Research Area Coordinator / Event Management DR. ROLF SCHEUERMANN

Curriculum Vitae

In 2004, Rolf Scheuermann  obtained a diploma in Buddhist Studies from the Karmapa International Buddhist Institute, New Delhi. From 2005 to 2016, he studied at the University of Vienna and received a Magister in Tibetan and Buddhist Studies (2010) and a doctorate in Buddhist Studies (2016).

His dissertation focused on the famous doctrine of the Four Dharmas of sGam po pa (Dwags po chos bzhi), a short work that belongs to the genre of the Stages of the Path (lam rim), which has been relatively neglected so far in Western studies. Its author is the famous monk yogi sGam po pa bSod nams rin chen (1079-1153) who played a crucial role during the second spread of Buddhism in Tibet.

Apart from this work on the early bKa' brgyud tradition, his further research focuses on Tibetan eschatology, Tibetan strategies for coping with the future, the Jo nang tradition's gZhan stong-Madhyamaka philosophy and its specific interpretation of buddha nature, the translation of Buddhist works, but also cultural exchange processes.

From October 2014 to April 2021, he worked as a research coordinator at the International Consortium for Research in the Humanities “Fate, Freedom and Prognostication. Strategies for Coping with the Future in East Asia and Europe.” From April 2017 to September 2018, he was on partial leave in order to substitute the Junior Professor of Central Asian Studies at the University of Leipzig.

Since March 2021, he serves as research area coordinator and is responsible for event management at the Käte Hamburger Centre for Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Studies (CAPAS). At the Heidelberg Centre for Transcultural Studies, he also serves as an adjunct Tibetan Language Lecturer since the winter term 2021/22 and regulary interprets for different Tibetan Buddhist masters of all traditions.

During the summer term 2024, he is on leave in order to serve as Interim Professor to represent the vacant chair of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies (Vertretungsprofessur) at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.

Publications

Books and Monographs

Glimpses of Tibetan Divination. Past and Present (Prognostication in History 2). Petra Maurer, Donatella Rossi und Rolf Scheuermann (eds.). Leiden: Brill, 2019. ISBN: 978-90-04-40737-4. (peer-reviewed)

When Sūtra Meets Tantra – sGam po pa’s Four Dharma Doctrine as an Example for his Synthesis of the bKa’ gdams- and Mahāmudrā-Systems. Doktorarbeit, Universität Wien, 2015 (350 Seiten), http://othes.univie.ac.at/38587/1/2015-04-26_0507668.pdf.

Das gZhan stong dbu maʼi rgyan des rJe btsun Tāranātha Kun dgaʼ snying po - Tibetischer Text und Übersetzung. Magisterarbeit, Universität Wien, 2010 (157 Seiten), http://othes.univie.ac.at/9753/1/2010-03-15_0507668.pdf.

Chapters

“The Magic that lies within Prayer. On Patterns of Magicity and Resolute Aspirations (smon lam)”. In: Tibetan Magic. Past and Present. Aleksandra Bozena and Cameron Bailey (eds.) London: Bloomsbury, 2024, 85–102, https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/tibetan-magic-9781350354944. 

“Tibetan Buddhist Dystopian Narratives and Their Pedagogical Dimensions.” In: The End(s) of Time(s) (Prognostication in History 6). Hans-Christian Lehner (ed.). Leiden: Brill, 2021, chapter 4, 91–114.  https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004462434_006. (peer-reviewed)

“Vibhūticandra’s Svapnohana and the Examination of Dreams.” In: Glimpses of Tibetan Divination. Past and Present (Prognostication in History 2). Donatella Rossi, Petra Maurer and Rolf Scheuermann (eds.). Leiden: Brill, 2019, chapter 8, 161–180. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004410688_009. (peer-reviewed)

“Introduction – 3. On the Contributions Contained in this Volume.” In: Glimpses of Tibetan Divination. Past and Present (Prognostication in History 2). Donatella Rossi, Petra Maurer, and Rolf Scheuermann (eds.). Leiden: Brill, 2019, XXV–XXVIII.

Articles

“Auf das Innere kommt es an – Die Praxis von Weihegaben bei buddhistischen Statuen.“ In: Spurenlese 4, 2021. Angelica Hoffmeister-zur Nedden and Agnes Matthias (Eds.). Leipzig, Dresden, Herrnhut: Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, 2021, 85–97.

