Abgeschlossene Masterarbeiten
Diese Übersicht gibt Einblick in kürzlich am ISTB abgeschlossene Masterarbeiten und zeigt die thematische Vielfalt unserer Nachwuchsforscher*innen.
Transformation religiöser Hindu-Traditionen: Geschlechtsspezifische Mantra-Praktiken zweier Generationen öffentlicher weiblicher Gurus
Luisa Masznitz, 2025
Betreuung: Borayin Larios
Diese Masterarbeit untersucht die geschlechtsspezifischen Veränderungen in den Diskursen über den Wandel des Zugangs zur Mantra-Rezitation in den religiösen Traditionen des Hinduismus mit einem Schwerpunkt auf den indischen Guru-Bewegungen des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts. Mit Blick auf den ungleichen Zugang zu religiösem Wissen und religiösen Praktiken, hervorgerufen durch die historische Ausgrenzung und Teilhabe von Frauen an der brahmanischen Hindutradition, wird die sich wandelnde Rolle indischer weiblicher Gurus untersucht. Dabei wird analysiert, wie diese geschlechtsspezifischen Herausforderungen begegnen und bei der Neugestaltung von traditionellen Geschlechterrollen sowie Veränderungen religiöser Praktiken für Frauen nach Legitimität als auch Autorität streben. Unter Berücksichtigung historischer, sozialer und religiöser Faktoren werden Themen, wie gelebte hinduistische Religiosität, weibliche Spiritualität und indische Weiblichkeit im Kontext der Transformation hinduistischer Traditionen durch weibliche Gurus behandelt, wobei ein besonderer Schwerpunkt auf Mantra-Praktiken in digitalen und analogen Räumen liegt.
Für diese Arbeit erhielt Luisa Masznitz den Würdigungspreis 2025 vom österreichischen Bundesministerium für Frauen, Wissenschaft und Forschung. Der Preis wird an die besten Master- und Diplomabsolventen aller Universitäten in Österreich vergeben.
The Nature of Bodhicitta. Translation and Analysis of the Bodhicittavivaraṇa Commentary Tshig don gsal ba by the fourth Zwa dmar pa
Daniel Florian Dorji Gratzer, 2025
Betreuung: Klaus-Dieter Mathes
This MA thesis provides the first complete English translation of the Commentary on Enlightened Mind (Bodhicittavivaraṇa), [called] An Elucidation of the Meaning of Words, which is a 15th-century Tibetan commentary authored by the fourth Zhwa dmar pa Chos grags ye shes (1453-1524) on the Bodhicittavivaraṇa, which is attributed to tantric Nāgārjuna. Building on this translation, the thesis explores the concept of ultimate reality in the Karma Bka' brgyud school of Tibetan Buddhism, focusing on the philosophical position of the fourth Zhwa dmar pa. It investigates how he articulates the central Bka' brgyud view of a moderate gzhan stong Madhyamaka: a position that regards both the true nature and adventitious stains as empty of own being, while distinguishing them experientially. After giving an overview of relevant concepts, the fourth Zhwa dmar pa's position is compared to that of his two most prominent teachers-the seventh Karma pa Chos grags rgya mtsho (1454-1506) and 'Gos lo tsa ba Gzhon nu dpal (1392-1481)-and with that of the third Karma pa Rang byung rdo rje (1284-1339), who was the first to introduce this moderate gzhan stong view in the Bka' brgyud school. Their respective understandings of ultimate reality, tathāgatagarbha (Buddha-nature), and ālayavijñāna are examined and compared. The thesis concludes that the fourth Zhwa dmar pa follows 'Gos lo tsa ba in presenting moderate gzhan stong as a direct approach to luminous emptiness-a position that views the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras of the second turning as compatible with the third turning and for which the Bodhicittavivaraṇa provides an essential doctrinal foundation.
Managing Gay, Bisexual and Queer Identities in Nepal: Strategies of Visibility, Belonging and Resistance within Family and Society
Marie Sophie Schild, 2025
Betreuung: Rolf Bauer | Alaka Chudal
This master's thesis explores how gay, bisexual, and queer (GBQ) individuals in Nepal navigate their sexual identities within a sociocultural environment shaped by heteronormative expectations and strong familial obligations. While Nepal’s 2015 Constitution guarantees rights for LGBTQIA+ individuals, everyday life remains constrained by traditional gender roles, the centrality of cis-heterosexual marriage, and the pressure to uphold family reputation. Grounded in three months of ethnographic fieldwork in the Kathmandu Valley, this study draws on participant observation, narrative and semi-structured interviews, and informal conversations with ten GBQ-identifying individuals. The research employs a qualitative, interpretive approach informed by cultural anthropology, gender studies, and queer theory.
