Subproject A03

Metaphors and their Semantic Fields in Texts of the ‘Experience Instruction’ Genres of Tibetan Buddhism

This project aims, first, to contribute to the study of religious metaphors by investigating the Buddhist metaphors of light, space, movement, and agriculture. Second, it will examine two genres of Tibetan religious literature in this context, mainly the genre of experience instructions and, as a contrast, the genre of gradual path texts. Third, it aims to establish a reciprocal relationship between religious metaphors and genres, asking what influence these metaphors have on the two genres and how these genres contribute to the development of religious metaphors.

Publications

Published:

Articles

• Sobisch, Jan-Ulrich. “Do You Speak Mahāmudrā? How the Inexpressible is Said Through Metaphors,” With a Translation of Tilopa’s Gangama Upadeśa and of Karmapa Rangjung Dorjé’s Commentary.” In Metaphor Papers 5 (2023): 85 pp. DOI: 10.46586/mp.260
• Sobisch, Jan-Ulrich. “The Way in Tibetan Buddhism—How Metaphors Transform Practice.” In Special Issue: Characteristics and Developments of WAY Metaphors in Religious Traditions in Metaphor Papers 19 (2025), Kianoosh Rezania, Neda Mohtashami and Roman Seidel (eds.), 25 pp. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46586/mp.430.506
• Sobisch, Jan-Ulrich. “‘Nothing to be Practiced’ (bsgom du med)—A Paradox and a Metaphor in the Tibetan Instruction Genres.” In Special Issue: Contemplation and Non-Doing in Entangled Religions 14/4, Dylan Esler (ed.), DOI: https://doi.org/10.46586/er.14.2025.12536.

Edited Special Issues

• Nikita Artemov, Linda Simonis and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch (eds). Special Issue: Sealing, Molding, Imprinting, and Inscribing as Religious Metaphors in Metaphor Papers 22 (2025).
  Articles: 
  • Simonis, Linda. “Sealing, Molding, Imprinting, and Inscribing as Religious Metaphors.” In Special Issue: Sealing, Molding, Imprinting, and Inscribing as Religious Metaphors in Metaphor Papers 22, Nikita Artemov, Linda Simonis and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch (eds.), 5 pp. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46586/mp.422.496
  • Artemov, Nikita. ““You shall set these my words upon your heart” (Deuteronomy 11:18) Sealing and Writing as Metaphors for Interiorizing Messages in Biblical Hebrew and their Ancient Near Eastern Background.” In Special Issue: Sealing, Molding, Imprinting, and Inscribing as Religious Metaphors in Metaphor Papers 22, Nikita Artemov, Linda Simonis and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch (eds.), 44 pp. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46586/mp.422.493
  • Simonis, Linda. “‘Written in the Mind.’ Genealogies and Affiliations of a Melanchthonian Metaphor.” In Special Issue: Sealing, Molding, Imprinting, and Inscribing as Religious Metaphors in Metaphor Papers 22, Nikita Artemov, Linda Simonis and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch (eds.), 28 pp. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46586/mp.422.492
  • Sobisch, Jan-Ulrich. “Seal, Mold, Print-Imprint, and Propelling. A Glimpse of Powerful Metaphors in Tibetan Buddhist Literature.” In Special Issue: Sealing, Molding, Imprinting, and Inscribing as Religious Metaphors in Metaphor Papers 22, Nikita Artemov, Linda Simonis and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch (eds.), 37 pp. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46586/mp.422.494

In Copy Editing:

Monograph

• Sobisch, Jan-Ulrich. The Kusāli Yogi. How Vinaya, Mahāmudrā, and Yoga Converge in the Kagyupa Yogi-Monk. Leiden: Brill, forthcoming.

