A Secret of the Golden Urn Lot: Chinese Language Autobiography of Arjia Rinpoche
https://doi.org/10.22162/2075-7794-2018-35-1-22-30
Abstract
The paper covers the life and activities of a former abbot of the great Kumbum Monastery in Amdo (China), now the director of the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center in Bloomington, Indiana, ― Arjia Rinpoche. The main content is based on the author’s translation from Chinese of the Arjia Rinpoche’s autobiography Against the Winds: the Arjia Rinpoche’s Life and a Secret of the Golden Urn’s Lot published in Taiwan in 2013. This autobiography considerably differs from the former English language autobiography published in the USA in 2010. It is twice as large and is more detailed and reflexive. The article introduces the book and focuses on the main events of Arjia Rinpoche’s life. Born in 1950 in traditional Amdo and recognized as a incarnation of the 8th Arjia Rinpoche, Tsongkhapa’s father, he lived through the all turbulent events of the Tibetan history and gave a deeply moving and fascinating account of his life in a broader context of the Sino-Tibet-Mongolian relations. Being an abbot of Kumbum and a high ranking official as well, he could not compromise his principles in the controversial selection of the 11th Panchen Lama’s incarnation and chose instead to go into exile. The article concludes that Arjia Rinpoche is one of the most important religious and political figures of Tibet, his role in the modern history of Tibet and Amdo is difficult to overestimate, while his autobiography is one of the most valuable and reliable historical sources.
About the Author
Irina R Garri
Department for Religious Studies, Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies of the SB of the RAS
Russian Federation
Ph.D. in History (Doct. of Historical Sc.), Senior Research Associate,
Russian Federation
Ph.D. in History (Doct. of Historical Sc.), Senior Research Associate,
References
1. Ажиа Гэгээн 2009 ― Ажиа Гэгээн. Цагийг бэлгэдэгч наран чөлөө. Улаанбаатар, 2009. 326 х. [Ajia Gegeen. Tsagiyg belgedegch naran chӧlӧӧ [The Sun as a symbol of time]. Ulaanbaatar, 2009. 326 p.]
2. Аюшеева 2010 ― Аюшеева Д. В. Базовый принцип нравственности в тибетском буддизме // Вестник Бурятского университета. Философия, социология, политология, культурология. 2010. Вып. 6. С. 25–29. [Ayusheeva D. V. Basic principle of ethic in Tibetan Buddhism. Vestnik Buryatskogo universiteta. Filosofiya, sotsiologiya, politologiya, kul’turologiya. 2010. Iss. 6. Pp. 25–29].
3. Аюшеева 2009 ― Аюшеева Д. В. Интерпретация закона кармы современными тибетскими буддистами // Вестник Бурятского университета. Философия, социология, политология, культурология. 2009. Вып. 14 а. С. 5–10. [Ayusheeva D. V. Interpretation of the law of karma by the modern Tibetan Buddhists. Vestnik Buryatskogo universiteta. Filosofiya, sotsiologiya, politologiya, kul’turologiya. 2009. Iss. 14 a. Pp. 5–10].
4. Бадмацыренов, Аюшиева 2017 ― Бадмацыренов Т. Б., Аюшиева И. Г. Буддизм и политика во Внутренней Азии: история и современность // Вестник Томского университета. 2017. № 421. С. 75–79. [Badmatsyrenov T. B., Ayushieva I. G. Buddhism and policies in Inner Asia: history and contemporaneity. Vestnik Tomskogo universiteta. 2017. No. 421. Pp. 75–79].
5. Родионов 2017 ― Родионов В. А. Фактор Далай-ламы XIV в современных монголо-китайских отношениях // Власть. 2017. №9. С. 153–157. [Rodionov V. A. The Dalai Lama 14th factor in contemporary Mongolia-China relationship. Vlast’. 2017. No. 9. Pp. 153–157].
