View source for Study/The Tibetan Commentarial Tradition: An Overview

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	|text=This article, part of the translators' introduction from the translation of ''The Nectar of Manjushri's Speech'' by the Padmakara Translation Group, provides a concise overview of the commentarial tradition surrounding Śāntideva's ''Bodhicaryāvatāra'' in Tibet. It traces the text's introduction to Tibet in the eighth century, highlighting its rapid translation and subsequent revisions. The study outlines the development of Tibetan commentaries on the text, noting two periods of particular scholarly interest: the thirteenth-fourteenth centuries and the nineteenth-early twentieth centuries. It also touches on the text's importance across different Tibetan Buddhist schools and its role in the Rime movement, which sought to revive interest in diverse Buddhist traditions.


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This chronological framework proves valuable for understanding how the ''Bodhicaryāvatāra'' was received, studied, and commented upon in Tibet over more than a millennium. By highlighting key figures and schools involved in its transmission and interpretation, the article provides a starting point to explore the many  commentators and traditions involved in the diffusion of the ''Bodhicaryāvatāra'' in Tibet. Moreover, it contextualizes the text's importance within broader historical and cultural developments in Tibet, such as the early diffusion of Buddhism into Tibet, the development of Tibetan scholastic traditions, and the arising of the nonsectarian Rime movement in Eastern Tibet. This broader perspective allows readers to appreciate the ''Bodhicaryāvatāra'' not just as a philosophical text but as a living tradition that has played a significant role in shaping Tibetan Buddhist thought and practice.


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		<div>[[Articles/A_Short_Account_of_the_Commentarial_Tradition_in_Tibet|A Short Account of the Commentarial Tradition in Tibet]]</div>
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			<div class="text-80">by ''[[Fletcher, W.|Wulstan Fletcher]] and [[Blankleder, H.|Helena Blankleder]]''</div>
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				|header=Commentaries on the ''Bodhicaryāvatāra''
				|text=<br>Searching for a particular commentary? Click here to browse Indian and Tibetan commentaries on the ''Bodhicaryāvatāra'' in the Library. 
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				|page=Library/Commentaries
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