140153 VO The Cult of Terrestrial Divinities in Tibet (2018S)

The cult of terrestrial divinities is a pan-Tibetan phenomenon, but its older forms uninfluenced by Buddhism remain unknown. The course will firstly follow the historical overview and the divinities and spirits of older Tibetan religion will be introduced. Contemporary buddhisized cult of terrestrial divinities will be presented then through several case studies along with typical sang (bsang) ritual text. The second part will deal with new material based on my own research focusing on the Nyen beings (gnyan) and a lay ritual tradition of Thewo (The bo), Phenchu (`Phan chu) and Bozo (Babs bzo) regions of the north-eastern Tibet.