Alexis Sanderson
Encyclopedia
Alexis G. J. S. Sanderson (born 1948) is an Indologist and fellow of All Souls College at the University of Oxford
. After taking undergraduate degrees in Classics and Sanskrit at Balliol College from 1968 to 1971, he spent six years in Kashmir
studying with the scholar and Śaiva guru Swami Lakshman Joo. From 1977 to 1992 he was University Lecturer in Sanskrit and a Fellow of Wolfson College
. In 1992 he was appointed to the Spalding Chair of Eastern Religions and Ethics and became a Fellow of All Souls.
Sanderson is a scholar of Sanskrit
and of Indian religions, especially of Shaivism
and esoteric Śaiva Tantra, commonly (but not quite correctly) known as Kashmir Shaivism
. He has written with authority on this subject and has made many of his studies publicly available through his personal website. Sanderson's published articles, resting on a critical reading of the Sanskrit sources, especially in manuscript, are well regarded and often cited by European and American scholars.
during the Early Medieval Period.” In: Shingo Einoo, ed., Genesis and Development of Tantrism, Tokyo: University of Tokyo, Institute of Oriental Culture, March 2009, pp. 41–349.
“Atharvavedins in Tantric Territory: The Āngirasakalpa Texts of the Oriya Paippalādins and their Connection with the Trika and the Kālīkula, with critical editions of the Parājapavidhi, the Parāmantravidhi, and the *Bhadrakālī-mantravidhiprakarana.” In: The Atharvaveda and its Paippalāda Śākhā: Historical and Philological Papers on a Vedic Tradition, edited by Arlo Griffiths and Annette Schmiedchen. Aachen: Shaker Verlag
, 2007. Geisteskultur Indiens: Texte und Studien, 11, Indologica Halensis, pp. 195–311.
“The Śaiva Exegesis of Kashmir.” In: Mélanges tantriques à la mémoire d’Hélène Brunner / Tantric Studies in Memory of Hélène Brunner, edited by Dominic Goodall and André Padoux, Pondicherry: Institut français d’Indologie / École française d’Extrême-Orient, 2007. Collection Indologie 106, pp. 231–442 and (bibliography) pp. 551–582.
“Swami Lakshman Joo and His Place in the Kashmirian Śaiva Tradition.” In: Samvidullāsah, edited by Bettina Bäumer and Sarla Kumar, New Delhi: D.K. Printworld, 2007, pp. 93–126.
“The Lākulas: New evidence of a system intermediate between Pāñcārthika Pāśupatism and Āgamic Śaivism.” Ramalinga Reddy Memorial Lectures, 1997. In: The Indian Philosophical Annual 24 (2006), pp. 143–217.
“Religion and the State: Śaiva Officiants in the Territory of the Brahmanical Royal Chaplain (with an appendix on the provenance and date of the Netratantra).” In: Indo-Iranian Journal 47 (2004), pp. 229–300.
“A Commentary on the Opening Verses of the Tantrasāra of Abhinavagupta.” In Sāmarasya: Studies in Indian Arts, Philosophy, and Interreligious Dialogue in Honour of Bettina Bäumer, ed. Sadananda Das and Ernst Fürlinger. New Delhi: D.K. Printworld (2005), pp. 89–148.
“The Śaiva Religion Among the Khmers, Part I.” In: Bulletin de l’Ecole française d’Extrême-Orient, 90-91 (2003–2004), pp. 349–463.
“Remarks on the Text of the Kubjikāmatatantra.” In: Indo-Iranian Journal 45, (2002), pp. 1–24.
“History through Textual Criticism in the study of Śaivism, the Pañcarātra and the Buddhist Yoginītantras.” In: Les Sources et le temps. Sources and Time: A Colloquium, Pondicherry, 11–13 January 1997, edited by François Grimal. Publications du département d’Indologie 91. Pondicherry: Institut Français de Pondichéry/École Française d’Extrême-Orient (2001), pp. 1–47.
