2017 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Research on Mindfulness in Tibetan Buddhism: Philology of rDzogs chen's Canon, Scholastic Synthesis, and Philosophy of Vigilance
| Project/Area Number |
17K13328
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| Research Institution | Kyoto University |
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Principal Investigator |
DEROCHE HENRI 京都大学, 総合生存学館, 准教授 (90712076)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
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| Keywords | チベット仏教 / 仏教瞑想論 / 心の哲学 / マインドフルネス / 正念正智 / ニンマ派 / ゾクチェン / ロンチェンパ |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
2017 marked the beginning of a 4-year project on "mindfulness," which became recently popularized by scientific research on Buddhist meditation. My own research in Buddhist studies aims at elucidating further this cognitive skill in relation to the meditation techniques supposed to enhance it. Mindfulness refers both to the control over one's attention and to memory. It is thus the "presence of mind," and capacity "to keep in mind". My research focus on Tibetan Buddhism and the tradition of the Great Perfection (Dzogchen, rdzogs chen), famous for a type of meditation sometimes labelled as "open monitoring." This first year, I have laid down the philosophical and philological foundations of the whole project, surveying research literature and focusing on a specific Tibetan corpus.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
I have progressed according to the initial plan. I have first focused on an extensive review of existing scientific literature on the concept of mindfulness, especially in Buddhist studies (PAli, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese sources), but also on Western philosophy, psychology and neuroscience to clarify the concept as much as possible. Then I have focused mainly on a pre-defined Tibetan corpus, especially the works of the greatest philosopher of Dzogchen, Longchen Rabjam (Klong chen rab 'byams, 1308-1364). My initial plan was to focus on his so-called Seven Treasuries, but I found also necessary to consider his Trilogy of Rest. During my philological survey, I cam also to find interesting texts by Jigme Lingpa ('Jigs med gling pa, 1730-1798) focused explicity on mindfulness.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
In 2018, I will continue to focus on the selected corpus of Longchenpa, analyzing the different occurrences and meanings of the concept of mindfulness. I have also been invitated to join the "Dzokchen Initiative," a collaborative international community of scholars of Dzogchen led by a world leader in the field, Prof. David Germano (University of Virginia, USA). Moreover, I plan also to the monasteries and hermitages connected to the tradition of Dzogchen in Eastern Tibet (Khams). By combining thus philological study, philosophical reflection and ethnological observation, I intend to fully elucidate the role of mindfulness in the tradition of Dzogchen. Next publications will be an article on Klong chen pa, and then one on Jigme Lingpa. Final stage will offer transdisciplinary reflections.
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| Causes of Carryover |
Last year, I could get extra funds from my Graduate School. Thus it has been possible to save some money from this Kaken project in order to plan this year a more expensive trip to Tibet.
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[Book] A Gathering of Brilliant Moons: Practice Advice from the Rime Masters of Tibet2017
Author(s)
Holly Galley, Joshua Schapiro, John Canti, Geden Rabsal, Nicole Willock, Geoffrey Barstow, Jann Ronis, Michael Sheehy, Wulstan Fletcher, Sarah Harding, Douglas Duckworth, Tina Draszczyk, Marc-Henri Deroche
Total Pages
331
Publisher
Wisdom Publications
ISBN
978-161429-200-5
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