Description: Thuken Chokyi Nyima's "The Crystal Mirror of Philosophical Systems" is the widest-ranging account of religious philosophies ever written in premodern Tibet. After covering the major schools of India, both Buddhist and non-Buddhist, Thuken discusses in detail the entire range of Tibetan traditions, with separate chapters on the Nyingma, Kadam, Kagyu, Shije, Sakya, Jonang, Geluk, and Bon schools. He then describes the major traditions of China -- Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist -- as well as those of Mongolia, Khotan, and Shambhala. Not content with simply describing and analyzing doctrines, Thuken traces the historical development of the various traditions. While he favors his own Geluk school, Thuken treats the views of other traditions with sympathy and respect, sometimes even defending them against criticisms from his own tradition. Eloquent, erudite, and informative, "The Crystal Mirror of Philosophical Systems" is evidence that serious and balanced study of the history of religions has not been a monopoly of Western scholarship.
Brief description: Thuken Losang Chokyi Nyima (1737-1802) was among the most cosmopolitan and prolific Tibetan Buddhist masters of the late eighteenth century. Hailing from the "melting pot" region of Amdo, he was Mongol by heritage, and educated in Gelukpa monasteries. Throughout his life, he traveled widely in east and inner Asia, spending significant time in Central Tibet, Amdo, inner Mongolia, and at the Qing court in Beijing. He served as abbot of several important monasteries, and wrote hundreds of texts on Buddhist thought and practice, the most enduring and influential of which is the Crystal Mirror of Philosophical Systems.
Review Quotes: "An impressive translation of a fascinating and vitally important book. This will be of great interest to students of Tibetan Buddhism. Its broad scope and keen observation makes it an invaluable resource. And for scholars interested in the history of comparative religion, it shows how sophisticated, eighteenth-century Tibetan Buddhists could come to terms with diverse world religious traditions."--Guy Newland, Central Michigan University, author of Introduction to Emptiness