The Jesuit missions to Tibet and China: the different approaches to Buddhism (16th - 18th centuries)

ANA CAROLINA HOSNE

Anais de historia do alem mar

CHAM - Centro de História d'Aquém e d'Além Mar, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa

Lugar: Lisboa; Año: 2016 vol. XVII p. 224 - 243

0874-9671

The missions the Jesuits established in Asia provided the first interpretations of Buddhism and the first reactions against it by Westerners. This article proposes to analyse Jesuit Ippolito Desideri?s (1684-1733) approach to Buddhism in his first writing in Tibetan, ?The Sign of the Dawn that clears awaydarkness? (tho rangs mun sel nyi ma shar ba?ibrda) in the light of previous views of Buddhism that prevailed in the missions in Asia, especially Matteo Ricci?s (1552-1610) in Ming China. Desideri?s unprecedented insight intoBuddhist philosophy serves as a rich counterpoint to Ricci?s views of Buddhism,as the latter?s poor of some of the main Buddhist doctrines ? like those of ?emptiness?and ?rebirth? ? went alongside harsh accusations against what Ricci regarded asan ?idolatrous sect.?