From Sūtra to practice

Hu, Enbo (2025): From Sūtra to practice: the transmission of the worship of the seven Tathāgatas including Bhaiṣajyaguru in Tibet and the Tangut Empire. Dissertation, LMU München: Fakultät für Kulturwissenschaften

Abstract

This thesis serves as a comprehensive case study examining the process of transforming foundational Buddhist sūtras, taking as an example the transformation of the Bhaiṣajyagurusūtra (The Sūtra of Bhaiṣajyaguru, also known as The Sūtra of the “Medicine Buddha” or “Healing Buddha”), into ritual practices within the context of Mahāyāna Buddhism. By analyzing the texts related to Bhaiṣajyaguru, this study aims to understand how a sūtra evolves from a mere textual scripture to a liturgy that integrated practices and liturgical rituals are encompassed. The analysis goes beyond traditional textual analysis, incorporating the ritual analysis from the perspective of Religious Studies, which offers a more holistic understanding of the significance of the sūtra within the broader religious and cultural context. The main contribution of this research is to fill a significant gap in the textual transmission of the worship of the seven Tathāgatas including Bhaiṣajyaguru. The discovery of an Old Tibetan version of the liturgy of seven Tathāgatas is a new find, as it appears to be the only extant liturgy in the Old Tibetan language. This discovery sheds light on the early tradition of the worship of seven Tathāgatas in Tibet and improves our understanding of the complicated transmission of texts from India to Tibet. Furthermore, this study identifies another related liturgy of Bhaiṣajyaguru written in the Tangut language and found in Tangut manuscripts from Kharo-Khoto (lit. the city of black water, in present-day Inner Mongolia, China). This liturgy provides further evidence of the vibrant religious practices associated with Bhaiṣajyaguru in the Tangut Empire and offers insights into the cross-cultural influences and adaptations of Buddhist practices in different regions.

• Dokumententyp: Dissertationen (Dissertation, LMU München)
• Keywords: Liturgy of Bhaiṣajyaguru, Old Tibetan manuscript, Liturgicalization, Tangut Buddhism, ITJ 433, D 3132, Inv. No. 5167
• Themengebiete: 200 Religion ; 200 Religion > 290 Andere Religionen ; 400 Sprache ; 400 Sprache > 490 Andere Sprachen
• Fakultäten: Fakultät für Kulturwissenschaften
• Sprache der Hochschulschrift: Englisch
• Datum der mündlichen Prüfung: 11. Juli 2025
• 1. Bericht­erstatter:in: Hartmann, Jens-Uwe