Nov 25, 2026
Temporality in the Environment Aspects of Spatial Orientation in Seventeenth Century Tibet
- 14:00 to 15:30
- Colloquium
- Max Planck Research Group (ASTRA)
- Petra Maurer
Abstract
Spatial orientation in Tibetan geomantic and cosmological thought is structured through an integrated symbolic system that links directions, seasons, elemental phases, animals, and topographical features. Tibetan geomancy considers important geographical factors such as location, orientation, altitude, and distance, as well as the shapes and patterns of environmental features like mountains, waterways, rocks, trees, and buildings. While these principles primarily govern the evaluation of terrestrial sites, they also involve the assessment of the sky and the calculation of time-related variables. Spatial organisation is therefore shaped not only by topography but also by temporal factors, including the daily movement of the sun, zodiacal and constellational systems, elemental phases, trigrams, the nine mewa, the Four Celestial Animals, and directional protector deities. From a general perspective, terrestrial space, together with time and its determining variables, forms the “vessel” or the “container” (snod), in other words, the space or the environment. Therewith, spatial organisation serves to place humans within space and time. In the presentation, I will introduce Desi Sanggye Gyatso’s aspects of spatial organisation as detailed in Chapter 32 of the White Beryl which concerns the (unbuilt) environment or the geographical space in general, the built environment, and the ritual space. His explanations touch on numerous disciplines, including geography and its many sub-disciplines―including human, more-than-human, social, and religious geography—as well as geology, architecture, astronomy, divination, and computation.
Biography
TBC
Contact and Registration
We welcome both internal and external guests. Registration is only required for in-person attendance. All talks will be streamed via Zoom. For further information about the colloquium series, please contact Luigi Rogora (lrogora@mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de). Feel free to distribute information and Zoom link widely.
Zoom link: https://eu02web.zoom-x.de/j/63346371983?pwd=bVHKIYbBbXJF0GbGj5NkGqMZe9KaeI.1
Meeting ID: 633 4637 1983
Passcode: 899771
About This Series
The Tibetan term tsi (“calculation”) represents the broadest term for astral sciences, interconnecting diverse disciplines deeply embedded within the classical Buddhist fields of knowledge. Far from being intellectually isolated, High and Central Asia engaged in dynamic cultural exchanges spanning from India, Tibet and the Himalayas, Mongolia and Central Asia, up to China. Within this framework, distinct streams were synthesized: computational astronomy, tied to the Kālacakratantra, used to model celestial mechanics and construct calendars; astrological systems linked to the Indian Svarodayatantra (Yuddhajayārṇava); and mantic practices like geomancy, which claimed Chinese origins while deeply rooted to local contexts.
Furthermore, by viewing the human body as a microcosm structurally attuned to cosmic movements and earthly shifts, astral sciences enabled an interconnected understanding of change across time, space, and somatic experience, eventually connecting it to medical expertise. These practices flourished mainly within monastic centers but spread through trans-regional encounters, mediated primarily by Tibetan and Mongolian scholars.
The colloquium series “Sky, Earth, and Bodies: Astral Sciences across High and Central Asia” highlights recent contributions to the field and opens critical perspectives on the practical life of science in these regions. Invited speakers will trace the adaptation and transmission of astral knowledge across High and Central Asia. Specifically, the series addresses geography and cartography, astral medicine, astronomy, astrology, and mantic arts as they traveled between sources, languages, places, and people, offering a broader understanding of the history of knowledge across trans-regional Asia.