Statement:
The discipline of Tibetan
Buddhist Studies in the United States has shifted its focus over the
last three decades. Beginning as a project that was concerned principally
with the study of philosophical texts, and relying almost exclusively
on emic, or tradition-centered, interpretive schemes, the field
has broadened its scope considerably. Today, scholars are still concerned
with philosophical texts, but also with the ritual, historiographical
and visionary literature, with the oral texts in which Tibetans describe
their lives and daily practices, and with the material aspects of
Tibetan religious culture. The way of understanding this material
has also shifted, as Tibetologists draw on a wide array of theoretical
models and hermeneutical tools: from comparison to Continental thought
to gender studies and queer theory. In my studies, I am interested
in bringing these contemporary, Western approaches to understanding
religion into conversation with indigenous Tibetan theory. My goal,
in part, is to demonstrate the richness and sophistication of the
Tibetan intellectual tradition, a richness that goes beyond Tibet's
mere use as a datum.
Recent
Publications:
- Freedom
From Extremes: Gorampa's "Distinguishing the Views" and
the Polemics of Emptiness, Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2006.
- "The
Discipline and Its Other," Journal of the American Academy
of Religion, vol. 74, no. 1 (2006).
- "Two Views on the
Svatantrika/Prasangika Distinction in 14th century Tibet,"
in G. Dreyfus and S. McClintock, eds., The
Svatantrika/Prasangika Distinction: What Difference Does a Difference
Make? (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2003).
-
Identity and the Politics of Scholarship in the Study of Religion
[NY: Routledge, 2004], co-edited with Sheila Greeve Davaney.
- "Two Views of the
Svatantrika/Prasangika Distinction in Fourteenth Century Tibet,"
in Georges B. J. Dreyfus and Sara L. McClintock, eds., The Svatantrika/Prasangika
Distinction: What Difference Does a Difference Make? [Boston: Wisdom,
2003].
- "Buddhism and Science:
On the Nature of the Dialogue," in Alan Wallace, ed., Buddhism
and Science: Breaking New Ground [NY: Columbia University Press,
2003].
- "Authorship and
Literary Production in Classical Buddhist Tibet," in Guy Newland,
ed., Changing Minds: Contributions to the Study of Buddhism and
Tibet in Honor of Jeffrey Hopkins. [Ithaca: Snow Lion, 2001].
Current/Planned
Research/Projects:
- I am currently working
on two books: (1) a book on Buddhism and sexuality in the Indo-Tibetan
tradition that will focus on questions of sexual ethics and "deviant"
sexualities, and (2) a study of the commodification of Tibetan religion
and culture, tentatively entitled Consuming Tibet. I am also the
principal investigator for the Sera
Project, an interdisciplinary digital initiative whose goal
it is to document Buddhist monastic life in one of Tibet's great
monasteries.
Courses
Taught:
Undergraduate:
- RS 31: Religions of
Tibet
- RS 135: Readings in
Tibetan Texts
- RS 171: The Schools
of Tibetan Buddhism
- RS 184A: The Practice
of Tibetan Buddhism
- RS 184B: Tibetan Buddhist
Thought
Graduate:
- RS 135: Guided Readings
in Tibetan Buddhist Texts.
- RS 254A: Seminar on
Tibetan Buddhist Traditions.
- RS 254B: The Study of
Tibet from the Missionaries to Cultural Studies.
- RS 254C: Seminar on
Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy.
- RS 225: Religion and
Material Culture.
The Religious Studies Department
also offers two years of Tibetan language.
Curriculum
Vitae:
http://www.religion.ucsb.edu/faculty/Jose_Cabezon_CV.pdf
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