Tibetan Studies: Past and Present

About the Book

The work "Tibetan Studies: Past and Present" is a collection of eighteen research papers contributed by famous Indo-Tibetologists of present age. This volume include articles on Literature, Philosophy, Language, Medicine and history of Tibetan Studies in India. This volume is bound to be an asset for those who are interested in this field.

About the Author

Dr. Narendra Kumar Dash (b. 1960) is the Head of Department of Indo-Tibetan Studies at Visva-Bharati, the famous University founded by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. Dr. Dash is a sound scholar on Sanskrit, Buddhism and Tibetan. He is credited with four books and thirteen research papers. Dr. Dash is associated with various research organizations in India and abroad.

Foreword

Indo-Tibetan Studies have long been a feature of Buddhistic studies programme at Visva-Bharati. Professor Sylvain Levi, the first Visiting Professor of this University, took personal care for the promotion of researches on Buddhism at Santiniketan, particularly on comparative aspects. He encouraged young scholars to learn not only the Sanskrit and Pali originals of the Buddhist literature but also to be acquainted with the respective translated versions in Tibetan and Chinese. After the departure of Prof. Levi (1922) from Santiniketan, Buddhist studies were taken up in our University by Prof. Tan Yun Shan, Prof. G. Tucci, Prof. P.C. Bagchi and many other erudite scholars. It is sheer through assiduity of Prof. Bhattacharya, the Tibetan Studies established itself as a separate discipline and several scholars, from India and abroad, had gathered to study Tibetan language and Tibetan Buddhist texts under his supervision. Tibetan Lamas were also invited to this sacred place of Gurudeva of assist the Indian scholars. Subsequently through the untiring efforts of Dr. P.C. Bagchi the Department of Indo-Tibetan Studies was established in 1954. This Department is an unique center for studies on Tibetan Buddhism and Indo-Tibetan cultural relations, in the setting of Indian higher education system. No other University has possibly a post graduate department for the study of Tibetan language and literature in India.

I am happy to know that the Department is publishing the research papers, contributed by profound scholars in the national seminar on 'Tibetan Studies: Past and present', in the form of book. I hope this volume will be attractive for scholars from India and abroad and it will be hopefully an asset to the academic world.