 “‘One Will Quickly Die!’ – Predictions of Death in Three Tibetan Buddhist Divination Manuals.” In: Longevity and Immortality. Europe – Islam – Asia. Agostino Paravicini Bagliani, Michael Lackner, Fabrizio Pregadio (eds.). Firenze, Sismel Edizioni del Galluzzo (Micrologus - Nature, Sciences and Medieval Societies XXVI), 2018, 113–132. ISBN: 978-88-8450-838-6. (peer-reviewed)

“sGam po pa’s Doctrinal System: A Programmatic Way to Buddhahood for Beings of Varying Capacity, Both Gradual and Sudden?” In: Revue d’Études Tibétaines 37, Décembre 2016, 335­–351: http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/ret/pdf/ret_37_19.pdf. ISSN : 1768-2959. (peer-reviewed)

“The Four Dharmas of sGam po pa – A Brief Examination of Padma dkar po’s Famous Dwags poʼi chos bzhiʼi rnam bshad skyes bu gsum gyi lam nyin mor byed pa.” In: Zentralasiatische Studien No. 44. Andiast: International Institute for Tibetan and Buddhist Studies, 2015, 121–144. ISBN 978-3-03809-124-0.

“When Buddhist Teachings Meet – Preliminary Remarks on the Relationship Between the Four Dharmas of sGam po pa and Kun dgaʼ snying po’s Parting from the Four Attachments.” In: Tsuguhito Takeuchi, Kazushi Iwao, Ai Nishida, Seiji Kumagai and Meishi Yamamoto (Eds.). Current Issues and Progress in Tibetan Studies: Proceedings of the Third International Seminar of Young Tibetologists, Kobe 2012 (Journal of Research Institute, vol. 51). Kobe: Kobe City University of Foreign Studies, 2013, 465–487.

Translations

The Noble Sūtra of the Great Vehicle “Dependent Arising”. English Translation of the Āryapratītyasamutpādanāma-Mahāyānasūtra (Toh. 212, sDe dge bka’ ’gyur, vol. 62, 125.a-125.b). With Casey Kemp and Khenpo Konchok Tamphel. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, Khyentse Foundation, 2016: http://read.84000.co/#UT22084-062-012/title. [Editorial policy: http://84000.co/G4 (see VII.E and VIII.B); board of reviewers: http://84000.co/about/team/].

The Sūtra of The Teaching on the Extraordinary Transformation that is the Miracle of Attaining the Buddha’s Power. English Translation of the Buddhabalādhānaprātihāryavikurvāṇanirdeśa-Sūtra (Toh. 186, sDe dge bka’ ’gyur, vol. 61, 143.b-158.a). With Gregory Forgues, Casey Kemp and Khenpo Ngawang Wöser. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, Khyentse Foundation, 2016: http://read.84000.co/#UT22084-061-006/title. [Editorial policy: http://84000.co/G4 (see VII.E and VIII.B); board of reviewers: http://84000.co/about/team/].

The Noble Sūtra of the Great Vehicle Entitled the Three Bodies. English Translation of the Āryatrikāyanāma-Mahāyānasūtra (Toh. 283, sDe dge bka’ ’gyur, vol. 68, 56.a-57.a). With Casey Kemp and Khenpo Konchok Tamphel. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, Khyentse Foundation, 2013: http://read.84000.co/#UT22084-068-017/title. [Editorial policy: http://84000.co/G4 (see VII.E and VIII.B); board of reviewers: http://84000.co/about/team/].

Book Review

“Review of Gamble, Ruth. The Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje: Master of
Mahāmudrā.”  H-Buddhism, H-Net Reviews. Juni, 2022: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showpdf.php?id=56725.

Encyclopedia Article

“Alcoholic Drinks and Drinking, Buddhism.” In: Sarao K.T.S. und Long J.D. (Hgg.). Buddhism and Jainism, Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Dordrecht: Springer, 2017: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-0852-2_150.

