The origins of this book go back to 1981–2, when I spent nine months as a research associate at the Anthropology Department of the University of California at Berkeley. Most of it was completed in 1987 when I was at the Department of Social Anthropology at Manchester University. I doubt that I would have written it without the hospitality and the intellectual stimulation I received during these two periods of leave, and I am deeply grateful to Professor Nelson Graburn, Professor Marilyn Strathern, and to the staff of the two departments for their support and assistance. I would also like to thank the University of Newcastle, New South Wales, for making these two visits possible.

Many people have provided help, comments or encouragement during this period. Among them are Michael Allen, Jane Azevedo, Arie Brand, Hiram Caton, Matthew Ciolek, Alex Comfort, Tony Cohen, Prem Das, Derek Freeman, Ernest Gellner, Sandra Grimes, Janet Gyatso, Kai Hahlweg, Monica Hayes, Cliff Hooker, Joachim Israel, Norton Jacobi, Bruce Kapferer, Roger Keesing, Lise McKean, Per Matthiesen, Linley Paskalis, Marie Reay, Ralph Robinson, Ariel Salleh, Bob Scholte, Ilana Silber, Martin Southwold, Patricia Uberoi, Tony van Fossen and Dick Werbner. I would like to thank all of them, and any others whom I have inadvertently omitted.

Many more people have helped me with the Tibetan research which underlies the short section on Tibetan society in chapter 10. I hope to acknowledge them individually in a forthcoming full-length treatment of religion and society in Tibet.