The topic of materiality has been the subject of a number of recent works in Religious Studies, including East Asian Buddhist Studies. This book analyses objects of power and their roles in people's lives through the lens of a single compelling case example: power objects as they appear throughout the narrative, philosophical, and ritual writings of the Tibetan Buddhist ritual specialist Sokdokpa Lodro Gyaltsen and his milieu. The author focuses on the role that these objects play in the life and work of the Master, thereby presenting a unique methodological approach: The study traces the theme of power objects across a wide spectrum of genres to present how Tibetan Buddhists themselves have theorized about objects of power and implemented them in practice. It thus provides a lens into how power objects serve as points of convergence for elite doctrinal discourses, socio-political dynamics, and popular religious practices in Tibetan Buddhist societies. Making an important and innovative contribution to the field, this is the first book to discuss materiality in the context of Tibetan Buddhism.
It will be essential reading for scholars working on Tibetan Buddhism, and of great interest to those studying Tibetan ritual, Tibetan history and Buddhism and material culture.