The Notion of the Three Kinds of Suffering (ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika) in Classical and Medieval Sanskrit Literature
Anja Vukadin, 2023
Betreuung: Karin Preisendanz
This MA thesis deals with the classification and explanation of the three kinds of suffering, ādhyātmika (suffering relating to something belonging to the Self), ādhibhautika (suffering relating to something belonging to living beings) and ādhidaivika (suffering relating to something belonging to the gods or to heaven). The reference to these three kinds of suffering is very well known from the opening verse of the teaching of classical Sāṃkhya philosophy in the Sāṃkhyakārikā. Although the verse itself only uses the term duḥkhatraya, ‛triad of suffering’ or ‘three kinds of suffering,’ the commentators on the Sāṃkhyakārikā and other authors provide further information on the names of these three kinds of suffering, their definitions and sub-classification, and explain them, mainly by way of exemplification. However, it is not clear whether this classification of duḥkha originates from the Sāṃkhya philosophy. The same classification is also found in various other Sanskrit literatures, such as the classical Yoga philosophy and the Pāśupata tradition, in the Purāṇas, in Āyurveda, etc. In this context, the present thesis addresses the question how the interpretation and description of the duḥkhatraya developed in classical and medieval Sanskrit literature. Therefore, translations of selected passages of the commentaries on Sāṃkhyakārikā 1, Sāṃkhyasūtra 1, of short commentaries and other works included in the Sāṃkhyasaṃgraha, of commentaries on Pātañjalayogaśāstra 1.31, and of the Pañcārthabhāṣya, Brahmapurāṇa, Viṣṇupurāṇa and Suśrutasaṃhitā, are included. The rich information contained in these selected passages is then presented in tabular form and subsequently evaluated from various points of view, such as the mutual relationship between the interpretations in the sources and their crucial differences, their inner logic and development, and the identification of peculiar features of them.
The Life and Times of 'Gos Lo tsā ba gZhon nu dpal: The Master's Early Years
Jamie Gordon Creek, 2023
Betreuung: Klaus-Dieter Mathes
In many ways, the fifteenth century occupies a crucial role in the intellectual history of Tibet. 'Gos Lo tsā ba gZhon nu dpal (1392-1481 ), a master of the bKa' brgyud tradition most famous for having penned the Blue Annals, witnessed the unfolding of events of this century almost in its entirety and can be argued to be a crucial figure to understand the intellectual climate of this period. To trace how Tibet could produce such an exceptional thinker, this thesis aims to take a close look at the early stages of his life - i.e., his formative years and scholarly training - appreciating the historical and political circumstances of this period that allowed him to flourish in his studies and practice. The present work seeks to analyze the first part of 'Gos Lo tsā ba's rnam thar, which contains his upbringing, family background, and early scholarly formation - i.e., the masters he trained with and the works he studied - and to demonstrate the factors that were involved in him becoming the high-caliber and broadly positioned scholar he was. The main part of this thesis contains an annotated translation of the first part of his biography entitled Yon tan rin po ehe mchog tu rgyas pa 'i ljon pa, written by his most prominent disciple, the 4th Zhwa dmar pa Chos grags ye shes (1453-1524).
Yoga und Islam: Diskursanalyse einer Publikation der muslimischen Unterorganisation des hindunationalistischen RSS
Marion Valentin, 2022
Betreuung: Martin Gaenszle
Die Masterarbeit untersucht die Publikation „Yoga und Islam“ (2015) der Muslim Rashtriya Manch im Kontext der Debatten um die Vereinbarkeit von Yoga und Islam in Indien. Dabei wird insbesondere ihre Einbettung in hindu-nationalistische Diskurse sowie ihre Rolle in der politischen und gesellschaftlichen Positionierung muslimischer Akteur:innen analysiert.
Das neue Bild Nikolai Roerichs. Die Wandlung des Bildes Nikolai Roerich anhand von seiner Zentral-asiatischen Expedition in der modernen Literatur
Tatiana Meshkova, 2022
Betreuung: Martin Gaenszle
Die Zentral-asiatische Expedition, die vom berühmten russischen Maler und Friedensstifter Nikolai Roerich zwischen 1925 und 1928 durchgeführt wurde, wird heutzutage in der Literatur kontrovers diskutiert. In der Literatur des 20. Jahrhunderts wird die Zentral-asiatische Expedition als eine kultur-wissenschaftliche Expedition dargestellt. Jedoch zeigte es sich mit der Zeit, insbesondere dank wiederentdeckter Dokumente, die früher nicht zugänglich waren, dass es sich dabei um einen geopolitischen Plan handelte, den „Großen Plan“. In diesem Plan ging es vor allem um die Gründung eines Neuen Landes, mitten im Herzen Asiens, eine Art irdisches Shambhala.
