the_dead_and_their_stories_preliminary_remarks

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1、77BrandonDotsonTheDeadandTheirStories:PreliminaryRemarksonthePlaceofNarrativeinTibetanReligionAnexplicitfocusonan“intermediateperiod”callsone’sattentionto1continuitiesbetweenthe“earlier”andthe“later”periods.Paradoxically,italsoforcesonetoapproachindividualproblemsfromm

2、oreofalongueduréeperspectiveinordertodefinewhere,exactly,thedifferencesbetween“early,”“intermediate,”and“later”lie.Thisisonereasonthattheconceitofthebardarrecommendsitself,alongsideotherproductiveandjustifiableperiodizationsofTibet’shistory,asaheuristicdeviceforexplori

3、nghistoricalissues.Thisarticleapproachesonesuchissue–thatoftheplaceofnarrativeinTibetanreligion.AsCathyCantwellandRobMayer(2008)havepointedoutintheirdiscussionofverysimilarissuesinconnectionwithDunhuangmaterialsconcerningPadmasambhava,thenarrativeelementthatappearstobe

4、socrucialinearlyTibetannon-Buddhistritualtextsisfarlessimportant–thoughbynomeansabsent–intheIndianBuddhistritualsthatTibetassimilated.Thegeneralpicturethatemergesisoneofaprocessbywhichthenarrativeele-mentdecreasedinimportanceasBuddhismcametodominateTibetanritualpractic

5、es.CantwellandMayerhavedescribedoneaspectofthisprocessthatwasparticularlyrelevanttotheculturaltransformationandsocialupheavalofthe“intermediateperiod,”namely,theindigenizationofBuddhismby,amongotherthings,infusingBuddhistritualwithnarrativesresemblingthosethatoftenacco

6、mpanynon-BuddhistTibetanrituals.Theselatternarrativesoftentaketheformoftales,whicharethenrelatedtoaconcurrentorsubsequentritualperformance.ItisforthisreasonthatIrefertothemas“ritualantecedenttales”(Dotson2008).Ritualantecedenttalesenjoyedacentralroleinapivotalarenaforr

7、itualcompetitioninearlyTibet:funeralrites.Throughfuneralritesandthe1Itakethisopportunitytoexpressmygratitudetotheconferenceorganizersforarrangingsuchasuccessfulconferenceandforkindlyhostingtheparticipants.IgratefullyacknowledgethesupportoftheAlexandervonHumboldtFoundat

8、ionandtheGermanFederalMinistryofEducationandResearch,whosupportmycurrentresearchproject,“KingshipandReligioninTibet.”