A Buddhist Book of Spells
Scholar Sam van Schaik discusses Buddhist Magic and the disappearing act around the dharma’s supernatural history. (Plus, six Buddhist enchantments for curious practitioners.)
Sam van Schaik
Sam van Schaik is head of the Endangered Archives Programme at the British Library. He has previously worked for the International Dunhuang Project and has been a principal investigator on several major research projects. He is the author of many books including Tibet: A History, Tibetan Zen, The Spirit of Zen, and The Spirit of Tibetan Buddhism.
Podcasts
Buddhist Magic and Why We Shouldn’t Cast It Aside
In his new book, Buddhist Magic: Divination, Healing, and Enchantment Through the Ages, Sam van Schaik, a textual historian and practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism, makes a compelling case for why we should pay attention to Buddhism’s magical heritage—and what we lose by casting it aside.
In our latest podcast episode with Tricycle’s Editor and Publisher James Shaheen, van Schaik debunks misperceptions about early Buddhism by showing how magical literature can offer a more holistic and realistic view of Buddhism from the ground up. He also paints a vivid picture of the role monks and nuns may have played in the magical-gig economy as well as how we can view mindfulness meditation in a comparable way—as the magic of our current age.
Listen Now on Tricycle | iTunes | SoundCloud
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