Books by GIACOMELLA OROFINO
THE DAWN OF PHYSICAL YOGA. DISPELLING THE HINDRANCES TO IMMORTALITY, 2025
Dispelling the Hindrances to Immortality belongs to a remarkable corpus of texts preserved in the... more Dispelling the Hindrances to Immortality belongs to a remarkable corpus of texts preserved in the Tibetan canon, ancillary to the Amṛtasiddhi, the earliest known Sanskrit source to articulate the foundational principles and techniques of a yoga system based on physical practice, later referred to as 'the yoga of force' (haṭhayoga).While the colophons within this corpus consistently trace the tradition back to the seminal figure Virūpa (Tib. Bir ba pa), the compilation of these materials is attributed to the mahāsiddha Yogeśvara Amoghavajra, a yogin from eastern India who was active in Tibet during the latter half of the 11th century—and who most likely authored the collection directly in Tibetan. Among these, Dispelling the Hindrances to Immortality stands out for its presentation of 108 dynamic physical movements, each designed to remove obstacles to the tantric Buddhist practice, according to the Amṛtasiddhi tradition. Strikingly, many of these physical postures resemble āsanas later codified in Indian haṭhayoga literature and foundational to both premodern and modern yoga traditions. This makes Dispelling the Hindrances to Immortality one of the earliest known manuals to document dynamic yogic postures. Through a close and comprehensive analysis of this little-known text, the study offers fresh insights into the origins and early development of physical yoga. It highlights the rich and dynamic transmission of yogic knowledge across regional and cultural boundaries, shedding light on the deeply interconnected trajectories of tantric physical practices in India and Tibet. As such, it represents a rigorous and insightful contribution to the scholarship on the origins and cross-cultural evolution of haṭhayoga.
Celebrating 100 Years of Wisdom (ed. by Khenchen Tenpa Yungdrung Rinpoche and Charles Ramble), 2025
English translation of the Kun gzhi'i zhal shes gsal ba'i sgron ma, one of the most significant t... more English translation of the Kun gzhi'i zhal shes gsal ba'i sgron ma, one of the most significant texts of the rDzogs pa chen po Zhang Zhung snyan rgyud. This work helps understanding the philosophical thought of the rDzogs chen tradition within the Bon school, situating it within the broader context of Tibetan scholarly traditions.
Adelphi Edizioni, 1994
This work presents the translation from Sanskrit and Tibetan of the Sekoddeśaṭīkā, Nāropa’s exten... more This work presents the translation from Sanskrit and Tibetan of the Sekoddeśaṭīkā, Nāropa’s extensive commentary on the Sekoddeśa, the only surviving fragment of the root text of the Kālacakratantra (Mūlakālacakratantra or Paramādibuddhatantra). As a foundational source, the Sekoddeśaṭīkā offers a wealth of insights into the doctrinal and ritual dimensions of the Kālacakratantra, the last great tantric cycle of Indian Buddhism before its decline in the early 11th century. This translation aims to illuminate the intricate philosophical and esoteric teachings of the text, shedding light on its historical and religious significance.
Proceedings of the Inaugural Conference of the Associazione Italiana di Studi Tibetani, Himalayan... more Proceedings of the Inaugural Conference of the Associazione Italiana di Studi Tibetani, Himalayani e Mongoli (AISTHiM), held from September 12 to 15, 2017 at the Higher Education School of Procida of the University of Naples “L’Orientale”.
Anantaratnaprabhava. Studi in onore di Giuliano Boccali, in Alice Crisanti, Cinzia Pieruccini, Chiara Policardi, Paola M. Rossi (a cura di), Università degli Studi di Milano, 2017
Il 1983 segnò una svolta radicale nella storia della letteratura tibetana.
Nella rivista letter... more Il 1983 segnò una svolta radicale nella storia della letteratura tibetana.
Nella rivista letteraria sBrang char (‘Pioggia leggera’) venne pubblicata per la prima volta una poesia in versi liberi: Torrente di gioventù. Era firmata da uno pseudonimo, Rang sgrol (‘Autoliberato’), nome che celava l’identità di Don grub rGyal, una delle figure più tormentate e geniali della letteratura tibetana del Novecento, da tutti riconosciuto come il padre della poesia tibetana moderna.Fino ad allora era apparso impensabile per i poeti tibetani scrivere in versi sciol- ti. Gli unici canoni accettati erano quelli ben codificati, legati alle teorie estetiche della poesia classica, molto influenzata dal kāvya indiano.
Il lungo poema di Don grub rGyal scosse alle fondamenta il mondo intellettuale, segnò definitivamente il passaggio alla letteratura moderna tibetana e divenne il simbolo del coraggio dei tibetani contro qualsiasi tipo di oppressione politica e culturale.
Questa poesia bellissima, profondamente lirica, così importante ancora oggi per i tibetani, viene tradotta qui per la prima volta in italiano e dedicata a Giuliano Boccali, in segno di ammirazione per il suo grande contributo agli studi sul mondo indiano.
ix initial stage. Layout issues, as usual, have been the job of Ms. Yamashita Harumi, of the ISEA... more ix initial stage. Layout issues, as usual, have been the job of Ms. Yamashita Harumi, of the ISEAS staff. Phyllis Brooks Schafer from California contributed to this enterprise with her professional skills in copy-editing and checking of English usage. At the last minute Alberto Todeschini, an Italian Tibetologist presently affiliated with ISEAS, also gave us a hand with editorial and linguistic matters, a very much appreciated final reinforcement for our work. To all of them goes our gratitude.
