Mission to Tibet: The Extraordinary Eighteenth-Century Account of Father Ippolito Desideri S. J.

by Fr. Ippolito Desideri S.J., Michael Sweet (Translator)

Mission to Tibet recounts the fascinating eighteenth-century journey of the Jesuit priest ippolito Desideri (1684 - 1733) to the Tibetan plateau. The italian missionary was most notably the first european to learn about Buddhism directly with Tibetan schol ars and monks - and from a profound study of its primary texts. while there, Desideri was an eyewitness to some of the most tumultuous events in Tibet's history, of which he left us a vivid and dramatic account.

Desideri explores key Buddhist concepts including emptiness and rebirth, together with their philosophical and ethical implications, with startling detail and sophistication. This book also includes an introduction situating the work in the context of Desideri's life and the intellectual and religious milieu of eighteenth-century Catholicism.

Genres: Religion, Buddhism

832 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2010

Reviews

[Noah Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely incredible translation of the Ippolito Desideri's Historical Notices of Tibet. The Historical Notices serves several purposes and is the product of several literary conventions cultivated in the spirit of Early Modern Catholicism/Catholic Reform/Counter-Reformation. Ostensibly, it is a piece of travel literature and in that respect, is similar to works of earlier authors such as Marco Polo, as well as those authors temporally closer to Desideri, such as fellow Jesuit, Athanasius Kirchner. However, Desideri's work is much more than simply a travelogue recording the various details of Desideri's journey from Rome to India and Tibet and eventual return to Rome. Additionally, the Historical Notices is a critical work in Tibetan Studies or "Tibetology," a field inaugurated by Jesuit Antonio de Andrade, but significantly expanded and matured by Desideri. Ultimately, however, the Historical Notices is birthed from a distinct genre of religious and geopolitical literature developed for the sake of furthering the distinct goals of the Catholic Church in early modernity. This religious and geopolitical genre is a product of the "relazioni" letters first pioneered by Venetian and Papal diplomats that contained encyclopedic descriptions of a given country and its currents events for the purpose of informing and influencing political decisions by the diplomats' superiors. Notably, the "relazioni" genre received a religious spirit with Giovanni Botero's Le Relazioni Universali, a massive and encyclopedic description of every region and people of the world, the status of Catholic missions in those regions, and possible means for the Church to expand its "spiritual dominion" via spiritual and political methodologies expounded in Botero's other works, namely Della Ragion di Stato and Delle causa della grandezza delle citta. Any reader familiar with Botero's corpus will immediately see thematic parallels, as well as likely influences in Desideri's work, which provides an encyclopedic description of India and Tibet, the status of Catholic missions in those regions, possible plans of action for future missions, advice on how to influence religious and political figures in India and Tibet, and a spirited and idiosyncratic call to expand the domain of Christendom that is tinged with economic and political metaphors and language. Unfortunately the author of the preface merely touches upon the ecclesiological and political significance of Desideri's work, suggesting it functions as a sort of propaganda piece for the Society of Jesus, yet he fails to connect Desideri's HNT to a specific religious and geopolitical literature of 16th and 17th centuries. Considering the mingling of spiritual and political themes in "relazioni" literature, Desideri's work is of great value for mature students of ecclesiology, theology, and the history of political thought. Clearly, Desideri meant for his work to possess practical purpose and inform both the Papal and Roman "centers" as to how to execute successful missionary work in the "peripheries", with an eye to both understanding, influencing, and manipulating spiritual and political circumstances in those "peripheries."

As for Desideri's work itself, it is truly a masterpiece of "relazioni" literature. It is far too massive for me to discuss every aspect in detail here and I am no student of Tibetan studies, but the breadth and depth of Desideri's work is unmatched. His descriptions of India and Tibet are filled with rich and precise details, as well as occasional humorous asides that capture the amicable character of the author. Particularly enjoyable are Desideri's descriptions of Buddhist ritual and customs, his pastoral work in Tibet and India, and his engagement with Buddhist theology, all of which are a testament to his intellect, charity, and acumen at organizing and executing missionary work. Additionally, Desideri's explanation of Tibetan script and language is intriguing, straightforward, and digestible for any reader. At times, Desideri's writing might seem excessively prolix, especially when discussing recent political, military, or economic events in India and Tibet. However, it is important to remember that while these might appear to be boring history lessons to the 21st century reader, for the 18th century reader--especially one at the Propaganda Fide or in the employ of the Superior General of the Society of Jesus--this information was incredibly valuable, as it provided a relation--a "relazioni"-- of contemporary circumstances that the Church needed to consider in order to successfully execute missions in India and Tibet. Perhaps the most intriguing part of Desideri's work are the final chapters he devotes to calling upon Catholic Europe to lend its spiritual and material support to missions across the globe. Reading like a zealous sermon by someone like Bossuet or John Chrysostom, Desideri masterfully interweaves scripture, Scholastic theology, and the political and economic language of the Second Scholastics to call for a massive mobilization of all parts of Christendom for the sake of spreading the Gospel to foreign lands; these parts were truly some of the most touching and inspiring pieces of spiritual literature I have read.

All in all, I cannot more enthusiastically suggest this book. It is massive and will certainly take time to digest, but for students of ecclesiology, church history, the history of political thought, theology, comparative religions, or Tibetology, this book is an absolute must-read. Even the casual reader, simply interested in the missionary activity of the Jesuits in early modern will come away thoroughly impressed and much more knowledgeable. 11/10