Simone Weil and Tantric Buddhism
Publication Type |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication |
2004 |
Author |
|
Journal |
Cahiers Simone Weil |
Volume |
27 |
Number |
1 |
Pages |
47-60 |
Language |
English |
Keywords |
David-Néel, Alexandra, |
Annotation |
Little looks at Simone Weil's encounter with Tantric Buddhism, primarily her response to Alexandra David Néel's Magic and Mystery in Tibet as well as Milarepa's thought found in the translation by J. Bacot in 1925, titled Milarépa, ses crimes, ses preuves, son nirvana. Little briefly describes how and when Weil came to these texts before focusing on Weil's comments on Tibetan deity practice specifically in relation to her notions of reading, decreation and necessity. Little also outlines Weil's thought on the Tibetan practice of chod, comparing it to the 'difficult' prayer found in Weil’s “La connaissance surnaturaelle”, where Weil asks to be stripped of all of her mental and physical capacities; a prayer that has both intrigued and horrified her readers. Little ends by commenting on Weil's fascination with Milarepa's attitude towards food, noting how well it fits with Weil's own preoccupation with it. |