Vajrayāna Summit

Call for Papers

Vajrayāna Summit, 28 to 30 March 2018, Thimphu, Bhutan

The Second Vajrayāna Summit will be held in Bhutan from March 28 to 30, 2018. The summit will focus on experiencing and understanding how Tantric Buddhism continues to creatively adapt to the modern world. In-depth elucidations of Tantric Buddhism’s core methodologies will be presented by Bhutanese, Tibetan and international practitioners, teachers, scientific researchers, academics, and independent scholars towards a greater appreciation of Tantric Buddhism’s current role within contemporary global society.

Tantric, or Vajrayāna Buddhism arose in the Indian sub-continent, and by the eighth-century its practice extended to China, Java, Sumatra, Japan, Nepal, Sikkim, Tibet, and Bhutan. Vajrayāna is characterized by esoteric ritual as well as yogic disciplines that seek to enlighten humanity through the cultivation of self-transcendent wisdom and engaged compassion. Many of Vajrayāna’s earliest teachers were women. Buddhism in its Tantric form not only plays a central role in Bhutan and other Himalayan nations, but continues to spread throughout the world as a practice and existential disposition that unifies spiritual and worldly concerns, empowers ethical action, and promotes both individual and societal wellbeing.

The three-day series of talks and presentations will exchange knowledge and perspectives on Tantric Buddhism’s core practices while exploring their relevance and function within contemporary culture. Panels will specifically address elements of Tantric Buddhist practice such as the function of mandalas and Buddhist art; mantra practice; active imagination and meditative identification with deities; transformational dance; yogic disciplines based on internally cultivated flows of energy within the physical body; approaches to dreaming, sleeping, and dying; health and longevity practices; ‘non-dual’ forms of cognition associated with enlightened, altruistic awareness; and Tantric Buddhism’s engagement with evidence-based cognitive neuroscience and psychology.

The conference will be open to the general public and will include interactive workshops and discussion groups. For more information on participating in any aspect of the ‘Vajrayāna Summit’, please contact Mr. Jigme Phuntsho jphuntsho@bhutanstudies.org.bt.

To register for the conference free of charge, please contact them. You may also register for the conference here

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