New Publication: "The Bodhisattva's Body in a Pill: The Material and Spiritual History of a Buddhist Relic Tradition" by James Gentry

Congratulations to our faculty member James Gentry for his new book, The Bodhisattva's Body in a Pill: The Material and Spiritual History of a Buddhist Relic Tradition (University of Virginia Press, 2026). James's book is the first historical study of the medicinal maṇi pill, one of the most popular relic traditions in Tibetan Buddhism. Exploring the thousand-year history of this pill, James follows its influence on Tibetan conceptions of the body and health, its place in negotiations between different Buddhist sects and institutions, and its dissemination across the global Tibetan diaspora today.

James joined the HCBSS Podcast last November to discuss the project. The book releases in July, but you can pre-order it now on the University of Virginia Press website.