András Róna-Tas : Tibeto-Mongolica Revisited. With a New Introduction and Selected Papers on Tibetan Linguistics. xxviii, 465 pp. Leiden and Boston: Global Oriental, 2014. ISBN 978 90 04 25118 2.

Abstract

to challenge the traditional picture of Buddhist monks as meditation specialists. With reference to Buddhist art in particular, Schopen has shown that the monk as depicted in the Mūlasarvāstivāda vinaya is "a construction foreman, an art promoter, a banker, an entrepreneur, sometimes a shyster and sometimes a saint" (Buddhist Monks and Business Matters, Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2004, pp.19-20). In the same article (pp. 35-6) Schopen argues that the function of religious paintings, according to this particular monastic code, is primarily to attract patrons and donations. The authors of this volume have many valuable things to say about the art and architecture of the caves; yet their argument that meditation practice is the key to understanding the architecture and painting at Kuča leaves much open to question. Too little is said of the economics of patronage, the availability of materials and technology, and the agency of the craftsmen and artists who created the caves, sculptures and paintings. Vignato acknowledges this lack (p. 105), stating that the socioeconomic aspects of the caves "will need to be further explored as new material evidence becomes available". Nevertheless, the book provides a useful survey of the architecture and art of this key Buddhist site, bringing together a great deal of information and analysis in a single, well-illustrated volume.