Virupa Across Traditions: Siddha Stories at the intersection of Buddhism and Saivism

Virūpa Across Traditions: Siddha Stories at the Intersection of Buddhism and Śaivism About the Talk: "Drawing from my doctoral dissertation and other recent research projects, in this talk I will survey nearly a millennium of life-writings, liturgies, and material culture devoted and/or attributed to the enigmatic medieval Indian siddha known as Virūpa or Virūpākṣa. Collectively, these sources reveal a fascinatingly dialogic siddha character able to skillfully mediate and articulate cross-sectarian encounters between Buddhist, Nāths, and Śāiva-Śākta traditions across India, Nepal, and Tibet. In the process, I will problematize the academic tendency to reduce hagiography to historicity, instead exploring alternative ways of reading life stories of saints suitable for both scholars and practitioners." Dr. Westin Harris (Yogi Singhanath) completed his PhD in the Study of Religion at the University of California and is now serving a postdoctoral residency at the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art as their Resident Scholar in Himalayan Cultures. Blending text critical, art historical, and ethnographic research methods, Westin's research interrogates the deeply dialogic relationship between Buddhist and Śaiva-Śākta traditions. His doctoral dissertation, entitled, "Vignettes of Virūpa: Writing and Reading a Siddha Across Traditions," is a multilingual, transregional study of life-writings about the siddha Virūpa, or Virūpākṣa, as a window into the persistent historical interactions between Buddhists and Nāth yogīs. An avid scholar-practitioner, Westin also frequently collaborates with religious organizations as a translator and research consultant. Vimarsha Academia Hindu Studies Lecture Series For more information visit our website: https://www.vimarshafoundation.org/ta...