6. Сабиров 2017 ― Сабиров Р. Т. Буддийская сангха в Монголии: традиция и современность // Вестник Московского университета. 2017. Сер. 13 (Востоковедение). №4. С. 38–50. [Sabirov R. T. Buddhist sangha in Mongolia: tradition and modernity. Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta. Ser. 13 (Vostokovedenie). 2017. No. 4. Pp. 38–50].
7. Урбанаева 2014 ― Урбанаева И. С. Буддийская философия и медитация в компаративистском контексте (на основе индо-тибетских текстов и живой традиции тибетского буддизма). Улан-Удэ, ИМБТ СО РАН, 2014. 375 c. [Urbanaeva I. S. Buddiyskaya filosofiya i meditatsiya v komparativistskom kontekste (na osnove indo-tibetskikh tekstov i zhivoy traditsii tibetskogo buddizma) [Exploring Buddhist philosophy and meditation practices in a comparative context]. Ulan-Ude: Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies of SB of RAS, 2014. 375 p.].
8. A Poisoned Arrow 1997 ― A Poisoned Arrow: the Secret Report of the 10th Panchen Lama. London: Tibet Information Network, 1997. 348 p.
9. Ajia Renpoche 2013 ― Ajia Renpoche. Dunfeng shunshui: Ajia Renpochede yisheng he jinping cheqiande mimi [Against the winds: the Arjia Rinpoche’s life and a secret of the Golden urn’s lot]. Taibei: Culture Publ. Co., 2013. 571 p.
10. Anand 2006 ― Anand D. The Tiebt Question and the West. Contemporary Tibet: Politics, Development and Society in a Disputed Area. New York: M.E. Sharpe, 2006. Pp. 285–304.
11. Arjia Rinpoche 2010 ― Arjia Rinpoche. Surviving the dragon: A Tibetan lama’s Account of 40 years under Chinese Rule. Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. New York: Rodale Books, 2010. 262 p.
12. Barnett 1994 ― Barnett R. (ed.). Resistance and Reform in Tibet. London: Hurst & Company, 1994.
13. Buddhism in Contemporary Tibet 1998 ― Buddhism in Contemporary Tibet. Religious Revival and Cultural Identity. M. Goldstein, T. Kapstein (eds.). Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998. 235 p.
14. Dreyer 1976 ― Dreyer J. T. China’s Forty Million. Minority Nationalities and National Integration in the People’s Republic of China. Harvard University Press, 1976. 333 p.
15. Goldstein, Melvyn 1997 ― Goldstein M. G., Melvyn C. The Snow Lion and the Dragon. China, Tibet and the Dalai Lama. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997. 152 p.
16. Goldstein, Melvyn 2007 ― Goldstein M. G., Melvyn C. A History of Modern Tibet. Vol. 2. The Calm before the Storm: 1951–1955. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2007. 676 p.
17. Hilton 1999 ― Hilton I. The Search for the Panchen Lama. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1999. 352 p.
18. Jiangbian 1989 ― Jiangbian Jiacuo. Banchan Dashi. Dongfang chubanshe (Чжампел Гьяцо. Великий мастер Панчен. Пекин: Восток, 1989). [Jampel Gyatso. The Great Master Panchen Tashi]. Beijing, 1989.
19. Mountcastle 2006 ― Mountcastle A. The Question of Tibet and Politics of the “Real”. Contemporary Tibet: Politics, Development and Society in a Disputed Area. New York: M.E. Sharpe, 2006. Pp. 85–310.
20. Shakya 1999 ― Shakya Ts. The Dragon in the Land of Snows: a History of Modern Tibet since 1947. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999. 574 p.
21. Xizang zizhiqu 1984 ― Xizang zizhiqu gaikuang (Обстановка в Тибетском автономном округе КНР). Народное изд-во Тибета. 1984. 657 с. [The (current) situation in the Tibetan Autonomous Region of the PRC]. Tibet People’s Publ., 1984. 657 p.
Review
For citations:
Garri I. A Secret of the Golden Urn Lot: Chinese Language Autobiography of Arjia Rinpoche. Oriental Studies. 2018;11(1):22-30. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22162/2075-7794-2018-35-1-22-30
Views:
469
Email this article 