Specialist in Things Tantric - STS NEWS # 5

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Specialist in Things Tantric

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STS NEWS # 5 October, 1989

It has been quite a while since the last STS Newsletter came out. The reasons are various but include a more than usually busy year for some of us and the desire to send out this Newsletter and an update of the Registry in one mailing. As a result of the long gap since the last Newsletter, there are a number of items to report.

SECOND STS CONFERENCE

Second STS Conference at Syracuse-- The society had a good meeting at Syracuse on October 14-16, 1988. There were a couple of last minute cancellations, but the program was still more than full for the time allot ed. Around 50 persons attended. Hardier souls, not adequately exhaust ed by the regular program, stayed up until the wee hours arguing, talking, relaxing. The site was rustic and pretty. The leaves turned from green tinged with yellow to gold tinged with red during our weekend. And Roxanne Gupta not only did the legwork on arranging the conference, she also provided endless amounts of wonderful Indian food for the participants throughout the entire weekend. The final program consisted of the follow ing papers:

David White, "Blood and Semen in Ayurveda, Hatha Yoga, and Alche my"
Roxanne Gupta, "Aghori Ascetics of Benares: Are they Tantrics?"
Judith Becker, "The Javanese Court Bedhaya Dance as a Tantric Metaphor"
Paul E. Muller-Ortega, "On the Secret Ritual Transgressiveness and its Background in Abhinavagupta's Tantraloka"
James Sanford, "Dakini Skulls, Horse Penises, and Human Vajras: Some Elements of Tachikawa Ritual"
June McDaniel, "Styles of Ecstasy in Bengali Sakta Tantra"
Dwight A. Tkatschow, "Tantric Psychiatric Concepts and Treatment of Mental Illness in the Indo-Tibetan Tantric Tradition of the gCod"
Peter Wanderer, "Methodological Problems Involved in the Psy chological and Social Study of Trance and Their Application to Tantrism"
Francesca Fremantle, "Four Commandments of the Guhyasamaja-tan tra"
Alex Wayman, "A Study of the Mahavairocana-tantra"
Agehananda Bharati, "Buddhist and Hindu Tantrics: An Area of Mutual Non-Recognition"
Joanne Punzo Waghorne, "The Iconic Body of the Saint: An Object for Devotion with Touches of Tantra"
Thomas S. Coburn, "Bhakti and Tantra as Variant Modes of Textual Appropriation"
Elisabeth Benard, "Legends of the Severed-Headed Goddess."

A number of issues were discussed at the business meeting. Among these were possible themes for upcoming meetings. These included some around which two or three persons had already had preliminary conversations and others that emerged hot off the moment. They were not, of course, intended to foreclose other possiblities. Themes that were mentioned at Syracuse were:

Tantric embryology
Yantras, visions, iconography
Tantra, shamanism, and archaic religions
Esotericism East and West
Zen and Tantra
Power as a central tantric motif
Text and (or versus) practice
Religious practice and academic analysis: fit or misfit?

Dues: The problem of paying dues in Europe and India was discussed. The difficulties for Europeans was the expense of transferring funds. In some cases paying the $10 annual dues can cost a second $10 in transfer fees. The most obvious immediate solution to this problem seemed to be multiple year dues-paying, but the secretariat solicits other or better ideas from its European contituency. For Asian members the issue was not only transfer costs, but the relative expense of dues proper. For the moment the society will simply keep all persons in the Registry on the mailing list, but here too we seek advice from interest ed par ties as to better solutions.

Committees: Some of the work of the society was transferred to committees or to energetic individuals. Glen Hayes, for example, agreed to take charge of the Registry. Address changes, notes on recent publications or scholarship in progress, etc. should thus be routinely directed to him. (Dues still go to Sanford, for the nonce at least.)

Registry: The enclosed Registry should be fairly much up to date. In the future we will issue an annual changes and additions supplement and only run a revision of the full Registry every second or third year. (An update form is enclosed)

Occasional Papers: The publication of a journal or some occasion al papers was discussed. Several persons agreed to serve on on a committee focussing on this issue. Namely: Janet Gyatso, Glen Hayes, June McDaniel, John McRae, Paul Ortega-Muller, and David White.

Future Meetings:Timing of and possible venues for future meetings were discussed. A majority of those present favored annual metings, but a strong case was also made for meetings every other year. For the moment it was agreed that we would consider an annual conference to be our normal pattern.

The fact that both our first and second meeting had been on the East Coast of the U.S. was discussed. Should this pattern continue, it was felt that full participation in our meetings would be artificially con strained. In the short run it was decided that we would make extra efforts to draw in greater West Coast U. S. participation. Beyond that, we would like also to more deeply integrate European and Asian participation.

It was agreed, therefore, that the society would make particular efforts to hold its third conference on the West Coast in the fall of 1989. We were unable, in the event, to bring theses hopes to fruition. The society will, however, co-sponsor the "Roots of Tantra" conference which will be held in Long Beach in October (see below).

