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Larsson, S. (2023). “A Female Body is fortunate": Comparing Kun tu bzang mo’s Songs with the Songs of gTsang smyon Heruka. Revue d'Etudes Tibétaines (66), 68-93
Open this publication in new window or tab >>“A Female Body is fortunate": Comparing Kun tu bzang mo’s Songs with the Songs of gTsang smyon Heruka
2023 (English)In: Revue d'Etudes Tibétaines, E-ISSN 1768-2959, no 66, p. 68-93Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Taking three short religious poems/songs (mgur) that the crazy yogi gTsang smyon Heruka (1452–1507) sang to his female partner and disciple Kun tu bzang mo (1464–1549) as a point of departure, this essay will offer a preliminary analysis and comparison of their respective songs.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Paris: CNRS, 2023
National Category
Languages and Literature Philosophy, Ethics and Religion
Research subject
no Strategic Research Area (SFO)
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-41638 (URN)000982401900002 ()
Funder
Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, P19-0419:1
Available from: 2023-04-21 Created: 2023-04-21 Last updated: 2024-03-18Bibliographically approved
Larsson, S. (2023). A Female Tibetan Mystic Sings about how to put the Buddhist Teachings into Practice. In: : . Paper presented at Theory and Practice in Asian Traditions, workshop at Stockholm University.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>A Female Tibetan Mystic Sings about how to put the Buddhist Teachings into Practice
2023 (English)Conference paper, Oral presentation only (Other academic)
National Category
History of Religions
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-42955 (URN)
Conference
Theory and Practice in Asian Traditions, workshop at Stockholm University
Available from: 2023-08-30 Created: 2023-08-30 Last updated: 2023-08-31Bibliographically approved
Larsson, S. (2022). Comparing Kuntu Sangmo’s songs with the Songs of Tsangnyön Heruka. In: : . Paper presented at 16th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies (IATS), Prague, 3-9 July 2022.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Comparing Kuntu Sangmo’s songs with the Songs of Tsangnyön Heruka
2022 (English)Conference paper, Oral presentation with published abstract (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

Comparing Kuntu Sangmo’s Songs with the Songs of Tsangnyön Heruka

This paper will compare the songs (mgur) of the yogini Kuntu Sangmo (1464–1549) with the songs of her partner and teacher, the mad yogi Tsangnyön Heruka (1452–1507).The songs of Kuntu Sangmo are included in a 73-folio manuscript biography, which was compiled by her male disciple Kenrab Wangchuk a few years after her passing. Being the expressions of a female master’s thoughts, Kuntu Sangmo’s songs are unique, not only for being probably the only extant songs of a sixteenth-century Tibetan woman, but also for showing that a female practitioner could obtain success and high status in Tibetan Buddhism during this historical period. Her songs, and the narrative context around them, provide us with insight into a yogic tradition where women participated and at times had an instrumental role. The tradition that arose around Tsangnyön was different from many other Tibetan traditions in so far that it was upheld by male and female yogis who operated outside of the confines of monasteries. By appointing Kuntu Sangmo as one of his successors just before he passed away, Tsangnyön showed that it was possible for a woman to attain the highest possible position in his lineage.After the mad yogi’s passing, Kuntu Sangmo became an important master in her own right, printing religious texts, attracting a large following, and composing songs of realization. Like her teacher, Kuntu Sangmo declined the prestigious position of being the head of a monastery. Instead, she lived a wandering life, founded hermitages, and spent long periods in retreat. Resembling her teacher, she transmitted her teachings by means of oral instructions, songs of realization, and living example. Kuntu Sangmo’s songs and personal example show that women participated and shaped this ascetically inclined variation of the Kagyu tradition, a tradition where the wandering yogi were venerated and served as a role model.When comparing the twenty-five songs which are found in Kuntu Sangmo’s biography with the approximately twenty-seven songs which are found in Tsangnyön’s song collection, one notices many similarities, both regarding style and content. There are also some minor differences between their respective songs. The paper will investigate these differences and consider if the differences has anything to do with the fact that Kuntu Sangmo was female and Tsangnyön was male.Besides comparing their songs, the paper will highlight the women who are mentioned in the songs and in the narrative contexts surrounding them. It is noteworthy that many of the songs were directed toward specific women who are named in the texts. The paper thus respond to the call by gender historians for a review of the available sources to gather more historical information about women and rectify their under-representation in both the primary sources and in modern academic study. Both the songs of Kuntu Sangmo and the songs of Tsangnyön demonstrate that women, not only participated and practiced Buddhism in sixteenth-century Tibet, but also had a prominent position, serving as teachers, patrons, and even lineage holders.Three short question-and-answer songs (zhus lan gi mgur) that Tsangnyön sang to Kuntu Sangmo will serve as a point of departure for the paper. Since these songs are found in both Kuntu Sangmo’s biography and in Tsangnyön’s song collection, they provide us with a direct intertextual link between the two works, and may thus serve as an apt starting point when comparing and analyzing the material.

