Book Reviews - Book Summary | JainGPT

This document contains several book reviews published in the Indo-Iranian Journal in 1987. The reviews cover a range of academic works, primarily focusing on Indian and Tibetan studies, including art, religion, philosophy, linguistics, and history. Here's a summary of the key books reviewed:

1. "Ikonographie und Symbolik des tibetischen Buddhismus" (Iconography and Symbolism of Tibetan Buddhism) by Dagyab Rinpoche (Part A II) and Ursula Toyka-Fuong (Volume B):

Part A II (Dagyab Rinpoche): This part focuses on iconography, including line drawings of deities, bodily postures (āsanas), hand positions (mudrās), and attributes mentioned in sādhanas. The text is trilingual (German, English, Tibetan). The section on āsanas is highlighted for its detailed descriptions, drawing from six works and including postures not found in the Ba-ri-brgya-rca. Indexes are provided.
Volume B (Ursula Toyka-Fuong): This volume is an iconographic description of 63 metal statues of Tibetan religious art. The reviewer praises its analytical approach, clear layout, and the innovative use of pull-out pages for extensive commentary and line drawings. The reviewer considers both parts of the series indispensable for Tibetological libraries and scholars of Tibetan art.

2. "Studies in Kumarila and Sankara" by Wilhelm Halbfass:

This book is divided into three chapters: Kumārila on Ahimsa and Dharma; Human Reason and Vedic Revelation in the Philosophy of Śankara; and Śankara and Kumārila on the Plurality of Religious Traditions.
The review highlights Halbfass's analysis of Kumārila's views on sacrificial killing and ahimsā, and his discussion of external factors influencing the development of these concepts.
For Śankara, Halbfass rejects the separation of reason (yukti/tarka) and scripture (sruti/sāstra), emphasizing their cooperative role. The concept of anvayavyatireka is also examined.
The book also discusses the attitudes of various philosophers towards the plurality of religious traditions, with Śankara prioritizing Vedic legitimacy and Kumārila acknowledging historical roots in Vedic texts.
The review concludes that the book is an important contribution to Indian philosophy and thought.

3. "India and the West. Proceedings of a Seminar Dedicated to the Memory of Hermann Goetz":

This volume presents papers from a seminar honoring Hermann Goetz, focusing on the collaboration between Indian art history and other disciplines, and placing India in context with the West.
Key contributions include Hermann Kulke's characterization of Goetz's life and work, and Joachim Deppert's extensive article "East or West - The Precedent: The Aryan Schism," which analyzes the fundamental attitudes of Aryan cultures through complementary concepts like east/west.
Other articles cover topics such as urban centers, Hellenistic echoes in Krishna legends, Gandhara sculptures, rock carvings, European influence on Indian art, and Indian idealism.

4. "Tibetan and Buddhist Studies, commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Csoma de Kőrös" (edited by Louis Ligeti):

These two volumes contain 46 articles from scholars worldwide, celebrating the pioneer of Tibetan and Buddhist studies, Alexander Csoma de Kőrös.
The articles cover a wide spectrum of topics: Tibetan grammar and lexicography, Tibetan manuscripts and literature (including Tunhuang manuscripts), Tibetan niti literature, Buddhist philosophy (Madhyamaka, Yogācāra), Tantrism, Tibetan music, Tibetan medicine, history of Tibet, Tibetan chronology, Tibetan geography, Tibetan law, Mongolian studies, Tangut studies, Uigur studies, and Nanchao.
The reviewer notes the need for a new biography of Csoma de Kőrös in English and a bibliography of studies on him.

5. "Catalogue of the Pāli Printed Books in the India Office Library" (revised by M.J.C. O'Keefe):

This catalogue lists approximately 1600 titles of Pāli texts and translations. The collection is strong in 19th and early 20th-century editions.
The reviewer finds it extremely useful for Pāli scholars, particularly for its Burmese and Ceylonese editions. They express a desire for bibliographies of Pāli texts published in Europe, India, and Theravada countries.

6. "Fragmente des Dharmaskandha, Ein Abhidharma-Text in Sanskrit aus Gilgit" by Siglinde Dietz:

This is an edition of Sanskrit fragments of the Dharmaskandha, an Abhidharma text found in a Gilgit manuscript.
The reviewer praises Dietz's edition for its meticulous study, comparison with Chinese texts, and detailed annotation. The notes are found to be very helpful.
The reviewer notes discrepancies between the Sanskrit text and Chinese translations, and points out some potential errors in the Sanskrit fragments themselves.

7. "Der buddhistische Kanon. Eine Bibliographie" by Günther Grönbold:

This bibliography aims to encourage Buddhologists to focus on the history of the Buddhist canon's formation.
It includes sections on editions and catalogues of the Buddhist canon (Indian, Theravada, Chinese, Tibetan, Bon), and secondary literature.
The reviewer highlights its extensive coverage of Tibetan materials but notes some omissions and areas for improvement regarding information on Chinese canons and early catalogues.

8. "The Style of Bāna. An Introduction to Sanskrit Prose Poetry" by Robert A. Hueckstedt:

Hueckstedt's work challenges earlier opinions that Bāņa's prose lacked proportion. He argues that Bāņa's style should be judged by its own context and intended effect.
The book analyzes sentence length, use of verbs at sentence beginnings, and the structure of long sentences. It also examines character descriptions and proposes seven rules followed by Bāņa.
The reviewer praises the work as original and stimulating but is disappointed by Hueckstedt's translations, finding them inadequate and sometimes inaccurate compared to existing translations.

