Piercing to the Pith of the Body: The Evolution of Body Mandala and Tantric Corporeality in Tibet

Buddhist tantric practitioners embrace the liminal status of the human body to manifest divine identity. In piercing to the pith of human embodiment, the tantric practitioner reconfigures the shape and contours of his/her reality. This article investigates the evolution of one particular technique f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inReligions (Basel, Switzerland ) Vol. 8; no. 9; p. 189
Main Author Dachille, Rae
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 18.09.2017
Subjects
bardo
body mandala
Body modification
Buddhism
Death & dying
Deities
Embodiment
Exegesis & hermeneutics
Guhyasamāja Tantra
Human body
Mind body relationship
Mkhas grub rje
Prestige
Religious identity
Rites & ceremonies
Rituals
sādhana
tantra
tantric ritual
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Summary:Buddhist tantric practitioners embrace the liminal status of the human body to manifest divine identity. In piercing to the pith of human embodiment, the tantric practitioner reconfigures the shape and contours of his/her reality. This article investigates the evolution of one particular technique for piercing to the pith of the body on Tibetan soil, a ritual practice known as body mandala [lus dkyil Skt. deha-maṇḍala]. In particular, it uncovers a significant shift of emphasis in the application of the Guhyasamāja body mandala practice initiated by champions of the emerging Gandenpa [Dga’ ldan pa] or Gelukpa [Dge lugs pa] tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) and Mkhas grub rje (1385-1438). This article reveals some of the radical implications of ritual exegesis, ranging from the socioreligious aspects of securing prestige for a tradition to the ultimate soteriological goals of modifying the boundaries between life and death and ordinary and enlightened embodiment.
ISSN:2077-1444
2077-1444
DOI:10.3390/rel8090189