Keywords
Tibetan buddhism, gender studies, religious poetry, religious studies
National Category
History of Religions
Research subject
no Strategic Research Area (SFO)
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-40301 (URN)
Conference
16th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies (IATS), Prague, 3-9 July 2022
Funder
Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, P19-0419:1
Available from: 2022-10-21 Created: 2022-10-21 Last updated: 2022-10-27Bibliographically approved
Larsson, S. (2022). Krockar buddhismen med vetenskapen?. Forskning och framsteg (2), 64
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Krockar buddhismen med vetenskapen?
2022 (Swedish)In: Forskning och framsteg, ISSN 0015-7937, no 2, p. 1p. 64-Article in journal (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.)) Published
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stiftelsen Forskning & Framsteg, 2022. p. 1
Keywords
buddhism och vetenskap
National Category
Religious Studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-37985 (URN)
Available from: 2022-02-21 Created: 2022-02-21 Last updated: 2022-02-22Bibliographically approved
Larsson, S. (2022). The Reception of Tibetan Buddhism in Sweden. In: : . Paper presented at Workshop on Buddhism and Theosophy in the Nordic Countries; Lund, 11 May 2022.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>The Reception of Tibetan Buddhism in Sweden
2022 (English)Conference paper, Oral presentation only (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

In 1976, following his teacher’s command, Lama Ngawang (1927-2011) moved to Sweden to oversee a newly founded Buddhist Center. Coming from a Tibetan nomadic background, with little exposure of Western culture, this was quite a challenge. Lama Ngawang’s contribution to the dissemination of Buddhism in Sweden will be explored in this presentation. 

Keywords
Buddhism in Sweden, Tibetan Buddhismen in Sweden. Lama Ngawang
National Category
Religious Studies
Research subject
no Strategic Research Area (SFO)
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-40302 (URN)
Conference
Workshop on Buddhism and Theosophy in the Nordic Countries; Lund, 11 May 2022
Available from: 2022-10-21 Created: 2022-10-21 Last updated: 2022-10-28Bibliographically approved
Larsson, S. (2021). Milarepa Sings Again: Tsangnyön Heruka’s 'Songs with Parting Instructions'. In: Stefan Larsson och Kristoffer af Edholm (Ed.), Songs on the Road:  Wandering Religious Poets in India, Tibet, and Japan (pp. 67-92). Stockholm: Stockholm University Press
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Milarepa Sings Again: Tsangnyön Heruka’s 'Songs with Parting Instructions'
2021 (English)In: Songs on the Road:  Wandering Religious Poets in India, Tibet, and Japan / [ed] Stefan Larsson och Kristoffer af Edholm, Stockholm: Stockholm University Press, 2021, p. 67-92Chapter in book (Refereed)
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: Stockholm University Press, 2021
Series
Stockholm Studies in Comparative Religion, ISSN 2002-4606 ; 43
Keywords
Tsangnyön Heruka; buddhism; religious poetry;
National Category
History of Religions
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-37210 (URN)978-91-7635-139-0 (ISBN)
Projects
Songs of Freedom: A Study of the Religious Poetry of a Sixteenth Century Tibetan Female Master
Funder
Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, P19-0419:1
Note

Bok DOI: 10.16993/bbi

Available from: 2021-10-21 Created: 2021-10-21 Last updated: 2021-12-02Bibliographically approved
Larsson, S. (2021). Svenska buddhister och buddhisminfluerade svenskar. In: Olov Dahlin, Sara Duppils, Jari Ristiniemi (Ed.), Människan i en existentiell kultur: En antologi om Människa-Kultur-Religionsprogrammet vid Högskolan i Gävle (pp. 75-92). Gävle: Gävle University Press
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Svenska buddhister och buddhisminfluerade svenskar
2021 (Swedish)In: Människan i en existentiell kultur: En antologi om Människa-Kultur-Religionsprogrammet vid Högskolan i Gävle / [ed] Olov Dahlin, Sara Duppils, Jari Ristiniemi, Gävle: Gävle University Press , 2021, p. 75-92Chapter in book (Other academic)
Abstract [sv]

Många svenskar har bilder eller statyer av Buddha i sina hem och böcker som på olika sätt anknyter till buddhismen i sina bokhyllor. Buddhistisk meditation utförs i en mängd kristna kyrkor och mindfulness-baserade terapier används i den svenska hälso- och sjukvården. Ett stort antal svenskar tror på karma och reinkarnation samt tillämpar vissa praktiker som är hämtade från buddhismen i sin vardag. Invånare i Sveriges är således influerade och inspirerade av buddhismen på olika sätt, utan att för den skull uppfatta sig själva som buddhister.