Editorial Activity

Fate. Newsletter of the International Consortium for Research in the Humanities, Erlangen. http://www.ikgf.uni-erlangen.de/news/newsletter-fate.shtml. ISSN (Print): 2364-2580; ISSN (Online): 2364-2661. Hg. der Ausgaben:

9/15: http://www.ikgf.uni-erlangen.de/content/newsletter/IKGF-Newsletter-2015-09-english.pdf
4/16: http://www.ikgf.uni-erlangen.de/content/newsletter/IKGF-Newsletter-2016-04.pdf
1/17: http://www.ikgf.uni-erlangen.de/content/newsletter/IKGF_Newsletter_11_WEB.pdf
9/17: http://www.ikgf.uni-erlangen.de/content/newsletter/IKGF_Newsletter_12_WEB.pdf
6/18: http://www.ikgf.uni-erlangen.de/content/newsletter/IKGF_Newsletter_13_WEB.pdf
12/18: http://www.ikgf.uni-erlangen.de/content/newsletter/IKGF_Newsletter_14_WEB.pdf
6/19: http://www.ikgf.uni-erlangen.de/content/newsletter/IKGF_Newsletter_15_WEB.pdf
12/19: http://www.ikgf.uni-erlangen.de/content/newsletter/IKGF_Newsletter_16_WEB.pdf
8/20: http://www.ikgf.uni-erlangen.de/content/newsletter/IKGF_Newsletter_17_WEB.pdf
7/21: http://www.ikgf.uni-erlangen.de/content/newsletter/IKGF_Newsletter_18_WEB.pdf

Miscellaneous

“Apocalyptic Heidelberg (Working Group Report)”. With Mia Bennet, Duane Hamacher, Thomas Meier, Juliet Simpson, Philipp Schrögel, Paolo Vignolo and Richard Wilman. CAPAS PubPub, 2023: https://capas.pubpub.org/pub/nmjwvc3n. 

“Technocalypse (Working Group Report)”. With Duane Hamacher, Philipp Schrögel and Richard Wilman. CAPAS PubPub, 2023: https://capas.pubpub.org/pub/hr6osrd9. 

“A Better World is possible”. In: Newsletter of the Käte Hamburger Centre for Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Studies No. 4, 2022, 27-29: https://backend.capas.uni-heidelberg.de/en/documents/capas-apocalypse-q….  

“A Review of the TV series Sløborn: Between Fantasy and Reality – a Fine Line.” In: Newsletter of the Käte Hamburger Centre for Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Studies No. 1, 2022, 18-19: https://www.capas.uni-heidelberg.de/md/capas/capas_newsletter_1_22.pdf.

“Iterated Interactions.” With Boris Steipe, Yi Chen and Thomas Meier. CAPAS, https://capas.pubpub.org/pub/wa602nt4/release/1, 2022.

“Das Paradies in der buddhistischen Vorstellung.” In: Helden. Märtyrer. Heilige. Wege ins Paradies. Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nürnberg 2019, 123.

Fragen an die Weltenhüter. Interview. Spurenlese Nr. 3 (Ausstellungsbroschüre), Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, 2018.

A Blog on Financial Literacy & Investing

Videos

Co-Director and Cast. “Apocalyptic Encounters (2021).” Language: English. 360° Video featuring the artists Bryndís Björnsdóttir (Dísa), Cibelle Cavalli Bastos, Elliot Woods / Kimchi and Chips, Julijonas Urbonas, Portrait XO. Director Philipp Schrögel. Co-Directors / Co-Writers / Cast: Eva Bergdolt, Gregor Kohl, Tommy Lynch, Rolf Scheuermann, Philipp Schrögel. Screened at the Conference “Another End is Possible,”  New Now Art Festival für Digitale Künste, Zollverein, Essen, 18.-19.9.2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jjmqsyi4_A.

Producer und Untertitel. “Practice of Divination: The Tibetan Zhang Zhung Ju thig Divination System (2014).” Video featuring Lopön Trinley Nyima Rinpoche and Donatella Rossi. Language: Tibetan with English subtitles. https://www.ikgf.fau.de/videos/documentaries/practice-of-divination-rinpoche.shtml.

In the Press

friedrich. Forschungsmagazin der Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Nr. 118 (Oktober 2018), “Am Ende kommt immer der Schluss [Im ewigen Kreislauf],” 14: https://www.ikgf.fau.de/content/images/friedrich_118_2018.pdf.

Leipziger Volkszeitung, “Die Spuren der Weltenhüter” (1.3.2018): https://www.lvz.de/lokales/leipzig/die-spuren-der-weltenhueter-ZTB5BKCTF47LN6JYANMCSOTSOA.html.

Erlanger Nachrichten, “Forscher wagen den Blick in die Zukunft” (25.8.2015): https://www.nordbayern.de/2.7497/forscher-wagen-den-blick-in-die-zukunft-1.4610730.