Sam van Schaik explained

Sam van Schaik
Fields:	Tibetology
Workplaces:	British Library
Alma Mater:	University of Manchester
Known For:	Study of Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan manuscripts from Dunhuang

Sam Julius van Schaik is an English tibetologist.

Education

He obtained a PhD in Tibetan Buddhist literature at the University of Manchester in 2000, with a dissertation on the translations of Dzogchen texts by Jigme Lingpa.^[1]

Career

Since 1999 he has worked at the British Library in London, and is currently a project manager for the International Dunhuang Project, specialising in the study of Tibetan Buddhist manuscripts from Dunhuang.^[2] He has also taught occasional courses at SOAS, University of London.^[3]

From 2003 to 2005 van Schaik worked on a project to catalogue Tibetan Tantric manuscripts in the Stein Collection of the British Library, and from 2005 to 2008 he worked on a project to study the palaeography of Tibetan manuscripts from Dunhuang, in an attempt to identify individual scribes.^[4]

In February 2019 van Schaik was appointed as the head of the Endangered Archives Programme at the British Library.^[5]

Books

Van Schaik is the author or co-author of:

• Approaching the Great Perfection: Simultaneous and Gradual Approaches to Dzogchen Practice in the Longchen Nyingtig (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2004).
• Tibetan Tantric Manuscripts from Dunhuang: A Descriptive Catalogue of the Stein Collection at the British Library, co-authored with Jacob Dalton (Leiden: Brill, 2006). ^[6]
• (London: Yale University Press, 2011). ^[7]
• Manuscripts and Travellers: The Sino-Tibetan Documents of a Tenth-Century Buddhist Pilgrim, coauthored with Imre Galambos (Berlin: de Gruyter, 2012). ^[8]
• Tibetan Zen: Discovering a Lost Tradition (Boston & London: Snow Lion, 2015). ^[9]
• The Spirit of Zen (Yale University Press, 2018),^[10] winner of the 2019 Tianzhu Book Prize for Excellence in Chan Studies^[11]
• Buddhist Magic: Divination, Healing, and Enchantment Through the Ages (Boulder: Shambhala 2020) ^[12]

His edited volumes include:

• Esoteric Buddhism at Dunhuang: Rites and Teachings for this Life and Beyond, co-edited with Matthew Kapstein (Leiden: Brill, 2010). ^[13]

He is also the translator of:

• Dhongthog Rinpoche, The Sakya School of Tibetan Buddhism: A History, Translated by Sam van Schaik (Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, Inc., 2016).

External links

• Sam van Schaik's academic blog

Notes and References

1. Web site: IDP Research Profiles : Sam van Schaik . . 2011-03-05 .
2. Web site: Staff Research Profiles : Dr Sam van Schaik . . 2011-03-05 .
3. Web site: earlyTibet : The Author . 2011-03-05 .
4. Web site: IDP Research Projects . . 2011-03-05 .
5. Web site: Sam Van Schaik . The British Library . 14 February 2019 . 8 October 2019 .
6. Review of Tibetan Tantric Manuscripts from Dunhuang:
   • Wedemeyer . Christian K. . March 2009 . 1 . Religious Studies Review . 76 . 10.1111/j.1748-0922.2009.01331_1.x . none. 35 .
7. Reviews of Tibet: A History:
   • Bence . Charlotte . June 2011 . Socialist Review . Review . 359.
   • Bhattacharya . Abanti . May 19, 2012 . 20 . Economic and Political Weekly . 23214624 . 37–39 . Exhaustive study of Tibet . 47.
   • Bischoff . Jeannine . August 2012 . 7–8 . Sehepunkte . de . Rezension . 12.
   • Hill . Nathan . 10.1017/S0041977X11001108 . 1 . Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London . 23258923 . 190–192 . none . 75 . 2012.
   • Holmes-Tagchungdarpa . Amy . June 2016 . 2 . Journal of World History . 43901867 . 373–378 . none . 27. 10.1353/jwh.2016.0099 .
   • Jagou . Fabienne . Bulletin de l'École française d'Extrême-Orient . 43733250 . fr . 444–445 . none . 97–98 . 2010–2011.
   • Jansen . Berthe . Journal of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies . 255–258 . Review . 2 . 2012.
   • News: Joshi . Manoj . January 1, 2012 . India Today . Tibet: So near yet so far .
   • Schellhase . John . The Mantle . Of priests and patrons .
   • Singh . Priyanka . July 2012 . 10.1080/03068374.2012.682720 . 2 . Asian Affairs . 310–311 . none . 43. 162279810 .
   • Sudbury . Jill . July 2012 . 10.1558/bsrv.v29i1.142 . 1 . Buddhist Studies Review . 142–144 . none . 29.
   • Sullivan . Brenton . November 2012 . 10.1017/S0021911812001489 . 4 . The Journal of Asian Studies . 23357455 . 1135–1139 . none . 71. free .
8. Reviews of Manuscripts and Travellers:
   • Barrett . T. H. . 10.1017/S0041977X1300030X . 2 . Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies . 24692833 . 339–340 . none . 76 . 2013. 162377688 .
   • Maurer . Petra . June 2018 . 10.1515/olzg-2018-0058 . 2 . Orientalistische Literaturzeitung . de . 181–182 . none . 113. 166199506 .
   • Willock . Nicole . November 2012 . 10.1017/S0021911812001490 . 4 . The Journal of Asian Studies . 23357456 . 1140–1141 . none . 71. free .
9. Reviews of Tibetan Zen:
   • Pitkin . Annabella . April 20, 2016 . Lion's Roar . Forgotten Encounters of Tibetan Zen .
   • Zigmond . Dan . Winter 2015 . Tricycle . The Lost Tradition of Tibetan Zen .
10. Reviews of The Spirit of Zen:
    • Barrett . T. H. . February 2019 . 10.1017/s0041977x1900020x . 1 . Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies . 193–195 . none . 82. 194303066 .
    • Keyworth . George A. . April 2021 . 10.1086/712955 . 0022-4189 . 2 . The Journal of Religion . 291–292 . none . 101. 236757496 .
11. Web site: Tianzhu Book Prize Lecture: The Meanings of Meditation in Early Zen Buddhism, by Sam van Schaik. H-Net. Carol. Lee. September 19, 2019.
12. Reviews of Buddhist Magic:
    • Jandáček . Petr . June 2021 . 10.47979/aror.j.89.1.216-218 . 1 . Archiv Orientální . 216–218 . none . 89. free .
    • Kern . Erika Harlitz . July–August 2020 . Foreword Reviews . Review .
13. Reviews of Esoteric Buddhism at Dunhuang:
    • McClellan . Joe . February 2011 . 10.1017/S0021911810003335 . 1 . The Journal of Asian Studies . 41302240 . 225–227 . none . 70. 162290292 .
    • Wedemeyer . Christian K. . June 2012 . 10.1111/j.1748-0922.2012.01614_4.x . 2 . Religious Studies Review . 122 . none . 38.