I detta kapitel kommer jag titta närmare på de buddhisminfluerade svenskarna och hoppas genom detta nyansera bilden av buddhismen i Sverige. För att förstå dessa personer måste vi också förstå de svenskar som faktiskt är buddhister och även få kunskaper om hur det gick till då buddhismen kom till Sverige. Därför kommer även detta beskrivas i korthet. Vidare diskuteras var gränsen går mellan att vara buddhist och att vara influerad eller inspirerad av buddhismen. Min förhoppning är att jag, genom att lyfta fram svenskar som befinner sig i buddhismens periferi, ska tydliggöra några av buddhismens karaktäristiska kännetecken, kännetecken som återfinns också på andra platser dit buddhismen spridits.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Gävle: Gävle University Press, 2021
Series
Scientific studies of religion from the University of Gävle, ISSN 1652-7895 ; 11
National Category
Religious Studies
Research subject
Innovative Learning
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-34370 (URN)978-91-88145-56-7 (ISBN)978-91-88145-57-4 (ISBN)
Available from: 2020-11-24 Created: 2020-11-24 Last updated: 2022-09-21Bibliographically approved
Larsson, S. (2019). Gtsang smyon Heruka. In: Jonathan A. Silk (Ed.), Brill’s Encyclopedia of Buddhism: Volume II: Lives (pp. 1171-1174). Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Gtsang smyon Heruka
2019 (English)In: Brill’s Encyclopedia of Buddhism: Volume II: Lives / [ed] Jonathan A. Silk, Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers, 2019, p. 1171-1174Chapter in book (Refereed)
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers, 2019
Series
Handbook of Oriental Studies : Section 2 South Asia, ISSN 0169-9377
National Category
History of Religions
Research subject
no Strategic Research Area (SFO)
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-30539 (URN)978-90-04-29937-5 (ISBN)
Available from: 2019-08-22 Created: 2019-08-22 Last updated: 2020-11-23Bibliographically approved
Larsson, S. (2019). Konstruktiv religionskritik och buddhism. In: Olof Franck och Mikael Stenmark (Ed.), Konstruktiv religionskritik: Filosofiska, teologiska och pedagogiska perspektiv (pp. 49-82). Stockholm: Sanoma utbildning
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Konstruktiv religionskritik och buddhism
2019 (Swedish)In: Konstruktiv religionskritik: Filosofiska, teologiska och pedagogiska perspektiv / [ed] Olof Franck och Mikael Stenmark, Stockholm: Sanoma utbildning , 2019, p. 49-82Chapter in book (Other academic)
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: Sanoma utbildning, 2019
National Category
Religious Studies
Research subject
Innovative Learning
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-30541 (URN)978-91-523-5591-6 (ISBN)
Available from: 2019-08-22 Created: 2019-08-22 Last updated: 2020-11-23Bibliographically approved
Larsson, S. (2019). Konstruktiv religionskritik och buddhism. Religion & Livsfrågor (3)
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Konstruktiv religionskritik och buddhism
2019 (Swedish)In: Religion & Livsfrågor, ISSN 0347-2159, no 3Article in journal (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.)) Published
National Category
Didactics
Research subject
Innovative Learning
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-31195 (URN)
Available from: 2019-12-06 Created: 2019-12-06 Last updated: 2022-09-21Bibliographically approved
Projects
Songs of Freedom: A Study of the Religious Poetry of a Sixteenth Century Tibetan Female Master [P19-0419:1_RJ]; University of Gävle; Publications
Larsson, S. (2023). “A Female Body is fortunate": Comparing Kun tu bzang mo’s Songs with the Songs of gTsang smyon Heruka. Revue d'Etudes Tibétaines (66), 68-93Larsson, S. (2023). A Female Tibetan Mystic Sings about how to put the Buddhist Teachings into Practice. In: : . Paper presented at Theory and Practice in Asian Traditions, workshop at Stockholm University. Larsson, S. (2022). Comparing Kuntu Sangmo’s songs with the Songs of Tsangnyön Heruka. In: : . Paper presented at 16th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies (IATS), Prague, 3-9 July 2022.
Organisations
Identifiers
ORCID iD: ORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0002-1320-7073

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