9. "Götter und Mythen des indischen Subkontinents" (Gods and Myths of the Indian Subcontinent) edited by Hans Wilhelm Haussig:

This dictionary provides a comprehensive survey of gods and myths from the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka, covering Vedic religion and Hinduism, Jainism, Indian Buddhism, Sinhalese folk religion, Indian primitive peoples, Gypsies, and Dravidian peoples.
The reviewer notes that the contributions vary in quality and depth, with Volker Moeller's section on Vedic religion and Hinduism being particularly disappointing due to its brevity and outdatedness. They suggest the topic needed more space and potentially multiple authors.
Despite some shortcomings, the reviewer acknowledges the immense value of the work for its factual information and documentation.

10. "Sikh Concept of the Divine" by Pritam Singh:

This book is a collection of revised papers from a seminar on the Sikh doctrine of the Ultimate Reality, named after the Mūl Mantra.
The first part analyzes terms within the Mūl Mantra, and the second part offers general considerations and comparisons with other religious traditions.

11. "Pamjatniki indijskoj pis 'mennosti iz centralnoj Azii, vypusk 1" (Monuments of Indian Writing from Central Asia, Issue 1) by G.M. Bongard-Levin and M.I. Vorob'eva-Desjatovskaja:

This volume presents new manuscript material for the study of Buddhist Sanskrit texts from Central Asia, including fragments of the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra, a terminological work called Dharmaśarīra, and leaves from the Saddharmapundarīkasūtra.
The review highlights the extensive description of the Central Asian Manuscript Fund and the publication of previously unpublished materials.
The reviewer notes some inconsistencies and potential errors in the transliteration and translation, particularly in Bongard-Levin's edition of the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra fragments, and suggests the need for a more detailed comparison with Tibetan and Chinese versions.

12. "Kleine Schriften von Berthold Laufer. Teil 3: Nachträge und Briefwechsel" (Minor Writings of Berthold Laufer. Part 3: Addenda and Correspondence) edited by Hartmut Walravens:

This volume contains Laufer's phonographic recordings from China and Tibet, along with studies of Tibetan and Bengali texts.
The major part consists of Laufer's correspondence, offering insights into his scholarly interactions and interests.
The reviewer notes some printing errors and minor omissions in biographical dates of correspondents but finds the notes useful.

13. "Burmese Manuscripts, Part 2" compiled by Heinz Braun and Daw Tin Tin Myint:

This is the second part of a catalogue of Burmese manuscripts, describing a collection in Göttingen and other locations.
The reviewer notes the collection's strength in non-canonical Pāli works and original Burmese literature, in addition to canonical texts.
The catalogue is considered an important tool for the study of Burmese literature.

14. "A History of Classical Poetry: Sanskrit - Pali - Prakrit" by Siegfried Lienhard:

This is a comprehensive study of kāvya literature, examining poetry in Sanskrit, Pāli, and Prakrit.
The reviewer praises Lienhard's intimate knowledge of the works, his clear presentation of information without relying solely on lists, and his illuminating insights into poetic processes and techniques.
Minor points for correction and suggestions for improvement are noted, including the need for more discussion on commentators.

15. "Buddhism: Art and Faith" edited by W. Zwalf:

This is the catalogue for a British Museum exhibition of Buddhist art and manuscripts, featuring 422 items.
The reviewer highlights the extensive section on scriptures and their transmission, noting the richness of Buddhist literature represented.
The catalogue is seen as an excellent introduction to Buddhist art and scriptures, with well-placed items in their context and helpful supplementary materials like maps, bibliography, and index.

16. "Aspekte der Schulung in der Laufbahn eines Bodhisattva. Dargestellt nach dem Śikṣāsamuccaya des Santideva" by Jürg Hedinger:

Hedinger's work analyzes chapters 11-13 of Śantideva's Śikṣāsamuccaya, focusing on forest life and meditative practices.
The reviewer notes the importance of the Śikṣāsamuccaya for its preserved extracts and welcomes Hedinger's study.
However, the reviewer is critical of Hedinger's own translations, deeming them full of mistakes and carelessness, and emphasizes the necessity of consulting the Tibetan translation for accurate interpretation.

17. "Testi buddhistici in sanscrito" (Buddhist Sanskrit Texts) translated by Raniero Gnoli:

This volume presents translations of Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna Buddhist texts originally written in Sanskrit.
Gnoli's translations are generally praised, though the reviewer notes a lack of reference to critiques of his earlier works and a missing discussion of some schools and texts (Vijñānavāda, Dignāga, Dharmakirti).
The reviewer also points out that Gnoli does not seem to have taken into account recent editions of Nāgārjuna's work.

18. "Prajñāvarman's Udānavargavivarana. Transliteration of its Tibetan version" by Michael Balk:

This is a transliteration of the Tibetan version of Prajñāvarman's commentary on the Udānavarga.
The reviewer notes the edition's usefulness for its presentation of variant readings from different Tibetan xylographs.
Some inconsistencies in transliteration and indexing are mentioned, but the overall edition is considered helpful and clearly typed.

The reviews collectively showcase the dynamic scholarship in South Asian and Tibetan studies during the period, highlighting new editions, critical analyses, and the ongoing effort to make ancient texts and art accessible.