The Forgotten Mandala in the Great State of White and High
From the traceless footsteps of Snow Feather, incarnation of the dakini Niguma, to the thundering hooves of the Iron Hawk elite cavalry. . . In the heart of Inner Asia, the Tangut Empire, or Xixia (Western Xia), connected medieval Tibetan Buddhism to the legacy of China’s Yuan Dynasty. This rich history, embodied in archeology, esoteric Vajrayana, and a unique, esoteric script, echoes down to our Vajrayana tradition of today.
The Legacy of the Iron Pagoda Empire
“Tangut Time” is a series of articles exploring the newest in Tangutology (the study of the Tangut Empire), riding a wave of progress in Tangut studies in recent years. In particular, we examine Tangut Buddhism and its continuity with Mongol Vajrayana, the power and presence of deities like Mahakala and Vajravahari across Eurasia. We also delve into contemporary forays into Tangut folklore, literature, and memory, exploring how our modern perceptions of the Tangut mystique shape new creations, both fictive and non-fiction, about this Inner Asian empire that both bridged China and Tibet and was a unique civilization in its own right.
Articles in this series
Book Review: Curses of the Kingdom of Xixia
Mahakala, Tangut and Mongol Deity of Ritual Warfare: Kublai Khan
Mahakala, Tangut and Mongol Deity of Ritual Warfare: The Guardian of Western Xia
A Timeline of Tangutology, Part One
A Timeline of Tangutology, Part Two
Published pieces
Tangut Tango: Exploring the Wuwei Xixia Museum in Gansu, China
Tangut Twilight: Living Buddhism in the City of Ghosts
Secrets of the Esoteric Empire: The Tangut Script
The Caves of the Blazing Sword: Gansu Province’s Manjushri Mountain Grottoes
On The Hunt for the Water Moon Guanyin in “Pre-Genghis Esoteric North Asia”
“Tangut Time” header banner by Yui Iida