RECENT CONFERENCES

Esoteric Buddhism Seminars-- The Seminar in Buddhist Studies, a cooperative effort of the Universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus has held two meetings of interest to STS members. On September 15-16, 1988 the Seminar, in conjunction with the Danish Associa tion for the History of Religions, sponsored a conference on "Esoteric Buddhism in Japan" at the University of Aarhus. The program consisted of the following papers:
Per K. Sorensen, "Indian Origins and Early Developments"
Ian Astley-Kristensen, "An Outline of Sino-Japanese Vajrayana"
Robert Duquenne, "The Transition from Exoteric to Esoteric Buddhism"
Anne-Marie Bonneux, "On the Subahupariprcchasutra"
Pol Vanden Broucke, "On the Yugikyo"
John Stevens, "Shingon Themes in Zen Art"
Alexander Kabanoff, "Kangi-ten (Ganapati) in Japanese Mikkyo"
Michael Pye, "Kawasaki Daishi: A Shingon Temple in its Social Setting"
Charles Willemen, "Abhiseka in the Chinese Hevajratantra"

A second conference was held on August 21-24, 1989 at the Samso Folkehojskole, Tranebjerg, Samso Island, Denmark. The theme of the conference was "The Esoteric Buddhist Tradition." Several STS members presented papers. The full program consisted of the following presentations:

Eric Grinstead, "An Early Buddhist Snake Charm"
Christian Lindtner, "The Argument in Santaraksita`s Tattvasiddhi"
Per K. Sorensen, "Padmasambhava and the Esoteric Teachings"
Robert Duquenne, "Dharani Sutra, or the Writ as a Charm"
Anne-Marie Bonneux, "Homa According to the Subahupariprccha-sutra"
Charles Orzech, "Post-T'ang Esoteric Buddhism: the Pure Land and the Ghost Rite"
Maria Reis, "The Great Compassion Dharani"
Ian Reader, "Unlocking the Iron Gates:Japanese New Religions and the Democratization of the Esoteric Tradition"
Kenneth W. Eastman, "Tibetan Tantric Texts at Dunhuang"
Urban Hammar, "Adibuddha in the Kalacakra Tantra"
Henrik H. Sorensen, "Esoteric Buddhism in Korea"
Fabio Rambelli, "Signs of the Void: An Outline of Kukai's Theory of Semiotics"
James Sanford, "The Pure Land Visions of Kakuban and Dohan;"
Alexander Kabanov, "The Basic Tenets of the Tachikawa-ryu and its Underground Rituals in Medieval Japan"
John Stevens, "Esoteric Buddhism and the Role of Sex in Religion"

The wonderful location and the common intellectual interests of the participants made for a very stimulating and enjoyable meeting. In addition, some of us discovered the wonders of Danish food for the first time. They are not insubstantial.

UPCOMING CONFERENCES

"Roots of Tantra" Conference-- Although the Society will not be hold ing a formal conference this fall, we will be co-sponsor ing a meeting to be held in Long Beach, California by the Southern California Seminar on South Asian Thought. The conference title is "The Roots of Tantra." It will be held October 20-21 at the Long Beach Mariott Hotel. Papers will include:

Thomas McEvilley, Rice University, "The Roots of Yoga"
Katherine Harper Lorenzana, Loyola Marymount University, "Early Tantric Art"
M.C. Joshi, Archeological Survey of India, "Tantric Art"
Richard Payne, U.C. Berkeley, "Tongues of Flame: Identification in the Fire Ritual"
Kees Bolle, U.C.L.A., "Understanding Ritual"
Paul Muller-Ortega, Michigan, "Kashmiri Roots of Tantra"

There will also be a round table discussion chaired by Christopher Chappell of Loyola Marymount University and discussion to be lead by Robert Brown of U.C.L.A.

For further details contact Prof. Katherine Lorenzana, Department of Art and Art History, Loyola Marymount University, Loyola Boulevard at West 80th St., Los Angeles, Calif. 90045 (phone: 213-642-3125).

Call for papers: Congress of Asian and African Studies-- Though we will not have a fall 1989 STS meeting, plans for future meetings are developing apace. The 1990 meeting to be held in con junction with the 33^rd International Congress of Asian and African Studies in Toronto, August 19- 25. The theme of the conference is "Contacts Between Cultures" with a focus on the arts. There is considerable interest in some sort of evening performance event. Any volunteers or ideas?. We will have room for three panels of 75 minutes each, which means papers must be limited to 20 minutes. It looks like we will have to register for the parent conference, and information on accomodations will follow when they are available to us. For the moment, send proposals both to James Sanford, Department of Religious Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 and to Secretariat, 33 ICANAS C/O Prof. Julia Ching, Victoria College, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5F 1K7 Canada.

