[INDOLOGY] Catushpitha Tantra vs Hevajra Tantra

Matthew Kapstein mkapstei at uchicago.edu
Mon Jan 9 13:56:28 UTC 2017


Dear Paolo,

Peter Daniel Szanto and Kazuhiro Kawasaki have both published on the CatuSpIThatantra. And I have noted 
a reference to it in a 10th c. Dunhuang document discussed in my article "New Light on an Old Friend."
As for Hevajra, I believe that 7th-8th c. is too early.

best,
Matthew

Matthew Kapstein
Directeur d'études,
Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes

Numata Visiting Professor of Buddhist Studies,
The University of Chicago

________________________________________
From: INDOLOGY [indology-bounces at list.indology.info] on behalf of Paolo Eugenio Rosati [paoloe.rosati at gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2017 7:38 AM
To: Indology
Subject: [INDOLOGY] Catushpitha Tantra vs Hevajra Tantra

Dear indologists,

I am struggling with the "chronology" regarding the catushpithas concept and its first appearance in the Vajrayana cosmos.

Particularly, the Catushpitha Tantra described a list of four pithas linked to philosophical concepts---atman pitha, para pitha, yoga pitha and guhya pitha (cit.
in D.C. Sircar [The Shakta Pithas] 1948, 11).
Regarding this text, the only clue that I found is that one of its commentaries was copied in 1145 CE (ibid.).
While I found no discussion about the original text, and particularly if it was previous or coeval with the Hevajra Tantra (that could be date between seventh and middle of eighth centuries)---althoug from Sircar study I argued he considered the two tantras to be more or less coeval.

I wish someone can help me with some reference to the Catushpitha Tantra.

Best wishes,
Paolo

--
Paolo E. Rosati
Oriental Archaeologist
PhD candidate in "Civilizations of Asia and Africa"
South Asia Section
Dep. Italian Institute of Oriental Studies/ISO
'Sapienza' University of Rome
https://uniroma1.academia.edu/PaoloRosati/
paoloe.rosati at uniroma1.it<mailto:paoloe.rosati at uniroma1.it>
paoloe.rosati at gmail.com<mailto:paoloe.rosati at gmail.com>
Skype: paoloe.rosati
Mobile: (+39) 338 73 83 472






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