Yogins of Ladakh (The)
Il libro di Crook mi ha intrigato da quando l'acquistai in una libreria di Leh. Nel 2001 cercai di incontrare l'ultimo yoghi di Shila, vicino a Padum, ma era ammalato. Nell'estate del 2003 giunsi troppo tardi, potei assistere solo alla puja in suo onore celebrata per nove giorni in una casa del villaggio alla presenza dell'ultimo re di Padum.
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When John Crook of Bristol University began research in the Zangskar valley of Ladakh in 1977 his prime intention was to investigate the social anthropology of the area through studies of village life.
In 1986 Crook returned to Ladakh with Tibetologist James Low to enquire full into the social organization, history, meditational practices and philosophy of the yogins who still lived and practiced in the remote parts of the area. This book is a record of the authors' adventurous journeys to meet some remarkable men.
The Yogins were often generous, providing accounts of their training, one of them allowing Crook to photograph a previously unknown text - instructions on Mahamudra by the eminent Tipun Padma Chosgal. James Low's brilliant translation of this difficult work together with that of a biography of the great woman yogin Machig Labdron provides the basis for extensive and original discussions of the meaning of Tibetan Buddhism and it's significance in our time.
About the Authors:
John Crook, PhD, DSc formerly Reader in Ethology in the Department of Psychology, Bristol University, is a pioneer in socioecological studies. In 1977 he led an expedition to Zangskar in Ladakh initiating a series of studies on the ecology of village and monastic life in the Buddhist Himalayas. During this work (see Himalayan Buddhist Villages, J. Crook and H. Osmastoneds Motilal Banarsidass and Bristol University 1994) he became interested in the Psychology of the yogin mediators living as hermits in the high mountains with whom he felt a strong experiential identification. This enabled him to begin a detailed study of the Yogic practices enabling them to survive and thrive under extraordinary conditions of privation and discipline.
James Low, MA, PhD went out to India as a student and at once became deeply involved with religious study and practice. After reading Anthropology with first class honours at Edinburgh he returned to India living at first in the company of sadhus and later moving into the world of Tibetan Buddhism through meetings with lamas then fleeing Tibet in increasing numbers. He studied Tibetan language, literature and philosophy at Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, in Bengal under Professor Chimed Rigdzin Rimpoche a Nyingma incarnate lama who also became his meditation teacher. For ten years James worked with his guru translating many important Nyingma texts (see Low, J., Simply being Duttro Press. London 1994) Returning to Britain he trained in Psychotherapy in which he now offers university training and consultancy. His translations of two important works and an account of his own yogic practice provide a major contribution to this study.
CONTENTS
Introduction
Preface: Hermits and Hermeneutics
Part I BACKGROUND
1. The Lineage of the Yogins
Part II TRAVELOGUR
2. Maintaining the Revolutions of the Universe
3. Meetings with Rimpoches
4. Schools for Hermits
5. The City and the Hills
6. The Geshe of Saspola
7. Return to Sani
8. Light Rays of the Sun
9. A Home of Ancient Yogins
10. The Hill of the Tigress
11. The Precious Jewel of Pipcha
12. Crossing the Mountains
13. Manali
PART III TEACHING AND PRACTICE
14. Teachings of the Yogins
15. Practising Chod in the cemeteries of Ladakh
16. Privacy and Public Knowledge of the Dharma
17. The Meditation Notebook of Tipun Padma Chogyal
18. End and Beginning |
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