Sobisch, J.

PersonType	Category:Professors Category:Translators
FirstName / namefirst	Jan-Ulrich
LastName / namelast	Sobisch
MainNamePhon	Jan-Ulrich Sobisch
SortName	Sobisch, Jan-Ulrich
bio	Jan Sobisch studied Tibetology as main subject at Hamburg University (1985-1992, Prof. Seyfort Ruegg), and the minor subjects Classical Indology (1986-1992, Profs. Schmithausen and Wezler), and Philosophy (1990-1992, Prof. Schnädelbach). During his dissertation (Prof. David Jackson), he worked on a genre of Tibetan literature that debates theories of simultaneously practising without conflicts and within a single mental continuum the ethics and vows of sravakas, bodhisattvas and mantra adepts. During these years (1994-1999) he also worked half time in the Nepal-German Manuscript Preservation Project for Prof. Wezler. While working for the project, he discovered among microfilms made available to us the 30 volumes of the complete works of A mes zhabs (1597-1659), one of the most prolific Tibetan writers on history and mantra. This enabled him to obtain two stipends from the German Research Council (DFG) for studying the manuscripts of A mes zhabs' works (leading to the publication of a catalogue and study) and his documents of transmission (gsan yig or thob yig). The latter project Sobisch passed on to a successor when he accepted the position of an assistant professor in Copenhagen. Within A mes zhabs' works he found numerous writings on the Hevajra Tantra and the connected Path with Its Fruits cycle (lam 'bras). These he researched in his early years in Copenhagen, leading to the publication of a study of the Indian and Tibetan literatures of these teachings. In 2006, he received tenure in Copenhagen and put much effort into building a study program for Tibetan that included classical, Buddhist, and modern studies. His research in the past ten years focussed on the early 'Bri gung bKa' brgyud pas and their unique dGongs gcig, a text that had a tremendous impact on the formation of the bKa' brgyud pas from the 13th c. onwards. His monograph on this work is accepted for publication in the Indian and Tibetan Buddhist Studies Series of Wisdom Publications. Unfortunately, the Danish government began a series of dramatic budget cuts that resulted in the dismissal of over 500 persons at the University of Copenhagen. In order to save the larger programs like Chinese and Religious Studies, his institute leadership decided to sacrifice the smaller subjects like Tibetan, Sanskrit and Thai Studies, and Sobisch was laid-off with six months notice in February, 2016. In the same year he was granted the Humboldt Research Award in recognition of his entire achievements in research to date. (Source Accessed Sept 9, 2020)
affiliation	Ruhr-Universitat Bochum
StudentOf	David Seyfort Ruegg  ·  David Jackson
phduniversity	Hamburg University
education	1999 - Dr. phil. Hamburg University
IsInGyatsa	No
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Jan-Ulrich Sobisch has studied Tibetology, Indology, and Philosophy at Hamburg University, where he received a Dr. phil. in 1999. In the following years he worked at Hamburg, Munich, and finally Copenhagen University, where he is associate professor for Tibetan Studies since 2006. He has researched and published on Tibetan theories of harmonizing pratimoksha, bodhisattva, and mantra vows (sdom pa gsum), documents of transmission (gsan yig), manuscripts, and the literature on Hevajra and the Path with Its Fruit (lam 'bras) teaching. He presently works on Tibetan handwritten scripts, indigenous tantric theories, and the reception of Indian Buddhism in Tibet between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries. Source