The JCS Editors are delighted to announce a call for papers for a Special Issue devoted to Philosophy and Contemplation in Tantric Buddhism with guest editor Yaroslav Komarovski (University of Nebraska – Lincoln).

This JCS Special Issue gives attention to intersections and relationships between philosophical and contemplative dimensions of Buddhist tantric traditions. While Buddhist philosophy and tantric practice have received increasing attention from contemporary scholarship, their intersections and mutual influences remain relatively underexplored. To fill this lacuna, we invite scholars to explore how historical and contemporary Buddhist tantric practices are informed by philosophical ideas developed within tantric social circles and assimilated from broader pools of Buddhist and/or non-Buddhist cultural matrices.

Given the centrality of contemplative practice to Tantra, the Special Issue is concerned with longstanding questions about how philosophy informs tantric practice, and vice versa, how practices may inform tantric views. Authors in the issue are invited to probe ongoing debates in Buddhist tantric traditions about whether a unique view of Tantra exists, and if so, what specific philosophical views are prescribed for a practitioner to succeed in tantric practice. Combined with the fact that many seminal tantras display little interest in philosophy, the issue invites scholars to think about questions regarding the importance of holding specific philosophical views in Buddhist Tantra.

To address these and related issues, the JCS Editors welcome contributions from scholars working in any area of Buddhist Tantra, including traditions from India, Tibet and the Himalayan world, Mongolia, Japan, Southeast Asia, the modern West or elsewhere. This could include such tantric and post-tantric traditions and practices from the Unsurpassable Yoga Tantra, Dzogchen, Mahāmudrā, Tendai, Shingon, Yogāvacara, and others. While this Special Issue largely gives attention to the history of philosophy and practice in Buddhist Tantra, the editors welcome a limited number of submissions on topics related to contemporary issues, such as the interface of science and tantric Buddhist practice, as long as scholarship is grounded in humanistic methods.

The deadline for submitting an abstract of 300-500 words is 11/1/2023. Notice will be given as to the status of abstract proposals by 11/15/2023. Final articles will be due by 3/1/2024. All final publication decisions are at the discretion of the guest editor of the Special Issue and JCS Executive Editor. Questions should be directed to ykomarovski2@unl.edu. Submit all abstracts through the author portal via the JCS Submissions page.