In der zeitgenössischen Literatur wird die Person Nikolai Roerich von ganz unterschiedlichen Seiten dargestellt. Aus diesem Anlass wurden zwei Forschungsfragen gestellt. Die erste Frage lautete: Wie wird Nikolai Roerich und sein Asien Projekt in der zeitgenössischen Literatur dargestellt? Die zweite: Welche Wandlung nahm das Bild Nikolai Roerichs im Laufe der Epochen als Künstler, Mystiker, Politiker und Mensch im Hinblick auf seine gegenwärtige Darstellung in der Literatur?
Bei dieser Arbeit handelt es sich ausschließlich um eine vergleichende Literaturarbeit. Dabei wird Sekundärliteratur zur Person Nikolai Roerich gesichtet und analysiert. Es werden die relevanten und wichtigen Stellen, vor allem aus den vorliegenden, modernen Biografien zu Nikolai Roerich herangezogen und folglich verglichen sowie kritisch betrachtet.
Through the Eyes of the Goddess: How a Popular Divination Ritual Found its Way into Unexcelled Yoga Tantra
Georgi Krastev, 2022
Betreuung: Klaus-Dieter Mathes
Among the many arcane allusions in the Kālacakra corpus of texts, the comparison of the visions of “one united with Reality” (tattvayogī) to the nature of a prognostic image (pratisenā) is one of the most intriguing. However, limited attention has been devoted to it. The ritual of pratisenā (or, more commonly, prasenā) was not invented by the author of the Kālacakratantra, but has much older, deeper and more complex roots, perhaps partly even in the Greco-Roman world. Some permutation on the practice is attested in Śaiva, Buddhist and even Jain sources. This thesis strives to build upon the previous scholarship on the topic, locate and examine further texts related to prasenā and seek a preliminary answer to the question why prasenā was of such prominence and how it came to be so.
Ādivāsī Janajāti Āndolan - Die Bewegung der Indigenen Nationalitäten: Identitätsformierung und Organisationsaufbau als Strategien der Identitätspolitik in Nepal (1990-2006)
Doris Lehner, 2021
Betreuung: Martin Gaenszle
The master thesis deals with the bottom-up historiography of the Ādivāsī Janajāti-movement in a democratic Nepal after 1990. In alignment with the transnational or rather global movement of indigenous peoples and the discourse of indigeneity this movement formulates a new collective group identity for various different ethnic groups and developed from a loose movement to an institutionalised organisation. The collective concerns of indigenous groups, the advocacy efforts of the indigenous education-elite through different culture and identity politics and the organisational capacity building of indigenous groups are the main topics of this master thesis. At the same time the relationship between the dominant Hindū-groups and the subaltern ethnic groups is analysed, and the public institutionalisation (from above) within the existing legal framework is illuminated. Furthermore the organisational realms of the first two indigenous organisations in Nepal are defined: ‘Nepāl Ādivāsī Janajāti Mahāsaṃgh / Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities‘ (NEFIN) und ‘Ādivāsī Janajāti Utthān Rāṣṭriya Pratiṣṭhān / National Foundation for Development of Indigenous Nationalities‘ (NFDIN). On the level of theory, this master thesis positions itself in the field of Subaltern / Postcolonial Studies.
Indiens Soft Power und die Darstellung Mahatma Gandhis aus hindunationalistischer Perspektive: eine Analyse der Jubliäums-Website zu seinem 150. Geburtstag
Anselm Doischer, 2021
Betreuung: Martin Gaenszle
Die vorliegende Arbeit behandelt die Fragestellung, ob die Neuausrichtung der indischen Soft-Power-Politik der BJP-Regierung eine hindunationalistische Ideologieverfärbung erfährt. Der empirische Teil, welcher die Website des 150. Geburtsjubiläums Mahatma Gandhis analysiert, bejaht diese Behauptung, indem herausgearbeitet wird, wie die Inhalte dieser Website hindunationalistisches Gedankengut enthalten.
The Life and Deeds of mNga' ris Paṇ chen dbang rgyal According to His Biography by Rig 'dzin Padma 'phrin las
Alexandra Sukhanova, 2021
Betreuung: Klaus-Dieter Mathes
The main subject of this thesis is the figure of mNga' ris Paṇ chen Padma dbang rgyal rdo rje Grags pa rgyal mtshan (1487–1542). The recent scholarship has primarily dealt with mNga' ris Paṇ chen’s position in the terma (gter ma) transmission lineage of the Northern Treasures (Byang gter). The primary Tibetan sources on this figure are relatively scarce. With the hope to fill some gaps in knowledge on this remarkable spiritual master from the 16th-century Mustang, the thesis provides a full translation of the latter’s hagiography composed in the second half of the 17th century by Rig 'dzin Padma 'phrin las (1641–1718). The thesis includes an edition of this hagiography, describes the framework of its composition and an gives the analysis of Rig 'dzin Padma 'phrin las’s possible motives behind writing the biography of mNga' ris Paṇ chen Padma dbang rgyal. In addition, one chapter is dedicated to the description of mNga' ris Paṇ chen’s birthplace and the landmarks associated with him in the Marang valley of modern Mustang.