Name of Tibet (Mahacina)

[John C. Huntington]

John C. Huntington, Professor
(Buddhist Art and Methodologies)
<http://huntingtonarchive.osu.edu>
Department of the History of Art
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH, U.S.A.


On Tucci's identification of Mahacina as Tibet: At least the 12th  
Buddhists of eastern India and Nepal understood that Mahacina was  
China, there is a depiction of Mahaacina Mañjugho.sa in Cambridge  
1643, which while Newar demonstrates a vast knowledge of the shrines  
and major images of north and eastern India. It was originally  
published by Alfred Foucher about 1920 burt I do not have the  
complete reference here (at home). Accordingly, I conclude that the  
story of Manjushri residing at Wutai Shan was known by this time.   
the name Mahacina Manjusri also occurs in the Svyambhupurana and his  
vast journey from China is still reenacted by the oiling of images of  
the Manjusri Pada (to comfort him after his long journey) to the  
present day.

All the best

John

>
> By the way, there is a Hindu Tantric work called Mahacinacaratantra  
> expounding the Mahacinacara or Mahacinakrama. It was Giuseppe  
> Tucci, if I remember right, who was of the opinion that the  
> geographical setting of Mahacina is Tibet and not China. So, this  
> would add another word for Tibet if the identification is correct.
>
> Hope it helps
>
> Peter Wyzlic
>
> --
> Indologisches Seminar der
> Universität Bonn
> Regina-Pacis-Weg 7
> D-53113 Bonn
> Deutschland / Germany