Ulrike Roesler | University of Oxford (original) (raw)
Papers by Ulrike Roesler
This document contains a list of book publications, articles, and book reviews by Helmut Eimer (1... more This document contains a list of book publications, articles, and book reviews by Helmut Eimer (1936-2023).
An obituary of Helmut Eimer has been published in "Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft", Band 174.1 (2024), pp. 13-18.
Hualin International Journal of Buddhist Studies, 2023
Jātaka and avadāna stories belong to the staples of Buddhist narrative literature. While most jāt... more Jātaka and avadāna stories belong to the staples of Buddhist narrative literature. While most jātakas follow a relatively stable narrative template, they also allow for some variation depending on their time and place of composition and the audiences they are meant to address. This article focuses on Tibetan adaptations of the jātaka genre. It begins with a brief survey of jātaka stories translated from Sanskrit or Chinese and contained in the Tibetan Buddhist canon, and then moves on to investigate one specific jātaka cycle composed in Tibet within the Bka’ gdams pa school of Tibetan Buddhism. The frame story is of particular interest, as this is where the Tibetan narrators are perhaps at their most innovative. In these jātakas, the narrative frame is shifted from India to Tibet, and the main characters of the frame story are newly converted Tibetan Buddhists and their Indian teacher. This highly original appropriation of the jātaka genre demonstrates the important role of narrative literature in the Tibetan adoption and adaptation of Buddhism.
Caumanns, Volker, Jörg Heimbel, Kazuo Kano and Alexander Schiller (eds.), Gateways to Tibetan Studies: A Collection of Essays in Honour of David P. Jackson on the Occasion of his 70th Birthday. Indian and Tibetan Studies 12.1–2. Hamburg: Department of Indian and Tibetan Studies, Universität Hamburg, 2021
This paper discusses a donation of objects dispatched from Narthang to Reting in the 13th century... more This paper discusses a donation of objects dispatched from Narthang to Reting in the 13th century, as documented in a letter that accompanied the gifts. The letter provides fascinating glimpses of the relationship between the two monasteries, Tibetan manuscript culture and religious life, as well as more mundane aspects including tools and household items used in monasteries at the time.
"Das alles hier": Festschrift für Konrad Klaus zum 65. Geburtstag, 2021
Building on Jan Nattier's study "Once Upon a Future Time", this article introduces yet another Ti... more Building on Jan Nattier's study "Once Upon a Future Time", this article introduces yet another Tibetan version of the story of the end of the Buddhist dharma on earth. It is contained in a 13th century Buddhist commentary and reveals an interesting blend of narrative strands.
Oxford Research Encyclopedia Religion, 2019
This encyclopedia article from the ORE discusses, among other things, the long-term impact of the... more This encyclopedia article from the ORE discusses, among other things, the long-term impact of the Kadampa movement in Tibet.
The copy-editors of the ORE have not been able to control the hyphenation in Sanskrit and Tibetan words; my apologies for any remaining typographical errors. You can find a better version of the map if you go to the original on the ORE website.
Festschrift Schwieger, 2020
This article discusses the historical and political constellations that led to a Tibetan translat... more This article discusses the historical and political constellations that led to a Tibetan translation and blockprint edition of Basil Gould's report on the enthronement of the 14th Dalai Lama.
Life Writing, 2019
This paper addresses the issue of literary criticism within Tibetan autobiographical writing. It ... more This paper addresses the issue of literary criticism within Tibetan autobiographical writing. It begins with a survey of traditional Tibetan forms of life writing and then zooms in on autobiographies and their specific features. Through an analysis of autobiographical prefaces, it filters out certain recurring themes and topics, such as the modes of apology and self-confidence, the debate whether one should write about one's previous lives or not, and the claim to truthfulness of the autobiographical account. Finally, it addresses the relationship between the autobiographical preface and the work itself by introducing two diametrically opposed types. It concludes that Tibetan autobiographies and their modes of self-presentation are situated between literary convention and personal expression, and each author balances these in individual ways. The choices made are related to parameters such as the time of composition, the purpose of the work, and-last but not least-the individual who is writing.
The original can be downloaded from
https://doi.org/10.1080/14484528.2019.1620581
Brill's Encyclopedia of Buddhism Volume II: Lives , 2019
This article provides an overview of the emergence of the Kadampa movement during the formative p... more This article provides an overview of the emergence of the Kadampa movement during the formative period of Tibetan Buddhism in the 11th-12th centuries.
Unearthing Himalayan Treasures: Festschrift for Franz-Karl Ehrhard, 2019
This contribution examines new manuscript evidence related to the creation of the famous 'Kadamle... more This contribution examines new manuscript evidence related to the creation of the famous 'Kadamlegbam' collection, and to non-sectarian (or perhaps better: pre-sectarian) Tibetan Buddhist transmission lineages of the 11th-13th centuries.
