Luminous Bliss—A Religious History of Pure Land Literature in Tibet: with an Annotated English Translation and Critical Analysis of the Orgyan-gling Gold Manuscript

A specialist in Tibetan and Himalayan religions and history, Halkia has held academic posts in Britain, Germany, and Japan. Here he anticipates some historical aspects in the constitution of Tibetan Pure Land literature, and signals when possible the dynamic relation between soteriology and contemplation and their impending synthesis in Buddhist orthopraxy. The religious literature was inspired by an impressive solar deity, he says, which emerged from a Mahayana polytheistic universe and attained over the centuries, trans-local eminence and unequivocal soteriological authority. He includes an annotated English translation with critical analysis of the Orgyan-gling gold manuscript of the short Sukhavativyuha-sutra. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Georgios T. Halkias specializes in Tibetan and Himalayan religions and history and has held research posts and fellowships in the U.K., at the Warburg Institute, the University of London, and the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies; in Germany at the Ruhr-Universitat-Bochum; and the Jodo-Shinshu Otani-ha Foundation in Kyoto. His publications include a number of articles on Tibetan and central Asian Buddhism, Himalayan history, and interdisciplinary studies in religion.