42. Samuel M. Grimes | Newar Buddhism, Nepal, and Yoga

In this episode we speak with Samuel Grimes about his research
and experience with the tradition of Newar Buddhism in Nepal. We
discuss the unique history of Buddhism in Nepal, the decline of
Buddhism in India, and what it means to be the only living
"Sanskritic Buddhist" tradition in South Asia. We then discuss
the meaning and role of yoga within Buddhist traditions,
previewing Grimes' upcoming online course, BS 112 | Yoga in
Buddhism.


Speaker Bio


Dr. Samuel M. Grimes is the Shinjo Ito Postdoctoral Fellow in
Buddhist Studies, at the University of California, Berkeley. He
is a scholar of South Asian Buddhism and Hinduism in the medieval
and modern periods, with a specialization in the tantric
traditions of Nepal, and with broader interest in historiography
and ritual studies. Nepal is host to the only place in Asia with
unbroken traditions of Buddhism and Hinduism existing
side-by-side, and as a result the two religions there exhibit a
high degree of exchange. A scholar must be expert in both to
study either. Grimes works with the primary texts of these
traditions directly, reading in Sanskrit, Newar, and Tibetan,
frequently consulting sources that are only preserved in
handwritten manuscripts.

Dr. Grimes’ research into yoga primarily involves an
investigation of Vajrayāna, tantric Buddhism. This research
ranges from purely textual studies of premodern texts to
on-the-ground ritual training in Nepal. He is especially
interested in the dynamic interactions between the visualized
objects and somatic activity in ritual practice. He has conducted
extensive ethnographic fieldwork with the Newar Buddhists of
Kathmandu, who practice the only living Buddhist tradition that
still conducts all ritual and preserves all liturgy in
Sanskrit.



Links


BS 112 | Yoga in Buddhism

https://virginia.academia.edu/SamuelGrimes 

"Amṛtasiddhi A Posteriori: An Exploratory Study on the
Possible Impact of the Amṛtasiddhi on the Subsequent Sanskritic
Vajrayāna Tradition" (2020).