Buddhist Goddesses of Tibet and Nepal

FAIN: FB-53325-07

Miranda E. Shaw
University of Richmond (Richmond, VA 23173-0001)

My project is to complete a book to be entitled BUDDHIST GODDESSES OF TIBET AND NEPAL. Following on my BUDDHIST GODDESSES OF INDIA, the second book traces the transformations of the pantheon as it was shaped by the cultural landscapes of the Tibetan plateau and Kathmandu Valley. Based largely on archival and field research conducted among Tibetans and Newars in Nepal, the study features my translations from Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Newar texts and my documentation of active temples, sacred sites, rituals, dances, processions, and trance sessions. I address the origins, roles, iconography, and practice traditions of each goddess and analyze her significance for the cultural construction of gender in her cultural milieu.