Saddharmāmṛtam: Festschrift für Jens-Uwe Hartmann zum 65. Geburtstag. Herausgegeben von Oliver von Criegern, Gudrun Melzer und Johannes Schneider, 2018
This article investigates the role of Sanskrit and of the vernaculars in Indo-Tibetan encounters.... more This article investigates the role of Sanskrit and of the vernaculars in Indo-Tibetan encounters. It argues for the importance of the vernaculars and provides glimpses of real-life conversations that have been preserved in Tibetan travelogues and biographies.
This article, published in a volume on female characters in the various Ramayanas, gives a survey... more This article, published in a volume on female characters in the various Ramayanas, gives a survey of Tibetan adaptations of the Rama story, beginning with the Dunhuang fragments and ending with Don-grub-rgyal's poetic rendering. It argues that all Tibetan versions except Dge-'dun chos-phel's seem to go back to a Central Asian tradition, which also shares certain features with the Southeast Asian Ramayanas. The Tibetan versions could be described as 'mini-epics', focusing on the heroic story of the battle between Rama and Ravana rather than the romantic story of Rama and Sita.
From Bhakti to Bon: Festschrift for Per Kvaerne, 2015
This article gives a preliminary survey of canonical and commentarial literature related to the '... more This article gives a preliminary survey of canonical and commentarial literature related to the 'dul ba (Vinaya) of the Bon pos. I argue that (a) the structure of the Vinaya is different from that of the Buddhists and thus represents another Vinaya tradition in its own right and (b) that it resonates with the Mahayana and could thus be described as the only existing Mahayana Vinaya.
This article appeared in a volume dedicated to concepts of "religion" in various cultures and lan... more This article appeared in a volume dedicated to concepts of "religion" in various cultures and language communities. My article explores terms for "religion" in Tibetan literature and discusses the implicit understanding of the religious vs. the secular.
This encyclopaedia article gives a survey of Tibetan Buddhist narrative literature (including num... more This encyclopaedia article gives a survey of Tibetan Buddhist narrative literature (including numerous references to primary and secondary material).
Tibetan & Himalayan Healing: an Anthology for Anthony Aris, 2015
This article describes a failed healing attempt from the Indian comedy Bhagavadajjukam, "the Vene... more This article describes a failed healing attempt from the Indian comedy Bhagavadajjukam, "the Venerable Courtesan".
The phyi dar or “later spread” of Buddhism in Tibet is known to be a crucial formative period of ... more The phyi dar or “later spread” of Buddhism in Tibet is known to be a crucial formative period of Tibetan Buddhism; yet, many questions still wait to be answered: How did Tibetan Buddhist teachers of this time approach the Buddhist scriptures? Did they quote from books or from memory? Did they study Buddhism through original Sūtras or exegetical literature? To what degree was the text of the scriptures fixed and standardised before the Bka’ ’gyur and the Bstan ’gyur were compiled?
In search for some answers to questions such as these, the present article focuses on the gzhung pa or “scriptural tradition” of the Bka’-gdams-pa school of Tibetan Buddhism. Their works contain quotations from the Indian Buddhist scriptures that sometimes differ markedly from the mainstream editions of the Bka’ ’gyur and Bstan ’gyur. There are several possible reasons for such discrepancies: The Tibetan authors might be quoting a different Tibetan translation that was later discarded by the redactors of the Tibetan canon; they might be quoting from a secondary source such as a commentary or Buddhist anthology; or they might be quoting from memory, changing the text either deliberately or by accident. Giving examples from works of the early Bka’-gdams-pa masters this article discusses how textual deviations from the canonical versions can be explained. It will thereby give some insights into the way the Indian Buddhist scriptures were studied and transmitted in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition around the 11th-13th centuries.
Narrative Pattern and Genre in Hagiographic Life Writing, 2014
This document contains a list of book publications, articles, and book reviews by Helmut Eimer (1... more This document contains a list of book publications, articles, and book reviews by Helmut Eimer (1936-2023).
An obituary of Helmut Eimer has been published in "Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft", Band 174.1 (2024), pp. 13-18.
Hualin International Journal of Buddhist Studies, 2023
Jātaka and avadāna stories belong to the staples of Buddhist narrative literature. While most jāt... more Jātaka and avadāna stories belong to the staples of Buddhist narrative literature. While most jātakas follow a relatively stable narrative template, they also allow for some variation depending on their time and place of composition and the audiences they are meant to address. This article focuses on Tibetan adaptations of the jātaka genre. It begins with a brief survey of jātaka stories translated from Sanskrit or Chinese and contained in the Tibetan Buddhist canon, and then moves on to investigate one specific jātaka cycle composed in Tibet within the Bka’ gdams pa school of Tibetan Buddhism. The frame story is of particular interest, as this is where the Tibetan narrators are perhaps at their most innovative. In these jātakas, the narrative frame is shifted from India to Tibet, and the main characters of the frame story are newly converted Tibetan Buddhists and their Indian teacher. This highly original appropriation of the jātaka genre demonstrates the important role of narrative literature in the Tibetan adoption and adaptation of Buddhism.
