Abstract
Padmasambhava earns only scattered mentions among imperial-era sources, and yet in later centuries he becomes the protagonist of a vibrant biographical tradition that would forever establish him as the catalyst for the adoption of Buddhism in Tibet. One key mode of elaborating him and his activities was through the introduction and delimitation of eight “names” (mtshan), each of which eventually becomes distinguished episodically, liturgically, and iconographically. Among them, the tiger-riding Dorjé Drolö (Rdo rje gro lod) emerged as a synthesis of tantric Buddhism, earlier devotionalism to Padmasambhava as the Fierce Guru (Gu ru drag po), and indigenous Himalayan religions. By analyzing Padmasambhava’s apotheosis through his names, this presentation seeks to shed light on the syncretism that contributed to a distinctly Tibetan Buddhism in the renaissance period.
About the Speaker
Dan Hirshberg, Ph.D. is Teaching Associate Professor of Tibetan Studies and Associate Faculty Director of Himalayan Languages in the Center for Asian Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he integrates contemplative pedagogy and high-impact learning experiences into his courses. His research centers on cultural memory, the narrative of Tibet’s conversion to Buddhism, and the apotheosis of its protagonist, Padmasambhava, in literature and iconography. His book, Remembering the Lotus-Born: Padmasambhava in the History of Tibet’s Golden Age (Wisdom Publications, Studies in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism, 2016), won Honorable Mention for the E. Gene Smith Book Prize from the Association for Asian Studies
