Where Did the Time-Space-Knowledge Vision Come From?
Aptness of the Vision For the West
"When I first began to investigate experience and events in terms of time, space, and knowledge, I wondered why these three topics should have come to the foreground. There are certainly other compelling ways to make sense of human experience and the human world. As I shared my investigations with others, however, I began to appreciate that this way of investigating has powerful advantages.
"A focus on time, space, and knowledge fits well with the Western mind, for time and space are objective factors in our lives, and knowledge is central to all that we do. Without time, we could not be alive; without space, we could not be embodied. Experience, appearance, and action all depend on time, space, and knowledge. Yet these fundamental facets of being are not widely appreciated or discussed; indeed, for the most part they are taken for granted.
"An inquiry centered on time, space, and knowledge offers an opportunity for clear and incisive analysis. It can draw on cultural concepts and terms that resonate with some of the most creative trends in Western thought. It also harmonizes well with concerns that arise naturally in a society where time seems always to be speeding up, space is subject to steady manipulation, and knowledge changes dramatically with each generation." (Tarthang Tulku, pp. xii-xiii, Dynamics of Time and Space)
The Historical Creation
"The TSK vision is dedicated to the exploration of time, space, and knowledge as facets of human being. I first began to focus seriously on this way of understanding in 1975, and the vision became available to the public late in 1977, with the publication of Time, Space, and Knowledge.
"Readers found the new book both challenging and rewarding. Almost immediately they asked for classes and other forms of instruction. I had led some exploratory seminars starting in 1976; now I offered several workshops and training programs to help make these new ideas more accessible. In 1979 authorized teachers began to present classes, workshops, and intensive programs. That year a nine-month intensive program based on the new book was held at the Nyingma Institute in Berkeley, and for several years after that there were annual intensives, both in Berkeley and elsewhere.
"As interest spread to other lands, workshops were organized in Europe, Asia, South America, and the Middle East. Within a few years after publication, translations of the TSK book had appeared in Dutch, German, and Italian. and unofficial translations were circulating in the Former Soviet Union. There was also a positive reaction in the academic realm, and over the years Time, Space, and Knowledge has been adopted for use in more than a hundred university and college classes. Much of this interest has been quite solid and long-lasting. For many years now there have been ongoing programs based on TSK in The Netherlands, where some students have been actively engaged in study and practice for more than a decade. Informal study programs two years or longer in length have also been organized in Russia, Ukraine, Australia, and Germany, as well as in the United States.
"Encouraged by this continuing enthusiasm for the vision, by a steady stream of letters from readers, and by intensive discussions with friends, I have continued with my own investigations. A second book in the TSK series, Love of Knowledge, was published in 1987. This was followed in 1990 by Knowledge of Time and Space. In each case, readers responded with strong appreciation. Intensive programs based on these books were held at the Nyingma Institute from 1988 through 1991, and translations of one or both titles are now underway in several countries.
"One early indication of interest in TSK was the publication in 1980 of a two-volume collection of essays, Dimensions of Thought. Here professionals from a number of fields reported on their reactions to the new vision, and serious students described some of their experiences. In many cases they drew parallels and made connections to their own disciplines that expanded the potential scope of the vision.
"These two volumes launched a new Dharma Publishing series under the title Perspectives on TSK. Earlier this year [1993], the third volume in this series, Mastery of Mind, was published. The present work, which has been edited by Jack Petranker and other members of the Dharma Publishing editorial staff, is my response to this new expression of interest in the vision. As more works in the Perspectives series are published, I plan to continue making further contributions of my own." (Tarthang Tulku, pp. vii-ix, Visions of Knowledge)
The newest releases by Tarthang Tulku in the Time-Space-Knowledge series are Dynamics of Time and Space. (1994), Light of Knowledge (1997), and Sacred Dimensions of Tiime and Space (1997).
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