“Meaning in Tantric Ritual.” In Essais sur le Rituel III: Colloque du Centenaire de la Section des Sciences religieuses de l’École Pratique des Hautes Études, edited by A.-M. Blondeau and K. Schipper. Bibliothèque de l’École des Hautes Études, Sciences Religieuses, Volume CII. Louvain-Paris: Peeters (1995), pp. 15–95.
“Vajrayāna: Origin and Function.” In: Buddhism into the Year 2000. International Conference Proceedings, Bangkok and Los Angeles: Dhammakāya Foundation (1995), pp. 89–102.
“The Doctrine of the Mālinīvijayottaratantra.” In Ritual and Speculation in Early Tantrism. Studies in Honour of André Padoux, ed. T. Goudriaan. Albany: State University of New York Press (1992), pp. 281–312.
“The Visualization of the Deities of the Trika.” In L’Image Divine: Culte et Méditation dans l’Hindouisme, edited by A. Padoux. Paris: Éditions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (1990), pp. 31–88.
“Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions.” In The World’s Religions, edited by S. Sutherland, L. Houlden, P. Clarke and F. Hardy. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul (1988), pp. 660–704. Reprinted in The World’s Religions: The Religions of Asia, edited by F. Hardy. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul (1990), pp. 128–72.
“Mandala and Āgamic Identity in the Trika of Kashmir.” In Mantras et Diagrammes Rituelles dans l’Hindouisme, ed. Andre Padoux. Équipe no. 249 ‘L’hindouisme: textes, doctrines, pratiques.’ Paris: Éditions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (1986), pp. 169–214.
“Purity and Power among the Brāhmans of Kashmir.” In The Category of the Person: Anthropology, Philosophy, History, eds. M. Carrithers, S. Collins and S. Lukes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (1985), pp. 190–216.
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. After taking undergraduate degrees in Classics and Sanskrit at Balliol College from 1968 to 1971, he spent six years in Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
studying with the scholar and Śaiva guru Swami Lakshman Joo. From 1977 to 1992 he was University Lecturer in Sanskrit and a Fellow of Wolfson College
Wolfson College, Oxford
Wolfson College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Located in north Oxford along the River Cherwell, Wolfson is an all-graduate college with over sixty governing body fellows, in addition to both research and junior research fellows. It caters to a wide range of...
. In 1992 he was appointed to the Spalding Chair of Eastern Religions and Ethics and became a Fellow of All Souls.
Sanderson is a scholar of Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and of Indian religions, especially of Shaivism
Shaivism
Shaivism is one of the four major sects of Hinduism, the others being Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Smartism. Followers of Shaivism, called "Shaivas," and also "Saivas" or "Saivites," revere Shiva as the Supreme Being. Shaivas believe that Shiva is All and in all, the creator, preserver, destroyer,...
and esoteric Śaiva Tantra, commonly (but not quite correctly) known as Kashmir Shaivism
Kashmir Shaivism
Among the various Hindu philosophies, Kashmir Shaivism is a school of Śaivism consisting of Trika and its philosophical articulation Pratyabhijña...
. He has written with authority on this subject and has made many of his studies publicly available through his personal website. Sanderson's published articles, resting on a critical reading of the Sanskrit sources, especially in manuscript, are well regarded and often cited by European and American scholars.
Selected publications
“The Śaiva Age — The Rise and Dominance of Śaivismduring the Early Medieval Period.” In: Shingo Einoo, ed., Genesis and Development of Tantrism, Tokyo: University of Tokyo, Institute of Oriental Culture, March 2009, pp. 41–349.
“Atharvavedins in Tantric Territory: The Āngirasakalpa Texts of the Oriya Paippalādins and their Connection with the Trika and the Kālīkula, with critical editions of the Parājapavidhi, the Parāmantravidhi, and the *Bhadrakālī-mantravidhiprakarana.” In: The Atharvaveda and its Paippalāda Śākhā: Historical and Philological Papers on a Vedic Tradition, edited by Arlo Griffiths and Annette Schmiedchen. Aachen: Shaker Verlag
Shaker Verlag
Shaker Verlag is a German publishing house located in Maastricht and Herzogenrath , established in 1986 by Dr. Chaled Shaker. Shaker Verlag is a publisher of scientific literature, especially monographs and dissertations. More than 20,0000 books are on stock, many of them in English, also sold as...
