Biography
Dr. Carmen Meinert, Sinologist and Tibetologist, obtained her PhD from the University of Bonn in 2001 with a comparative study on Chinese Chan Buddhism and Tibetan rDzogs chen. She spent a total of four years at Universities in the PRC (Beijing University, Sichuan University) and on fieldwork in Khams. She is currently affiliated with the Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut (KWI), Essen.
Her fields of research are Buddhist interchange between China and Tibet, Meditation in Chinese Buddhism, Tibetan rDzogs chen, early Tibetan tantric traditions (pre-11th century), Chinese esoteric Buddhism, and Dunhuang manuscripts. Her current research project focuses on aspects of violence in Tibetan and Chinese tantric Buddhism up to the 11th century, particularly on rites such as “Liberation through killing” (sgrol ba).
- The International Symposium on Buddhism and Human Rights, taking place at the University of Hamburg over 21–22 November 2008, is coordinated by Dr. Meinert and Dr. Hans-Bernd Zöllner. Further information: PDF.
Publications
2007 “The Figure of the Chinese Meditation Master Wolun (circa 545-626): Facts and Fiction”. Oriens Extremus 2007/8, 28 pp.
2007 “The Conjunction of Chinese Chan and Tibetan rDzogs chen Thought: Reflections on the Tibetan Dunhuang Manuscripts IOL Tib J 689-1 and PT 699”, in: Contributions to the Cultural History of Early Tibet (extra volume to Studies in Central and East Asian Religion), Matthew T. Kapstein/Brandon Dotson (eds.), Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2007, 239–301.
2006a “Between the Profane and the Sacred? On the Context of the Rite of “Liberation” (sgrol ba)”, in: Buddhism and Violence, M. Zimmermann (ed.), Lumbini: Lumbini International Research Institute, 99–130.
2006b “Legend of Cig car ba Criticism in Tibet: a List of Six Cig car ba Titles in the Chos ’byung me tog snying po of Nyang Nyi ma ’od zer (12th century)”, in: Tibetan Buddhist Literature and Praxis. Studies in its Formative Period 900-1400, Ronald Davidson/Christian Wedemeyer (eds.), Leiden: Brill, 31–54.
2003 “Structural Analysis of the bSam gtan mig sgron: A Comparison of the Fourfold Correct Practice in the Āryāvikalpapraveśanāmadhāraṇī and the Contents of the Four Main Chapters of the bSam gtan mig sgron”, in: Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 26/1, 175–195.
2002 “Chinese Chan and Tibetan Rdzogs Chen: Preliminary Remarks on Two Tibetan Dunhuang Manuscripts”, in: Religion and Secular Culture in Tibet. Tibetan Studies II (PIATS 2000), H. Blezer (ed.), Brill: Leiden, 289–307.
Forthcoming
“Gangs-dkar Rin-po-che between Tibet and China: A Tibetan Lama Among Ethnic Chinese in the 1930s to 50s”, in: Buddhism between Tibet and China, M. Kapstein (ed.), 37 pages.
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