Heterodoxe lehren und ihre widerlegung im Kālacakra-tantra

Summary At the end of the second chapter of the Buddhist Klacakra-Tantra (dated c. 10th century) we find a group of verses in which several doctrines are characterized and criticized: Brahmanism, Vaisnavism, aivism, materialism, Islam and Jainism. Moreover the text refers to Buddhism itself as well as the so-called heterodox Buddhist schools. It is the only old Sanskrit text known until now in which the Islam is mentioned and recognized as a doctrine.     

The art of nationalism: Artists' perspectives on the Latvian Centenary film programme

In the aftermath of several decades of neoliberalism in Eastern Europe, the social fabric of post-socialist societies is frayed. In this context, nationalist cultural policies and everyday displays of national belonging have emerged as key instruments of social solidarity. There has recently been a drive of state initiatives in Latvia in the field of cultural policy aimed at strengthening national identity. In this paper, we focus our attention on one particular cultural policy initiative, Latvian Films for Latvian Centenary. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 16 film directors who participated in the Centenary film programme, the paper explores how artists and cultural operators involved in this programme are mobilised as national(ist) subjects and how they see their work within such a framework. We argue that nationalist cultural policy can be successfully implemented because the artists, themselves formed as responsible political and moral subjects in the tradition of Latvian cultural nationalism, share a regard for culture and the arts as a resource for sustaining the political statehood and the national community. However, the artists also recognise the limitations of their work as a source of social cohesion and solidarity in a society that is ethnically divided.