PhDr. Anna Sehnalová, M.Phil.
Anna Sehnalova is currently pursuing her PhD in Oriental Studies at Faculty of Arts, Charles University and Oriental Institute, University of Oxford.
Coming to Tibet for the first time ten years ago in the search of Chinese Jewish communities as a student of Chinese culture, she cannot stop returning. Subsequently, she has spent several years in Tibetan areas (India, Nepal, Tibet / PRC), realizing the impossibility of living without mountains.
In the field of Tibetan Studies Anna focuses on human’s relationship with the natural environment, on the perception and reflection of landscape and wildlife in Tibetan culture and religion. She deals with traditional Tibetan medicine, botany and species’ classification, as well as landscape sacralisation and pilgrimage power places. Furthermore, she studies the Bon religion and convergence of Buddhism with popular cults and traditions. She remains fascinated by nomadic orality and knowledge of the natural world.
For her PhD Anna is engaged with two projects: the Bonpo healing sman sgrub ritual of Triten Norbutse Monastery (Kathmandu, 2012); and the history and cult of the sacred mountain of Amnye Machen (a mnyes rma chen), or Machen Pomra (rma chen spom ra).
Anna’s other interests include Anthropology, Linguistics, Biology and Ecology.
Education
(2015, one semester) Visiting PhD student at Minzu University of China, Beijing (fieldwork in eastern Tibet)
(2014, one semester) Spoken Lhasa Tibetan language course, Tibet University, Lhasa
(2013-) D.Phil. in Oriental Studies, Oriental Faculty and Wolfson College, University of Oxford, UK & Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
(2011-2013) M.Phil. with Distinction in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies, Oriental Faculty and Wolfson College, University of Oxford
(2011) PhDr. in Languages and Literatures (a Czech degree obtainable after Mgr.), Faculty of Arts, Charles University
(2003-2010) Mgr. (MA) with Distinction in Languages and Literatures, Faculty of Arts, Charles University
Bibliography
(Forthcoming) “The Bonpo Mendrub (sman sgrub) Ritual: Medicinal Materiality of a Universal Healing Ceremony”, The Journal of the International Association for Bon Research.
(2015) „Uvedení do tibetského lékařství I.: Historický nástin a spis Gjüži“ (Introduction to Tibetan Medicine I.: A Historical Overview and the Gyuzhi Treatise), Nový Orient (Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague), roč. LXX, 1, pp. 41-48.
(2015) „Inviting Medicine: Mendrub (Sman grub) healing for everyone and everything“, Tibetan and Himalayan Healing: an Anthology for Anthony Aris, Charles Ramble a Ulrike Roesler (eds.), Vajra Books, Kathmandu, s. 633-649.
(2012) “Ažkenázští Židé v Šanghaji” (Ashkenazi Jews in Shanghai), Novy Orient (Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague), LXVII, 1, pp. 20-23.
(2008) “Perští Židé v Šanghaji” (Persian Jews in Shanghai). Novy Orient (Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague), LXIII, 1, pp. 22-24.
Papers presented
(23.6.2015) “Nub gling gi bod rig pa’i ’byung ba’i skor” (The Origins of Tibetan Studies), Qinghai University for Minorities, Xining, ČLR
(31.3.2015) “Nub gling bas bod kyi rtsom rig skor la bzung ba’i lta ba” (Tibetan Literature Approached by the West), Minzu University of China, Beijing, ČLR
(14.11.2014) “Tibetan Studies in the West”, Tibet University, Lhasa, ČLR
(4.6.2014) “Amnye Machen as the King of the rma”, workshop Worldly Protectors in Tibetan Religions, Wolfson College, University of Oxford.
(23.3.2014) Talk “Medicinal Mandala: Tibetan Medicine in Ritual”, conference Bodies in Balance, Rubin Museum of Art, New York.
(22.7.2013) “The Bonpo sman sgrub ritual”, The 13th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Ulaanbaatar.
(6.6.2013) “The Bonpo sman sgrub ritual: Materiality of a Tantric Healing Ceremony”, Oriental Institute, Oxford University
(1.2.2013) “The Bonpo and Buddhist Pilgrimage of the Dragon Crystal Mountain, Dolpo”, Oriental Institute, University of Oxford.
(4.5.2012) “The yearly festival cycle of the Kathmandu Valley”, Oriental Institute, University of Oxford.
Translations
(2013) Bonpo ritual texts featured in ethnographic film Blood for the Gods: Ritual Revival among the Pumi people in Southwest China, project “Icons and Innovation in Southwest China’s Religious Texts”, Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Oxford (Translation Tibetan/English).
(2008) Poems at exhibition of Israeli artist and poet Margo Paran Wandering After Little Hints, Education and Culture Center, Jewish Museum, Prague (Translation Hebrew/Czech).
Media
(2015) Nepalskym Dolpem ke Kristalove hore” (A Journey through Dolpo to the Crystal Mountain) [with J. Kocurek], Lide a Zeme (Forthcoming)
(2013) “Svatek Draci kristalove hory” (The Festival of the Dragon Crystal Mountain) [with J. Kocurek], Tibetske listy (Tibetan Newsletter, Prague), 43/44, pp. 28-52.
(2012) “Alasitas, svatek miniatur” (Alasitas, a Festival of Miniatures) [with J. Kocurek], In Lide a Zeme, vol. 61, no. 2, 2012, pp. 100-108.
(2008-2011) Series and articles on Tibet, Nepal, China and Israel, Czech Radio.
(2008) “Cely Izrael z daru?” (Does the whole of Israel come from a gift?: Jewish Philanthropy), Literarni noviny (Literary News, Prague), vol. 19, no. 30, p. 8.
(2008) “Uz ani propaganda neni, co byvala” (Even the propaganda deteriorates: China in Tibet), Literarni noviny (Literary News, Prague), vol. 19, no. 11, p. 8.
(2006) “Posvatne symboly pri recyklaci” (Sacred symbols being recycled: Pesach in Judaism and Christianity), Literarni noviny (Literary News, Prague), vol. 17, no. 16, p. 7.
Grants and Scholarships
(2015) University of Oxford scholarship as a visiting PhD student at Minzu University of China, Beijing (one semester)
(2014-2015) Project “Tibetan Ritual and its Reflection in Medical Tradition”, Research Grant, Faculty of Arts, Charles University.
(2013-) D.Phil. Tise Foundation Scholarship, University of Oxford.
(2013-2014) Involved in research project “Icons and Innovation in Southwest China’s Religious Texts”, Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Oxford.
(2012) Fieldwork in Kathmandu, Nepal funded by Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies and Wolfson College, University of Oxford.
(2012) Fieldwork in Dolpo, Nepal funded by Tise Foundation, Oriental Faculty and Wolfson College, University of Oxford.
(2012) Involved in research project “Buddhism and Plants”, Charles University.
(2009) Project “Baghdadi Jews in Asian Diaspora: the Sassoon Family of Bombay”, Research grant, Faculty of Arts, Charles University.
(2008) One-month Government of Israel Ulpan Scholarship, University of Haifa, Israel.
(2006-2007) One-year Czech-Chinese Governments Exchange Scholarship: Modern Chinese language course, Lanzhou University, PRC.