibetan Buddhism and the traditional Tibetan way of life continue to flourish. Professor Snellgrove and Tadeusz Skorupski were the first western scholars to visit Ladakh in 1974, shortly after a long ban on access was lifted, staying there through the hard winter months when the passes are blocked and when the religious life of Ladakh is especially active. This highly illustrated study presents new material on the history of Ladakh culture and religion, focussing on their rich traditions of art and culture. Despite the passage of so many warring and marauding armies in the past, Ladakh still preserves important traces of that early Tibetan Buddhist period when purely Indian influences were predominant. The 11th century monastery of Alchi, which has remained practically intact is studied in great detail in this… Read More

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2004. In this lively and engaging new work on conceptions ofTibet in Western European and American societies, anthropologist Brauen paints a damning portrait of misinterpretation, trivialization and political and commercial exploitation of a rich and ancient culture. Starting with idealistic adventurers in search of a Himalayan Utopia from the 17th century onward, Brauen's most disturbing portrayals are the distortions of 20th century neo-Nazis, Hollywood moguls and the commercial-industrial complex. The author analyses and describes the cynical exploitation, up to the present, of Tibetan Buddhism--a fundamental objective of which is the elimination of human greed--to further Western commercial aims. Nor does Brauen absolve Tibetans themselves in the use of the more benign, even flattering, of these distorted images as they strive to draw the world's attention to their politically and socially tenuous situation. Illustrations include a diverse and at times shocking… Read More

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2005. Growing interest in tantric Buddhism worldwide has resulted in an explosion of literature on the subject; despite this, there still remain many voids in our understanding of this complex practice, with its proliferation of gods and saints, bodhisattvas and demons. R. H. van Gulik was one of the pioneer Western scholars of the tantric deities, having completed a highly acclaimed doctorate on the subject of the tantric god, Hayagriva, in 1935, with the dissertation upon which this book was based. Soon out of print, it seems that no monograph has since been published on the subject, despite the relatively frequent occurrence of the 'The Horse-Headed One' both in Buddhist practice and in religious painting and sculptured images, across Asia. In Hayagriva: Horse Cult in Asia, van Gulik traces the evolution and migration of the god, from its ancient roots in Hindu belief, through its adoption into the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon, and the subsequent migration of its cult… Read More

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2005. Growing interest in tantric Buddhism worldwide has resulted in an explosion of literature on the subject; despite this, there still remain many voids in our understanding of this complex practice, with its proliferation of gods and saints, bodhisattvas and demons. R. H. van Gulik was one of the pioneer Western scholars of the tantric deities, having completed a highly acclaimed doctorate on the subject of the tantric god, Hayagriva, in 1935, with the dissertation upon which this book was based. Soon out of print, it seems that no monograph has since been published on the subject, despite the relatively frequent occurrence of the 'The Horse-Headed One' both in Buddhist practice and in religious painting and sculptured images, across Asia. In Hayagriva: Horse Cult in Asia, van Gulik traces the evolution and migration of the god, from its ancient roots in Hindu belief, through its adoption into the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon, and the subsequent migration of its cult… Read More

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2004. This volume provides a comprehensive survey of Indian Buddhism and its subsequent establishment in Tibet, where it was transferred more or less complete preceding its demise in northern India in the thirteenth century AD. It is especially informative on the tantric period of Buddhist theory and practice from the eighth to the thirteenth centuries, but also deals at length with the earlier evolution of Buddhist doctrines, the 'Three Turnings of the Wheel', during the first thousand years. Thereafter, the author deals mainly with the Buddhist conversion of Tibet. He emphasizes the great importance played by the kingdoms of Central Asia along the ancient Silk Route in the gradual process of Tibetan conversion. Acknowledging his debt to other scholars of this little-known part of the world, Professor Snellgrove draws upon original sources to illustrate the cultural changes that came over Tibet as a result of its rule from the seventh to ninth centuries of an extensive… Read More

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2016. This volume provides a comprehensive survey of Indian Buddhism and its subsequent establishment in Tibet, where it was transferred more or less complete preceding its demise in northern India in the thirteenth century AD. It is especially informative on the tantric period of Buddhist theory and practice from the eighth to the thirteenth centuries, but also deals at length with the earlier evolution of Buddhist doctrines, the 'Three Turnings of the Wheel', during the first thousand years. Thereafter, the author deals mainly with the Buddhist conversion of Tibet. He emphasizes the great importance played by the kingdoms of Central Asia along the ancient Silk Route in the gradual process of Tibetan conversion. Acknowledging his debt to other scholars of this little-known part of the world, Professor Snellgrove draws upon original sources to illustrate the cultural changes that came over Tibet as a result of its rule from the seventh to ninth centuries of an extensive… Read More

Kathmandu: Bibliotheca Himalayica, 2003. In this new edition of his travalogue of an exploratory trek through western Nepal in 1952, the legendary linguist and Tibetologist, Giuseppi Tucci, describes his experiences and discoveries as the first 20th century western scholar to travel through the region. His account preserves an invaluable record of the art, culture, social and religious practices of the inhabitants of Mustang, prior to the inevitable changes that have since occurred, with the intrusion of the modern world and regional politics into this ancient land. 253 pp., 80 b&w plates, 1 map. A new/unread copy.. Second edition. Soft Cover. New. 24 x 18 cm.

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2003. An excellent source for anyone who is interested in a brief account of the history and culture of this once great empire. The author, a renowned scholar of Buddhist Central Asia, turned his attentions to SE Asia following his retirement from the University of London. During subsequent years in Cambodia, he has travelled widely in the country and also visited many of the archaeological sites in Thailand that bear witness to the vast extent of the Khmer civilization. In addition, driven by his well known intellectual curiosity and seemingly boundless energy, Snellgrove has read widely in order to place the many sites described in their proper historical perspective. 163 pp., 84 colour and 2 b&w plates, 5 maps, glossary, bibliography, index. New printing with corrections to the original edition. A new/unread copy.. First edition, corrected. Soft Cover. New. 23 x 12.7 cm.