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Dreaming the Great Brahmin explores how a Buddhist saint is created and recreated through narratives, poetry, art, ritual, and even dream visions. Kurtis Sch'ffer offers the first comprehensive cultural and literary history of the well-known Indian Buddhist poet saint Saraha, known as the Great Brahmin. He argues that Saraha should be seen not as the founder of a tradition, but rather as its product. Images, tales, and teachings of Saraha were transmitted, transformed, and created by members of diverse Buddhist traditions in Tibet, India, Nepal, and Mongolia. The result, Sch'ffer shows, is that there is not one Great Brahmin, but many. More broadly, he argues that the immense importance of saints for Buddhism is best understood by looking at the creative adaptations that perpetuated their fame. The book traces the complex history of Saraha's most important work, a collection of tantric poetry entitled the Treasury of Doha Verses. Sch'ffer shows that the poetic and philosophical literature attributed to Saraha represents centuries of transmission and adaptation by scribes, translators, commentators, and Tibetan poets. The book is accompanied by a full translation of the Treasury of Doha Verses and a rare Tibetan commentary-the first commentary on Saraha's work to be translated into any Western language. Dreaming the Great Brahmin offers the most comprehensive treatment of a central Buddhist saint, poet, and philosopher, and will engage anyone interested in Buddhism.
Dreaming the Great Brahmin, Kurtis R. Sch'ffer, Oxford University, Hardcover, 227 Pages, 2005, $49.95
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