Generally speaking, this thesis will present a socio-historical perspective on “traditional"
Khams pa hermitism, blended with contemporary data stemming from ethnographic field research. Their connecting historical plane is the activities of religious restoration headed by famous hermits, which occurred in the 19th century and which take place today as well.
After the introduction to the topic of Tibetan hermitism included in the current Chapter One, Chapter Two briefly brings up the doctrines, practices and role models relevant for the development of the Tibetan hermitic lore, particularly in the sgrub brgyud or practice lineages. Special attention is drawn to the paradigmatic function of the figure of Mi la ras pa and to introducing analytical tools, applied throughout the entire thesis.
Chapter Three discusses the distinctive traits of the Khams pa meditation tradition, codified from the second half of the 19th century by the non-sectarian, socio-religious Ris med
48 David-Neel 1971 (1932), Ngawang Zangpo 2001.
49 To name but a few examples: Kalu Rinpoche, et al. 1997; Gendün Rinpoche, et al. 2010, Rab gsal zla ba, et al.
1999.
50 Mullin 1997.
51 Dalai Lama, et al. 1995: 9.
movement. I will present how the network of hermitages, established and developed by this movement, became vital for the construction of the unique Khams pa culture and identity, endowed with the power to alleviate the socio-political predicaments of their day.
Chapter Four addresses the topic of the broad revival of the Buddhist tradition in Khams today, provides its factual background and examines its possible theoretical explanations.
Chapter Five is an essential introduction to the case study itself, to the circumstances of research, its methodology, specific challenges and limitations. In these sections, I also disclose my own position in the field, which helped me gain access to the highly clandestine sphere of the La phyi hermitage.
Chapter Six provides the historical, geographic and doctrinal details necessary to contextualize the fieldwork material. Therein, I present some of my preliminary studies on the previously unknown history of the nomadic Nang chen kingdom, ruled by hermits and fostered by the great political powers of their day. I also briefly investigate the almost unknown ’Ba’ rom bKa’ brgyud school, which contributed to the emergence of the Nang chen as polity and experiences a rapid revival today, especially in the area of sKyo brag, which will be shown in the example of the meditation school of La phyi.
The description of the case study itself begins in Chapter Seven. It is devoted to the environment of the hermitage, i.e. the revival of the monastic-hermitic center of sKyo brag. I list its principal contributors, such as gSal byed rin po che, and investigate how their strategies do not only mirror and directly quote the Ris med era, but also include a number of supra-local, and even global factors.
Chapter Eight focuses on the process of founding of La phyi, as well as on the life stories of its initiator, Tshul khrims mthar phyin and his guru Karma nor bu bzang po. It also discusses the distinction between monasteries and meditation schools, historically and especially today, when the popularity of hermitages is conditioned politically. Moreover, the connection between La phyi and the sKyo brag monastery is presented as an example of two different ritual spheres which may nevertheless engage in cooperation and exchange.
In Chapter Nine I depict the most conspicuous stratum of the La phyi hermitage: its topography, daily life, regulations and community. Especially the physical setting is investigated, since it reveals a great deal about the construction of ritual scenery. This portrait of hermitage’s outer facade is completed with the description of its special relationship with another, similar location of Ya chen chos sgar, whose remoteness from La phyi makes their connection even more intriguing.
In Chapter Ten, I explore the inner lives of the La phyi meditators by accounting their individual stories of vocation. These sections constitute an analysis of the process of renunciation and the role it plays in the social and ritual empowerment of hermits. Special attention is drawn to the final stage of re-connection of accomplished hermits with the society; this re-connection is illustrated via the example of Tshul khrims mthar phyin. A powerful symbol of accomplishing this stage is his ritual garb – the white, cotton robe of a ras pa, which in the reality of post-Mao Khams, is capable of conveying more than the traditional articulations of Tantric prowess.
Chapter Eleven describes the secret content of the La phyi curriculum and its scriptures as vehicles for liberation and transformation. Herein, I explore how their seemingly conventional Buddhist rhetoric develops a specific meaning in today’s sKyo brag. I also discuss the role of texts in ascetic practice.
Chapter Twelve summarizes the principal agents of the La phyi project, their agendas, relations and goals. Moreover, these sections place La phyi in a broader context of the new hermitic movement and discuss its millenarian implications.
Chapter Thirteen closes the entire thesis with conclusions that connect both “traditional,”
19th-century hermitism as well as its revival in the changed reality of Khams today.