Tantra Occluded-- The 1991 meeting will most likely be held and the University of California at Berkeley. (See Richard Payne's attached initial prospectus.) Beyond that, col leagues at Amherst College have expressed interest in sponsoring a meeting there. Mantra Yoga Conference--. Just prior to closing up this edition of the Newlsetter we received an announcement for a Conference on Mantra-Yoga to be held under the auspicies of the International Centre for the Study of Tantra, Yoga and the Conservation of Cultural Property to be held Nov. 4^th and 5^th, 1989. This conference follows two previous meetings by this society: "National Integration through Spirituality and Yoga and Health," held in June, 1987 and "Kundalini Yoga Sadha na and Impediments in the Practice of Various Yoga Techniques" held in November 1988.

The 1989 conference will be held in the LT-2 Lecture Theater of the Indian Institute of Technology, Haus Khas, New Delhi- 110016. Further specifics can be obtained from C. P. Mehra, ICSTYC, 557, Mantola Street, Pahar ganj, Opposite New Delhi Railway Station, New Delhi-110055 (Phone: 517893).

AAR Program-- Alf Hiltebeitel sent out a memo to members of the Confer ence on Religion in South Asia prevew ing the South Asian panels at the the American Academy of Religion annual meeting which will be held Nov. 17-20 in Anaheim, California. Several of these have import for tantricism.

The "Power and Perfection" panel chaired by Bill Mahoney will comprise the following papers:

Daniel Gold, "The Power of Ayas DevNath"
Douglas R. Brooks, "Power and Purpose in the Srividya School of Sakta Tantrism"
David Gordon White, "Vedhana: Power and Perfection through Penetration in Hatha Yoga and Alchemy"
Glen A. Hayes, "Perfect Shapes and Powerful Substances: Siddha-deha and Sahaja-manusa in Vaisnava-sahajiya Traditions"

The "Love themes and Erotic Imagery in the Quest for Salvation in South Asia," chaired by Ruth Cecily Katz, will consist of the following presentations:

R. Blake Michael, "The Veil of Nakedness: Love and Renunciation in the Devotional Poetry of Akkamahadevi"
Ali S. Asani, "Folk Romances in Sufi Poetry from Sind"
Ruth Cecily Katz, "Make Love Not War: Krishna's Double Life"
Catherine Benton, "Kamadeva in Buddhist Clothing--Manjusri Vajrananga"
Respondent: Vasudha Narayanan

And finally a panel entitled "Jivanmukti" with Bruce Sullivan presiding:

Lance Edward Nelson, "Jivan-mukti and Identity with Isvara in Advaita"
Christopher Chapple, Jivan-mukta in Samkhya and Yoga"
Kim Skoog, "Is the Jivanmukta State Possible: the Perspective of Ramanuja"
Andrew D. Fort, "Liberation While Living in the Jivanmuktiviveka"
Paul E. Muller-Ortega, "Jivanmukti in the Tantra"
Respondent, Patricia Y. Mumme

The China panel on "Buddhist-Taoist Interactions will have a paper by Charles D. Orzech "Grave Competitions: Buddhist and Taoist Rites for Hungry Ghosts" which deals with tantric ritual.

PUBLICATIONS OF NOTE

New Journal-- Many STS members will be interested in the new journal, Studies in Central and East Asian Religions, also spon sored by the Seminar for Buddhist Studies of the University of Copenhagen and the University of Aarhus. Volume 1 (September 1988) contains a number of reviews and the following articles:

Olle Qvarnstrom, "Space and Substance: A Theme in Madhyamaka- Vedanta Polemics"
Jeffry D. Schoening and Per K. Sorensen, "Two Minor Works by Sa-skya Pandita"
Ian Reader, "Minaturization and Proliferation: A Study of Small-Scale Pilgrimages in Japan"
Ian Astley-Kristensen, "An Example of Vajrasattva in the Sino-Japanese Tantric Buddhist Tradition"
Sun Wenjing, "Remarks on the Cataloguing and Classification of Tibetan Classics and Literary Texts: A Preliminary Survey of the Tibetan Collection in the China Library of Nationalities in Beijing"

Subscription to the journal is DDK 115 per annum. Payment can be made to Per K. Sorensen, East Asia Institute, KUA, Njalsgrade 80, 2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark. Payment should be made to The Seminar for Buddhist Studies by International Money Order.

New Book Series-- The State Universities of New York Press has begun a new series of books on Hindu Tantrism which will be edited by Paul E. Muller-Ortega. The series invites authors to forward descriptions of appropriate book-length manuscripts (which unfortunately for those of us in Far Eastern areas is limited to Indian tantra). These can be directed to William D. Eastman, SUNY Press, State University Plaza, Albany, NY 12246- 0001.

Tantric Studies Series-- We received a letter from Dr. Ramesh Paramahamsa notifying us of a pro posed 100-voume series of publications under the series title "Tantriki Granthmala." Four volumes have been published to date: Sambodhi, Guru Darshan, Anvikshaki, and Atma Nir shar. These publications are all in Hindi, but English translations are planned. For further informa tion write Dr Ramesh Paramahamsa, The Tantra Foundation, Post Box No. 8801, New Delhi - 110057, India.

STS NEWSLETTER is edited by James H. Sanford, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and Charles D. Orzech, University of North Carolina Greensboro.