142144 SE Scholastic literature of the early Kadampa (bka' gdams pa) (2021S)

In this seminar, we will survey a selection of newly discovered early scholastic works that were published in the „Collected Works of the Kadampas“ (bKa‘ gdams gsung ‘bum). We will discuss their provenance, context of composition, school affiliation, the genres represented, and the compositional features of the works. Participants will gain experience in approaching texts written in cursive script, in identifying relevant paratextual elements, and in recognizing the structural elements enabling to get oriented in a work. We will read passages from the introductory sections of 11th- and 12th-century Tibetan commentaries on Indian works in various domains (Madhyamaka, epistemology, Perfection of Wisdom, monastic discipline) and compare the structure and contents of these sections, in which authors typically analyze and expand on the opening verses of the treatise being commented.