New Books in Buddhist Studies

Roger R. Jackson, "Saraha: Poet of Blissful Awareness" (Shambhala, 2024)

Jan 16, 2025

Roger R. Jackson, a Professor Emeritus at Carleton College and author of "Saraha: Poet of Blissful Awareness," discusses the enigmatic tenth-century yogin Saraha. He unpacks Saraha’s mystic songs, highlighting their enlightening yet confounding nature. Jackson explores Saraha's influence on the Mahamudra tradition and critiques societal norms through fascinating narratives, including the radish girl story. He also addresses translation challenges and the significance of Saraha's work in South Asian literature, revealing his profound legacy in Tibetan Buddhism and beyond.

44:29

Episode guests

Roger R. Jackson

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Saraha's life and teachings reflect complex narratives illustrating transformation and the intertwining of gender and spirituality in Buddhist practice.

The enduring legacy of Saraha is evident through his accessible poetry that critiques societal norms while inviting deeper spiritual exploration.

Deep dives

The Genesis of Saraha's Story

The project for the book about Saraha began due to a long-standing fascination with this figure from the Buddhist Mahasiddha tradition. The author, having previously researched Saraha, was invited by a publisher to create a book on him, despite acknowledging that another scholar might have been more qualified. The narrative primarily relies on Tibetan sources, as historically verifiable information about Saraha in Indic languages is nearly nonexistent. This lack of concrete historical detail adds a layer of intrigue, placing Saraha in an almost mythical framework where his life story remains elusive yet impactful.

Intro

3min

Saraha: The Elusive Poet of Tibetan Buddhism

25min

Navigating the Poetics and Translation of Tibetan Buddhism

6min

Exploring the Intersection of Buddhism and the Beat Generation

3min

Exploring the Resonance of Saraha in South Asian Literature

2min

The life and works of the mysterious Indian yogin, Saraha, who has inspired Buddhist practitioners for over a thousand years. Saraha, “the Archer,” was a mysterious but influential tenth-century Indian Buddhist tantric adept who expressed his spiritual realization in mystic songs (dohās) that are enlightening, shocking, and confounding by turns.

Saraha: Poet of Blissful Awareness (Shambhala, 2024) is the first book to attempt a thorough treatment of the context, life, works, poetics, and teachings of Saraha. It features a search for the “historical” Saraha through evidence provided by our knowledge of the medieval Indian context in which he likely lived, the biographical legends that grew up around him in Tibet, and the works attributed to him in Indic and Tibetan text collections; a consideration of the various guises in which Saraha appears in his writings (as poet, social and religious critic, radical gnostic thinker, and more); an overview of Saraha’s poetic and religious legacy in South Asia and beyond; and complete or partial translations, from Tibetan, of over two dozen works attributed to Saraha. These include nearly all his spiritual songs, from his well-known Dohā Trilogy to obscure but important expositions of mahāmudrā, as well as several previously untranslated works.

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