Giuseppe Tucci was een vooraanstaand oriëntalist, gespecialiseerd in Tibet en de geschiedenis van het boeddhisme. Hij wordt beschouwd als een van de grondleggers van de academische boeddhistische studies. Zijn uitgebreide werk bood diepgaande inzichten in oosterse culturen en religieuze praktijken. Tucci's levenslange toewijding als onderzoeker blijft het vakgebied beïnvloeden.
This intriguing, thought-provoking study by one of the world's leading authorities on the subject examines the basic doctrine behind the theory and practice of the mandala in India and Tibet, by both Hindus and Buddhists. Topics include the doctrinal basis of the mandala, its use as a means of reintegration, its symbolism, and other aspects of its expression of the infinite possibilities of the subconscious.
Una spedizione fra santi e briganti nella millenaria terra del Dalai LamaNella terra del Manasarovar e del Kailasa, meta di asceti e sadlhu, s'inoltrò nel 1935 una famosa spedizione scientifica guidata da Giuseppe Tucci, spedizione ancor oggi ritenuta importante per aver offerto del Tibet una documentazione fondamentale sotto i più vari aspetti culturali. Infatti il diario di quel viaggio, qui pubblicato in una nuova edizione, mentre dà notizia dei monumenti per lo più in rovina che fiancheggiano con la loro mole deserta le piste abandonate, viene segnalando quanto dal punto di vista storico, religioso e folkloristico attesta la vitalità della gente che abita zone così impervie. Ne risulta una testimonianza appassionata e anche sofferta di tutto quanto concorre infine a trarre dalla dimenticanza e dall'abbandono le misteriose regioni delle convalli himalaiane.
Very little is known in the West about Tibetan Buddhism in comparison with other eastern religions. This is partly because the vast literature which it has produced, and which illuminates its history, is still far from accessible. In addition there exists a deep division between monastic Lamaism and religion as it is lived by the people: the former is fragmented into many schools, while the latter shows numerous regional variations. The first comprehensive account of Tibetan Buddhism to be published in English since Waddell's Buddhism of Tibet appeared in 1894, this translation is certain to become the standard reference work on the subject.
