Red mda’ ba gZhon nu blo gros (1348-1412) played a pivotal role in the history of Tibetan Buddhists' engagement with Indian Madhyamaka, especially with regard to Candrakirti's interpretation of Nagarjuna. The lasting impact of this historical figure on the shape of Buddhist philosophy in Tibet - and particularly that of Madhyamaka - has been highly underestimated to date. Red mda' ba was an important teacher of scholastic Buddhist philosophy to the three main founders of Tibetan dGe lugs tradition. On the basis of this biography, Red mda’ ba’s contribution to the spiritual culture of Buddhism at his time can now be analyzed. It elucidates his influence in upgrading philosophical studies and dialectics, and expanding scholastic education in the monasteries, as well as his contribution to Tsong kha pa’s foundation of the dGe lugs pa school, the lineage to which the Dalai Lamas belong. This work therefore aims to present the first detailed exposition of this crucial figure of Tibetan culture. The thesis presents a critical edition and English translation of the biography of Red mda’ ba.
Red mda’ ba gZhon nu blo gros (1348 to 1412) played a pivotal role in the history of Tibetan Buddhists' engagement with Indian Madhyamaka philosophy, especially with regard to Candrakirti's interpretation of Nagarjuna. The lasting impact of this historical figure on the shape of Buddhist philosophy in Tibet - and particularly that of Madhyamaka - has been highly underestimated to date. Red mda' ba was an important teacher of scholastic Buddhist philosophy to the three main founders of Tibetan dGe lugs tradition: Tsong kha pa Blo bzang grags pa (1357-1419), rGyal tshab Dar ma rin chen (1364 to 1432) and mKhas grub dGe legs dpal bzang (1385 to 1438). On the basis of his biography, Red mda’ ba’s contribution to the spiritual culture of Buddhism in his own time can now be analyzed. His biography elucidates, for example, his influence in the upgrading of philosophical studies and dialectics and expanded scholastic education in the monasteries, and his decisive contribution to Tsong kha pa’s foundation of the dGe lugs pa school, the lineage to which the Dalai Lamas belong. This work therefore aims to present the first detailed exposition of the life story and legacy of this crucial figure of Tibetan culture and intellectual history. It presents a critical edition and English translation of the biography of Red mda’ ba, which had long been lost and was first discovered in 1993 at the China Nationalities Library in Beijing. This version is a copy of a manuscript. A second version stems from a manuscript that was also found in Beijing.
„On the whole (...) the work is admirably researched, quite clearly presented, and makes an important and timely contribution to the intellectual and religious history of Tibetan Buddhism.“
Christian K. Wedemeyer
In: Religious Studies Review. 36 (2010) 2. S. 173-174.
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„Diese fundierte wissenschaftliche Arbeit von Carola Roloff erlaubt uns einen kleinen Einblick in eine der produktivsten Zeiten des tibetischen Buddhismus, in deren Folge sich die Lehrmeinungen der einzelnen Schulrichtungen herausbildeten, wie wir sie bis heute kennen. Sie konzentriert sich auf Rendawa Zhönu Lodrö (tibet. Red mda’ ba gZhon nu blo gros, 1348-1412), einen der wichtigsten Lehrer Tsongkhapas und seiner Hauptschüler.
(...) Ein Buch, das anregt und ermutigt, die derzeitigen Kenntnisse aller Schulrichtungen tiefgründiger zu hinterfragen und den eigenen Blick zu weiten. Da sich dieses Werk vor allem an Gelehrte wendet, wäre es schön, wenn die wesentlichen Inhalte in einer leichteren Form für ein größeres Publikum veröffentlicht werden könnten.“
Cornelia Weishaar-Günter
In: Tibet und Buddhismus. 3/2010. S. 49.
Carola Roloff (Bhiksuni Jampa Tsedroen) is a teacher of Buddhist philosophy at Tibetisches Zentrum Hamburg and a lecturer and research fellow at the University of Hamburg. She studied Tibetan Buddhist theory and practice with Geshe Thubten Ngawang from 1981 to 1996, followed by Tibetology and classical Indology, specializing in Buddhism, at the University of Hamburg, where she received her MA degree in 2003 and her doctorate in 2009. Her main areas for research are biographies of Red mda' ba (1348-1412) and Tsong kha pa (1357-1419), Vinaya lineages, and nuns' ordination in the Mulasarvastivada Vinaya along with its treatment in the Tibetan commentarial literature.
