Sexuality in Classical South Asian Buddhism

José Ignacio Cabezón

Oct 2017 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

A prolific scholar surveys classical Buddhism’s approach to sex, gender, and sexual orientation in this landmark volume.

More than twenty-five years in the making, this detailed sourcebook on Buddhist understandings of sexuality, desire, ethics, and deviance in classical South Asia is filled with both engaging translations and original and provocative analysis. Jose Cabezon, the XIVth Dalai Lama Professor at the University of California Santa Barbara, marshals an incredible array of scriptures, legal and medical texts, and philosophical treatises, explaining the subtleties of this ancient literature in lucid prose. This work will be of immense interest not only to scholars of Buddhism and gender studies but also to lay readers who want to learn more about traditional Buddhist attitudes toward sex.

About the author

Jose Ignacio Cabezon is the Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies and XIVth Dalai Lama Professor of Tibetan Buddhism and Cultural Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara. He is the author or editor of a dozen books and many more articles on various aspects of Tibetan religion and religious studies, with research interests as diverse as Madhyamaka philosophy, Buddhism and sexuality, classical South Asian political ethics, and Tibetan ritual. He lives in Santa Barbara, CA.