, 2007. Geisteskultur Indiens: Texte und Studien, 11, Indologica Halensis, pp. 195–311.
“The Śaiva Exegesis of Kashmir.” In: Mélanges tantriques à la mémoire d’Hélène Brunner / Tantric Studies in Memory of Hélène Brunner, edited by Dominic Goodall and André Padoux, Pondicherry: Institut français d’Indologie / École française d’Extrême-Orient, 2007. Collection Indologie 106, pp. 231–442 and (bibliography) pp. 551–582.
“Swami Lakshman Joo and His Place in the Kashmirian Śaiva Tradition.” In: Samvidullāsah, edited by Bettina Bäumer and Sarla Kumar, New Delhi: D.K. Printworld, 2007, pp. 93–126.
“The Lākulas: New evidence of a system intermediate between Pāñcārthika Pāśupatism and Āgamic Śaivism.” Ramalinga Reddy Memorial Lectures, 1997. In: The Indian Philosophical Annual 24 (2006), pp. 143–217.
“Religion and the State: Śaiva Officiants in the Territory of the Brahmanical Royal Chaplain (with an appendix on the provenance and date of the Netratantra).” In: Indo-Iranian Journal 47 (2004), pp. 229–300.
“A Commentary on the Opening Verses of the Tantrasāra of Abhinavagupta.” In Sāmarasya: Studies in Indian Arts, Philosophy, and Interreligious Dialogue in Honour of Bettina Bäumer, ed. Sadananda Das and Ernst Fürlinger. New Delhi: D.K. Printworld (2005), pp. 89–148.
“The Śaiva Religion Among the Khmers, Part I.” In: Bulletin de l’Ecole française d’Extrême-Orient, 90-91 (2003–2004), pp. 349–463.
“Remarks on the Text of the Kubjikāmatatantra.” In: Indo-Iranian Journal 45, (2002), pp. 1–24.
“History through Textual Criticism in the study of Śaivism, the Pañcarātra and the Buddhist Yoginītantras.” In: Les Sources et le temps. Sources and Time: A Colloquium, Pondicherry, 11–13 January 1997, edited by François Grimal. Publications du département d’Indologie 91. Pondicherry: Institut Français de Pondichéry/École Française d’Extrême-Orient (2001), pp. 1–47.
“Meaning in Tantric Ritual.” In Essais sur le Rituel III: Colloque du Centenaire de la Section des Sciences religieuses de l’École Pratique des Hautes Études, edited by A.-M. Blondeau and K. Schipper. Bibliothèque de l’École des Hautes Études, Sciences Religieuses, Volume CII. Louvain-Paris: Peeters (1995), pp. 15–95.
“Vajrayāna: Origin and Function.” In: Buddhism into the Year 2000. International Conference Proceedings, Bangkok and Los Angeles: Dhammakāya Foundation (1995), pp. 89–102.
“The Doctrine of the Mālinīvijayottaratantra.” In Ritual and Speculation in Early Tantrism. Studies in Honour of André Padoux, ed. T. Goudriaan. Albany: State University of New York Press (1992), pp. 281–312.
“The Visualization of the Deities of the Trika.” In L’Image Divine: Culte et Méditation dans l’Hindouisme, edited by A. Padoux. Paris: Éditions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (1990), pp. 31–88.
“Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions.” In The World’s Religions, edited by S. Sutherland, L. Houlden, P. Clarke and F. Hardy. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul (1988), pp. 660–704. Reprinted in The World’s Religions: The Religions of Asia, edited by F. Hardy. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul (1990), pp. 128–72.
“Mandala and Āgamic Identity in the Trika of Kashmir.” In Mantras et Diagrammes Rituelles dans l’Hindouisme, ed. Andre Padoux. Équipe no. 249 ‘L’hindouisme: textes, doctrines, pratiques.’ Paris: Éditions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (1986), pp. 169–214.
“Purity and Power among the Brāhmans of Kashmir.” In The Category of the Person: Anthropology, Philosophy, History, eds. M. Carrithers, S. Collins and S. Lukes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (1985), pp. 190–216.