Mission to Tibet
The Extraordinary Eighteenth Century Account of Father Ippolito Desideri S.J.
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| Author(s) : Sweet, Michael and edited by Leonard Zwilling |
| Publishers Price : £25.99 |
| Wisdom Price : £17.41(save 33%)
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| ISBN : 0861716760 | | EAN : 9780861716760 | | Cover : Paperback | | Pages : 800 | | Size : 230 x 154mm | | Publisher : Wisdom Publications | | Published : 2010 |
Category : Buddhism and Christianity
Category 2 : Tibet: Land and Culture
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Synopsis:
When Ippolito Desideri's Historical Notices of Tibet (Notizie Istoriche del Tibet) first appeared in an abridged English translation in 1932, it was soon recognized as a classic for its richly detailed descriptions of Tibetan social, cultural, and religious life. The Italian missionary was most notably the first Westerner to learn about Buddhism directly with Tibetan scholars and from a study of its primary texts. He was also an eyewitness to some of the most tumultuous events in Tibet's history, of which he left us a vivid and dramatic account. Unfortunately the earlier translation omitted, truncated, or paraphrased much of Desideri's text, especially his comprehensive treatment of Tibetan religion and key Buddhist concepts such as emptiness and rebirth together with their philosophical and ethical implications. The present unabridged and engrossing full English translation redresses those omissions. Richly annotated, it also includes an introduction situating the work in the context of Desideri's life and his intellectual and religious milieu.
"Michael Sweet's research is quietly reshaping the understanding of Desideri and, more importantly, making it accessible to general readers...That Mission to Tibet provides a rip-roaring adventure, political intrigue, and a window onto a long-lost Tibet only adds to the pleasure of reading this new translation." Trent Pomplun, author of Jesuit on the Roof of the World.
"Of all the Roman Catholic missionaries to Asia, the Italian Jesuit Ippolito Desideri (1684-1733) was perhaps the most remarkable. Despite his fervent hope of converting Tibet to the Christian faith, he was in important ways the first Western scholar of Tibetan Buddhism, translating Buddhist texts into Italian and writing scholarly tomes in Tibetan, complete with quotations from Nagarjuna. Mission to Tibet offers the first complete English translation of Desideri's captivating account of his sojourn in Tibet." Donald Lopez.
"Desideri was more than merely a determined and subtle opponent of a religion not his won; he was also a perceptive scholar of Tibetan doctrine, an amazing linguist, and a fascinating travel writer. Sweet has captured his essence in this commanding work. Everyone with an interest in Tibet, Tibetan Buddhism, world history, and world religion will enjoy this wonder-filled account of Desideri's pioneering adventure, intimately detailed from Rome to Lhasa and back." Jeffery Hopkins. |
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