Spells, Images, and Mandalas: Tracing The Evolution of Esoteric Buddhist Rituals By KoichiShinohara. The Sheng Yen Series in Chinese Buddhist Studies. New York: Columbia University Press, 2014. Pp. xxii + 324. Hardcover, $55.00.

Abstract

An important book by the right person, this study illuminates the rather arcane history of the development of the Buddhist esoteric ritual tradition from simple spells of a worldly nature, through the incorporation of image worship, and eventually to the utilization of complex visualizations. By focusing on early texts preserved in Chinese translation, Shinohara, in his own words, counters past scholarship which, “so far has privileged the Mahāvairocana and Vajraśekhara sūtras.” In so doing, his study stands as a model for the field for how to sensibly employ Chinese sources in the study of concepts, texts, and practices of Indic origin. Shinohara's study concentrates on describing precisely how esoteric rituals developed, and as such leaves little room for explaining why. Indeed, readers may be left curious as to what larger social, political, and economic forces may have supported the increasing intricacy and pomp of esoteric ritual, a topic not dealt with in the book though surely within the grasp of the author. Spells, Images, and Maṇḍalas should be considered a seminal work; by wading through a trove of difficult textual material, Shinohara has set a new standard for the study of esoteric ritual and has laid the necessary groundwork for future studies to be able to engage with the wider social context of the larger esoteric tradition.