Document Type
Thesis
Degree
Master of Arts (MA)
Major/Program
Religious Studies
First Advisor's Name
Nathan Katz
First Advisor's Committee Title
Committee Chair
Second Advisor's Name
Steven Heine
Third Advisor's Name
Albert Wuaku
Keywords
Tibetan Buddhism, Buddhism in the West, Western Lamas, adaptation, legitimation, American Buddhism, Transmission
Date of Defense
3-28-2013
Abstract
This thesis presents a study of the role of western lamas within Tibetan Buddhism in America, arguing that the role of the lama is as an influential and central aspect in the development and transformation of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition in the west. This thesis argues how western lamas holding a position of authority act as a catalyst of change within their group and in the overall process of change and adaptation of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition in America, creating what may become ‘American Tibetan Buddhism.’ Three relevant areas regarding the role of the lama within the transforming tradition are identified: 1) the basis of authority of the lama, or how authority is obtained; 2) the use of such authority as a tool for change; and 3) transmission of the teachings and lineage.
Identifier
FI13041504
Recommended Citation
Restrepo, Mariana, "Transmission, Legitimation, and Adaptation: A Study of Western Lamas in the Construction of ‘American Tibetan Buddhism’" (2013). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 822.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/822
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