A cura di Giacomella Orofino Piccola Biblioteca Adelphi (/catalogo/collana/5) 1995, 4ª ediz., pp.... more A cura di Giacomella Orofino Piccola Biblioteca Adelphi (/catalogo/collana/5) 1995, 4ª ediz., pp. 145 isbn: 9788845911514 Temi: Testi tibetani (/catalogo/materia/24), Poesia (/catalogo/materia/52) € 9,00 -25% € 6,75 ⋆ " Condividi su: & ' ( + WISHLIST AGGIUNGI AL CARRELLO RISVOLTO Vissuta nella seconda metà dell'XI secolo, Ma gcig ha lasciato un segno profondo nei tibetani, per i quali divenne, nel corso del tempo, la personificazione stessa della Grande Madre, della saggezza assoluta (Prajñaparamita), o anche l'incarnazione di Tara, la dea protettrice di tutte le popolazioni himalayane. Il gran numero dei devoti a Ma gcig e il carattere universale degli insegnamenti relativi al sistema detto della Recisione dei demoni, attribuito dalla tradizione alla yogini tibetana, fecero sì che nella maggior parte delle scuole, senza distinzioni settarie, si diffondessero praticanti di queste dottrine. La sua vita ci è stata tramandata da agiografie ricche di elementi fantastici: benché sia arduo distinguervi i fatti storici, esse rimangono una fonte
Papers by GIACOMELLA OROFINO
I Centomila Tantra degli Antichi : l'edizione di sDe dge del rNying ma rgyud 'bum nel fondo Tucci della biblioteca dell'Is.I.A.O
“Torrente di gioventù. Il manifesto della poesia tibetana moderna” in Alice Crisanti, Cinzia Pieruccini, Chiara Policardi, Paola M. Rossi (a cura di), Anantaratnaprabhava. Studi in onore di Giuliano Boccali, Università degli Studi di Milano-Dipartimento di Studi letterari, filologici e linguistic...
Annali Sezione Orientale, 2023
This study outlines the phases of dissemination and development of the Buddhist tantras in Tibet.... more This study outlines the phases of dissemination and development of the Buddhist tantras in Tibet. Analysing the earliest imperial catalogues, we trace, among the Buddhist scriptures that were translated from Sanskrit and Chinese into Tibetan, the first tantric texts that spread to Tibet. We then examine the doxographies and the classifications of the various categories of tantras conceived by Tibetan scholars over time, which converged in the process of formation and compilation of the different Tibetan canons of the “New” and of the “Ancient” schools. The gter ma phenomenon is analysed, considering it the way in which tantric Buddhist doctrines have been redefined over time, to adapt to various historical changes. Finally we take into consideration the creation of the Bon tantric literature, its classification and organisation in the Bon canon that, despite its development outside the mainstream schools, played an important role in the religious history of Tibet.
Cakravala, cosmografia buddhista
A Note on Two Theogonic Myths Found in a Bon Magic Ritual
From Bhakti to Bon, 2015
“Review article of A Noble Noose of Methods, The Lotus Garland Synopsis: A Mahayoga Tantra and Its Commentary, by Cathy Cantwell and Robert Mayer.”
Aryadeva’s Secret Lamp of the Noble Tradition". Review of Christian K. Wedemeyer, “Aryadeva's Lamp that Integrates the Practice (CaryAmelApakapradIpa)”. New York: The American Institute of Buddhist Studies Columbia University
Proceedings of the Ninth Seminar of the IATS, 2000. Volume 2: Religion and Secular Culture in Tibet, 2002
This is the second of three volumes general proceedings of the ninth seminar of the International... more This is the second of three volumes general proceedings of the ninth seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, held June 24-30, 2000, in Leiden, The Netherlands, hosted by the International Institute for Asian Studies (liAS). The spectacular growth of Tibetan Studies and the great popular demand for regular IA TS meetings may be apparent from the fact that the ninth seminar-even when organised only two years after the eighth-received <;lose to 400 registrations and eventually had 290 actual participants at the seminar. Approximately 270 papers have been submitted for review, roughly 235 of which have been accepted, 215 were eventually presented, and more than 150 now appear in print. Half the papers were presented in panels. This second volume comprises contributions on religious and secular culture, both from textual studies and anthropological perspectives, and a couple of articles dealing with literary fiction. Volume one contains articles about history, ancient and modem, and linguistic contributions. The last volume contains articles concerning Bhutan (guest-editor: John Ardussi) and contributions on Tibetan Art. The complete proceedings comprise seven additional volumes, which are based on specialised panels at the seminar and were edited by the panel-organisers:
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Books by GIACOMELLA OROFINO
Nella rivista letteraria sBrang char (‘Pioggia leggera’) venne pubblicata per la prima volta una poesia in versi liberi: Torrente di gioventù. Era firmata da uno pseudonimo, Rang sgrol (‘Autoliberato’), nome che celava l’identità di Don grub rGyal, una delle figure più tormentate e geniali della letteratura tibetana del Novecento, da tutti riconosciuto come il padre della poesia tibetana moderna.Fino ad allora era apparso impensabile per i poeti tibetani scrivere in versi sciol- ti. Gli unici canoni accettati erano quelli ben codificati, legati alle teorie estetiche della poesia classica, molto influenzata dal kāvya indiano.
Il lungo poema di Don grub rGyal scosse alle fondamenta il mondo intellettuale, segnò definitivamente il passaggio alla letteratura moderna tibetana e divenne il simbolo del coraggio dei tibetani contro qualsiasi tipo di oppressione politica e culturale.
Questa poesia bellissima, profondamente lirica, così importante ancora oggi per i tibetani, viene tradotta qui per la prima volta in italiano e dedicata a Giuliano Boccali, in segno di ammirazione per il suo grande contributo agli studi sul mondo indiano.
Papers by GIACOMELLA OROFINO