Quoting Khem Caigan <[log in to unmask]>:
> Once again, let me recommend Beyer's _Cult of Tara_ for a
> good discussion of Tibetan Theurgy and the broad extent of
> its Magical applications - everything from healing people
> to murdering people <for their own good, of course - they
> are sent along to More Fortunate incarnations>.
> <snipped>
Khem is absolutely right about this. Beyer unambiguously sets out the
magical side of Tibetan Buddhism, indeed emphasises it.
But his book was published 32 years ago (1973) and since then (as far as
I'm aware) virtually no one has even *mentioned* the word 'magic' in
association with Tibetan Buddhism, at least in scholarly work. The
notable exception of Geoffrey Samuel has already been mentioned, but I'd
really like to know if anyone could come up with a new reference, within
say the last ten years, to academic work specifically linking Tibetan
Buddhist practice with magic. I haven't been able to find one. (I do
have Brennan's _Magical Techniques of Tibet_, but I'm not sure I'd
qualify it as 'academic' although it's interesting.)
Margaret
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