In External Peer Review Process:

Edited Special Issues

• Meinert, Carmen, Vivien Staps, and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch (eds). Special Issue: More Light on the Metaphors of Light—Part I in Metaphor Papers 26, forthcoming.
  Articles: 
  • Meinert, Carmen. “The Great Wisdom Mind like the Light of the Sky: Light Metaphors in the Early Tibetan Buddhist Dzogchen Tradition.” In Special Issue: More Light on the Metaphors of Light—Part I in Metaphor Papers 26, Carmen Meinert, Vivien Staps, and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch (eds.), forthcoming.
  • Jürgens, Claudia and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch. “Embodied Light-Metaphors: The Example of the ‘Flame Meditation.’” In Special Issue: More Light on the Metaphors of Light—Part I in Metaphor Papers 26, Carmen Meinert, Vivien Staps, and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch (eds.), forthcoming.
  • Orofino, Giacomella. “From Metaphor to Metaphysics: The Triad of Metaphor, Meaning, and Sign in Bön Dzogchen Philosophy.” In Special Issue: More Light on the Metaphors of Light—Part I in Metaphor Papers 26, Carmen Meinert, Vivien Staps, and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch (eds.), forthcoming.
  • Artemov, Nikita. “‘In your light do we see light’ (Psalm 36:9). Light Metaphors in the Book of Psalms: Cross-cultural Conceptual Background and Religious Functions.” In Special Issue: More Light on the Metaphors of Light—Part I in Metaphor Papers 26, Carmen Meinert, Vivien Staps, and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch (eds.), forthcoming.
  • Stünkel, Knut. “Towards a Refined Everyday Metaphorics of Light. On Cusanus’ Sermons CXXVIII, CXXIX, and CXXX.” In Special Issue: More Light on the Metaphors of Light—Part I in Metaphor Papers 26, Carmen Meinert, Vivien Staps, and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch (eds.), forthcoming.

Articles:

• Meinert, Carmen and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch. “Mountain Retreat in Tibet: How to be Mindful Towards Nature.” In Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, in external review process, forthcoming.

In Preparation:

Monograph

• Jürgens, Claudia and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch. Sahajayoga Mahāmudrā: Basic Texts and Metaphors, Leiden, Brill, publication planned for 2026.

Edited Special Issues (with External Peer Review Process)

• Meinert, Carmen, Vivien Staps, and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch (eds). Special Issue: More Light on the Metaphors of Light—Part II in Metaphor Papers 26, publication planned for 2026.
  Articles: 
  • Meinert, Carmen. “Light Metaphors in Religious Traditions in a Comparative Perspective—An Introduction.” In Special Issue: More Light on the Metaphors of Light—Part II in Metaphor Papers 26, Carmen Meinert, Vivien Staps, and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch (eds.), publication planned for 2026.
  • König, Götz. “On the Metaphor of ‘Light’ in the Zoroastrian, especially Old Avestan and Younger Avestan Literature. A Critique of Hans Blumenberg’s Metaphorological Essay on ‘Light’ from the Perspective of an Iranist.” In Special Issue: More Light on the Metaphors of Light—Part II in Metaphor Papers 26, Carmen Meinert, Vivien Staps, and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch (eds.), publication planned for 2026.
  • Marra, Floriana. “At the Source of Light. Short Remarks on the Father of Greatness and Light in Manichaean Cosmogony.” In Special Issue: More Light on the Metaphors of Light—Part II in Metaphor Papers 26, Carmen Meinert, Vivien Staps, and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch (eds.), publication planned for 2026.
  • Piras, Andrea. “The Recovery of Light: Metaphors of Rescuing the Light Soul in Manichaeism.” In Special Issue: More Light on the Metaphors of Light—Part II in Metaphor Papers 26, Carmen Meinert, Vivien Staps, and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch (eds.), publication planned for 2026.
  • Newton, Nic. “The Patterns of Light: Knowledge, Aesthetic Experience, and Metaphor in the Gaṇḍavyūhasūtra.” In Special Issue: More Light on the Metaphors of Light—Part II in Metaphor Papers 26, Carmen Meinert, Vivien Staps, and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch (eds.), publication planned for 2026.
  • Di Giacinto, Licia. “‘Spiritual Luminaries’ or ‘Spiritual Illumination’? The Binomial shenming and Light-Metaphor in Some Early Chinese Texts.” In Special Issue: More Light on the Metaphors of Light—Part II in Metaphor Papers 26, Carmen Meinert, Vivien Staps, and Jan-Ulrich Sobisch (eds.), publication planned for 2026.