Caumanns, Volker, Jörg Heimbel, Kazuo Kano and Alexander Schiller (eds.), Gateways to Tibetan Studies: A Collection of Essays in Honour of David P. Jackson on the Occasion of his 70th Birthday. Indian and Tibetan Studies 12.1–2. Hamburg: Department of Indian and Tibetan Studies, Universität Hamburg, 2021
This paper discusses a donation of objects dispatched from Narthang to Reting in the 13th century... more This paper discusses a donation of objects dispatched from Narthang to Reting in the 13th century, as documented in a letter that accompanied the gifts. The letter provides fascinating glimpses of the relationship between the two monasteries, Tibetan manuscript culture and religious life, as well as more mundane aspects including tools and household items used in monasteries at the time.
"Das alles hier": Festschrift für Konrad Klaus zum 65. Geburtstag, 2021
Building on Jan Nattier's study "Once Upon a Future Time", this article introduces yet another Ti... more Building on Jan Nattier's study "Once Upon a Future Time", this article introduces yet another Tibetan version of the story of the end of the Buddhist dharma on earth. It is contained in a 13th century Buddhist commentary and reveals an interesting blend of narrative strands.
Oxford Research Encyclopedia Religion, 2019
This encyclopedia article from the ORE discusses, among other things, the long-term impact of the... more This encyclopedia article from the ORE discusses, among other things, the long-term impact of the Kadampa movement in Tibet.
The copy-editors of the ORE have not been able to control the hyphenation in Sanskrit and Tibetan words; my apologies for any remaining typographical errors. You can find a better version of the map if you go to the original on the ORE website.
Festschrift Schwieger, 2020
This article discusses the historical and political constellations that led to a Tibetan translat... more This article discusses the historical and political constellations that led to a Tibetan translation and blockprint edition of Basil Gould's report on the enthronement of the 14th Dalai Lama.
Life Writing, 2019
This paper addresses the issue of literary criticism within Tibetan autobiographical writing. It ... more This paper addresses the issue of literary criticism within Tibetan autobiographical writing. It begins with a survey of traditional Tibetan forms of life writing and then zooms in on autobiographies and their specific features. Through an analysis of autobiographical prefaces, it filters out certain recurring themes and topics, such as the modes of apology and self-confidence, the debate whether one should write about one's previous lives or not, and the claim to truthfulness of the autobiographical account. Finally, it addresses the relationship between the autobiographical preface and the work itself by introducing two diametrically opposed types. It concludes that Tibetan autobiographies and their modes of self-presentation are situated between literary convention and personal expression, and each author balances these in individual ways. The choices made are related to parameters such as the time of composition, the purpose of the work, and-last but not least-the individual who is writing.
The original can be downloaded from
https://doi.org/10.1080/14484528.2019.1620581
Brill's Encyclopedia of Buddhism Volume II: Lives , 2019
This article provides an overview of the emergence of the Kadampa movement during the formative p... more This article provides an overview of the emergence of the Kadampa movement during the formative period of Tibetan Buddhism in the 11th-12th centuries.
Unearthing Himalayan Treasures: Festschrift for Franz-Karl Ehrhard, 2019
This contribution examines new manuscript evidence related to the creation of the famous 'Kadamle... more This contribution examines new manuscript evidence related to the creation of the famous 'Kadamlegbam' collection, and to non-sectarian (or perhaps better: pre-sectarian) Tibetan Buddhist transmission lineages of the 11th-13th centuries.
Saddharmāmṛtam: Festschrift für Jens-Uwe Hartmann zum 65. Geburtstag. Herausgegeben von Oliver von Criegern, Gudrun Melzer und Johannes Schneider, 2018
This article investigates the role of Sanskrit and of the vernaculars in Indo-Tibetan encounters.... more This article investigates the role of Sanskrit and of the vernaculars in Indo-Tibetan encounters. It argues for the importance of the vernaculars and provides glimpses of real-life conversations that have been preserved in Tibetan travelogues and biographies.
This article, published in a volume on female characters in the various Ramayanas, gives a survey... more This article, published in a volume on female characters in the various Ramayanas, gives a survey of Tibetan adaptations of the Rama story, beginning with the Dunhuang fragments and ending with Don-grub-rgyal's poetic rendering. It argues that all Tibetan versions except Dge-'dun chos-phel's seem to go back to a Central Asian tradition, which also shares certain features with the Southeast Asian Ramayanas. The Tibetan versions could be described as 'mini-epics', focusing on the heroic story of the battle between Rama and Ravana rather than the romantic story of Rama and Sita.
