Rinchen Zangpo and his Legacy of Buddhism
Rinchen Zangpo and his Legacy of Buddhism
Hardcover
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DETAILS:
- Author: by O.C. Handa
- Publisher: Pentagon Press
- Publication date: 30 June 2019
- Language: English
- Print length: 255 pages
- ISBN-10: 9386618761
- ISBN-13: 978-9386618764
- Item Weight: 850 g
ABOUT THE BOOK
Rinchen Zangpo and his Legacy of Buddhism by O. C. Handa is an in-depth scholarly work exploring the life, spiritual contributions, and enduring architectural legacy of Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo (958–1055 CE), the great translator who played a central role in the second propagation (Phyi-dar) of Buddhism in Tibet and the Western Himalayas. The core philosophy of this text focuses on how Rinchen Zangpo bridged Indian Vajrayana Buddhist philosophy with Tibetan culture by translating key Sanskrit scriptures, founding iconic monastic complexes (such as Tabo, Nako, and Alchi), and inviting Kashmir artisans to enrich Himalayan Buddhist art and iconography. Through detailed historical analysis, field surveys, and architectural studies, the book illustrates how the Guge kingdom of Western Tibet became a thriving center for Buddhist learning, artistic synthesis, and monastic traditions that still define the cultural landscape of Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and Western Tibet today.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. O. C. Handa (Ochanda Handa) is a renowned historian, field archaeologist, and scholar specializing in the cultural history, art, and architectural heritage of the Western Himalayas. Writing with a meticulous, research-oriented, and interdisciplinary voice, his works combine historical documentation with firsthand architectural field studies. Over a prolific career spanning several decades, Dr. Handa has authored numerous acclaimed books on Himalayan art, wooden temples, Buddhist monasteries, and regional ethnography. His deep familiarity with the geography, oral traditions, and material culture of the Indian Himalayas makes his scholarship an authoritative reference for historians, art critics, and researchers of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism.
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