From Bhakti to Bon: Festschrift for Per Kvaerne, 2015
This article gives a preliminary survey of canonical and commentarial literature related to the '... more This article gives a preliminary survey of canonical and commentarial literature related to the 'dul ba (Vinaya) of the Bon pos. I argue that (a) the structure of the Vinaya is different from that of the Buddhists and thus represents another Vinaya tradition in its own right and (b) that it resonates with the Mahayana and could thus be described as the only existing Mahayana Vinaya.
This article appeared in a volume dedicated to concepts of "religion" in various cultures and lan... more This article appeared in a volume dedicated to concepts of "religion" in various cultures and language communities. My article explores terms for "religion" in Tibetan literature and discusses the implicit understanding of the religious vs. the secular.
This encyclopaedia article gives a survey of Tibetan Buddhist narrative literature (including num... more This encyclopaedia article gives a survey of Tibetan Buddhist narrative literature (including numerous references to primary and secondary material).
Tibetan & Himalayan Healing: an Anthology for Anthony Aris, 2015
This article describes a failed healing attempt from the Indian comedy Bhagavadajjukam, "the Vene... more This article describes a failed healing attempt from the Indian comedy Bhagavadajjukam, "the Venerable Courtesan".
The phyi dar or “later spread” of Buddhism in Tibet is known to be a crucial formative period of ... more The phyi dar or “later spread” of Buddhism in Tibet is known to be a crucial formative period of Tibetan Buddhism; yet, many questions still wait to be answered: How did Tibetan Buddhist teachers of this time approach the Buddhist scriptures? Did they quote from books or from memory? Did they study Buddhism through original Sūtras or exegetical literature? To what degree was the text of the scriptures fixed and standardised before the Bka’ ’gyur and the Bstan ’gyur were compiled?
In search for some answers to questions such as these, the present article focuses on the gzhung pa or “scriptural tradition” of the Bka’-gdams-pa school of Tibetan Buddhism. Their works contain quotations from the Indian Buddhist scriptures that sometimes differ markedly from the mainstream editions of the Bka’ ’gyur and Bstan ’gyur. There are several possible reasons for such discrepancies: The Tibetan authors might be quoting a different Tibetan translation that was later discarded by the redactors of the Tibetan canon; they might be quoting from a secondary source such as a commentary or Buddhist anthology; or they might be quoting from memory, changing the text either deliberately or by accident. Giving examples from works of the early Bka’-gdams-pa masters this article discusses how textual deviations from the canonical versions can be explained. It will thereby give some insights into the way the Indian Buddhist scriptures were studied and transmitted in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition around the 11th-13th centuries.
Narrative Pattern and Genre in Hagiographic Life Writing, 2014
From the Buddha in ancient India to a nun in modern-day Los Angeles, Lives Lived, Lives Imagined ... more From the Buddha in ancient India to a nun in modern-day Los Angeles, Lives Lived, Lives Imagined crosses time, traditions, and cultures to present fascinating depictions of lives lived on the Buddhist path. Buddhist biographies come to life in many forms; they come from known poets and anonymous compilers; they are told by bards and even enacted by performers; they may also be autobiographies, either public or secret. Equally diverse have been the purposes they have served—as models for emulation, as origin stories for a particular community or lineage, or as narrative explications of doctrine.
This book, a collection of papers presented at a conference at the University of Oxford, presents a multifaceted, multitradition portrait of Buddhist biographies. Part 1 deals with biographies of the Buddha, investigating Chinese and Pali sources and the Sanskrit dramatizations of Asvaghosa. Part 2 contains modern Buddhist life stories, including a rare autobiography from Burma. Part 3 explores the Tibetan tradition, including such well-known figures as Milarepa, Shakya Chogden, and Karmapa Mikyö Dorje. Together, these biographies and studies reveal the rich diversity of Buddhism’s myriad incarnations over its long history and the dynamic scope of its thought and practice.
During the 11th and 12th centuries, Tibetan culture underwent fundamental changes: it was during ... more During the 11th and 12th centuries, Tibetan culture underwent fundamental changes: it was during this period that Buddhism became firmly rooted on the Tibetan plateau and its major traditions originated. At the same time, Tibetan Buddhist teachers and scholars created new and influential genres of Buddhist literature. One of these teachers is Po-to-ba Rin-chen-gsal, whose instructions on the “graded path” to awakening are one of the earliest specimens of the important lam rim genre. Po-to-ba combines elements of Indian Buddhism with indigenous Tibetan elements, such as local anecdotes, proverbs and stories about contemporary teachers, which makes his dPe chos (“Dharma exemplified”) a highly interesting and entertaining source for the cultural history of this period. This monograph contains the first translation of this work into a Western language and provides a detailed study of the Indian and Tibetan context of Po-to-ba’s instructions on the graded path.