Jamyang Wangmo, The Lawudo Lama: Stories of Reincarnation from the Mount Everest Region. Boston: Wisdom. 2004. Summary by Scarlett Bach Abstract The Lawudo Lama: Stories of Reincarnation from the Mount Everest Region captures the lives of two Lawudo Lamas: Kunzang Yeshe, born in approximately 1865, and his successor, Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, born in 1946, both in the … [Read more...]
A Golden Swan in Turbulent Waters: The Life and Times of the Tenth Karmapa Choying Dorje
Shamar Rinpoche. A Golden Swan in Turbulent Waters: The Life and Times of the Tenth Karmapa Choying Dorje. Lexington, Virginia: Bird of Paradise Press, 2012 Summary by Mariah Johnson Abstract The biography of The Tenth Karmapa Choying Dorje (1604 - 1674) titled A Golden Swan in Turbulent Waters: The Life and Times of the Tenth Karmapa Choying Dorje (2012) by Shamar … [Read more...]
Tales of a Mad Yogi: The Life and Wild Wisdom of Drukpa Kunley
Monson, Elizabeth L. Tales of a Mad Yogi: The Life and Wild Wisdom of Drukpa Kunley. Shambhala Publications, 2021. Summary by Leif Wood Abstract The Tales of the Mad Yogi is the story of Drukpa Kunley (1455-1529), reconstructed by Elizabeth Monson from the four volumes of The Liberation Tales. The Liberation Tales are episodic, non-chronological, writings about … [Read more...]
The Life and Visions of Yeshé Tsogyal
Nick Vaughan Abstract The Life and Visions of Yeshé Tsogyal: Autobiography of the Great Wisdom Queen is the secret autobiography of Yeshé Tsogyal, originally authored in the 8th century by one of Padmasambhava’s main disciples, Bendé Sangyé Yeshé, and subsequently concealed by Yeshé Tsogyal as an earth Treasure. This treasure text was revealed by Drimé Kunga in 1357 and … [Read more...]
Enlightened Beings: Life Stories from the Ganden Oral Tradition
Phoebe Lummis Abstract Enlightened Beings: Life Stories from the Ganden Oral Tradition traces the life stories of six Tibetan Siddhas from the 14th through 17th centuries. The narratives describe these figures' early childhoods and characteristics, their entrance into monasticism, and inauguration into the Ganden Oral Tradition, a secret lineage of oral teachings deriving … [Read more...]
Tsongkhapa: A Buddha in the Land of Snows
Jinpa, Thupten. Tsongkhapa: A Buddha in the Land of Snows. Shambhala Publications, 2019. Summary by Nicholas Lillis Abstract Tsongkhapa: A Buddha in the Land of Snows details the entire life of Je Tsongkhapa, one of the greatest Buddhist teachers in Tibetan history. Born in 1357 in Amdo, northeastern Tibet, Tsongkhapa led a life that exemplified the importance of … [Read more...]
Lobsang Gyatso, Ngawang & Karmay, Samten Gyaltsen (trans). The Illusive Play: The Autobiography of the Fifth Dalai Lama. Chicago: Serindia Publications, 2014.
Mollie Miller Abstract The Illusive Play: The Autobiography of the Fifth Dalai Lama tells the story of Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (Ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho), the fifth Dalai Lama, also known as the “Great Fifth.” As an autobiographical account, The Illusive Play tells Lobsang Gyatso’s life story, having been designated from a young age as an incarnate of the Dalai … [Read more...]
Tenzin Norbu, Yolmo. The Illuminated Life of the Great Yolmowa, Benjamin Bogin (trans). Chicago: Serindia Publications, 2013.
Tenzin Norbu, Yolmo. The Illuminated Life of the Great Yolmowa, Benjamin Bogin (trans). Chicago: Serindia Publications, 2013. Summary by Raymond Wayne Heimann Abstract The autobiography (written and illustrated) of Yolmo Tenzin Norbu (Yol mo Bstan 'dzin nor bu) is translated and collected by Benjamin Bogin in his The Illuminated Life of the Great Yolmowa.[1] As a … [Read more...]
Fearless in Tibet
The Biography of Tertön Sogyal Tertön Sogyal or Lerab Linpa was a treasure reveler, a tertön, who was born in the year of the Fire Dragon (1856) in Shiwa Village, in Nearing, Eastern Tibet. His family was descended from a financially secure lineage in upper Nyarong in Kham. Dargye, Sonam Gyalop’s father, encouraged his son to follow in the footsteps of the warrior chief … [Read more...]
My Youth In Tibet
Abstract and Review of My Youth In Tibet: Recollections of a Tibetan Woman Sevahn Vorperian Abstract My Youth in Tibet is a two-part narrative written by Tseyang Sadutshang, the niece of the 5th Reting Rinpoche (Thupten Jampel Yishey Gyantsen; Tupten Jampel Yeshe Gyentsen) during the first half of the 20th century. Part 1 is Tseyang’s autobiography of her childhood in … [Read more...]
The Lamp That Enlightens Narrow Minds
The Lamp That Enlightens Narrow Minds: The Life and Times of a Realized Tibetan Master, Khyentse Chökyi Wangchug A Review of The Lamp That Enlightens Narrow Minds By Sebastian Espinosa Abstract The Lamp That Enlightens Narrow Minds is a biography about Tibetan tulku Khyentse Chökyi Wangchug from birth to death by his nephew Chögyal Namkhai Norbu. Born in 1909 in a valley … [Read more...]
Becoming Indian: a study of the life of the 16-17th century Tibetan Lama Tāranātha
Templeman, David. Becoming Indian: a study of the life of the 16-17th century Tibetan Lama, Tāranātha. Thesis (Ph.D.). Monash University, 2009 (revised manuscript 2014). Alex Smith February 2019 A Review of Becoming Indian: a study of the life of the 16-17th century Tibetan Lama, Tāranātha Abstract In this six-chapter book, David Templeman provides a critical account of the … [Read more...]
The Knower of the Three Times: The Life of the First Karmapa
Palden Gyal The life of the first Karma-pa, Dus-gsum mkhyen-pa “the knower of the three times” (1110-1193): An annotated translation of his biography from Zla-ba chu-shel-gyi phreng-ba is Ji-young Lee’s MA Thesis from Indiana University, published by ProQuest in 2016. In her introduction, Ji-young Lee (2016) provides a brief account of the historical background of the … [Read more...]
The Lives and Liberation of Princess Mandarava
Natasha Sim Za-hor rgyal poʼi sras mo Lha-lcam Man-dha-ra-waʼi rnam par thar pa. The Lives and Liberation of Princess Mandarava : the Indian consort of Padmasambhava / translated by Lama Chonam and Sangye Khandro ; introduction by Janet Gyatso. (Wisdom Press: 1998) Abstract: This text is perhaps best summed up by Janet Gyatso, in her introduction to this translation, when she … [Read more...]
The All-Pervading Melodious Drumbeat by Ra Yeshé Sengé
Theresa Ding 03/03/2018 Abstract: The All-Pervading Melodious Drumbeat is a hagiographical telling of the story of Ra Lotsawa Dorjé Drak, also known as Ralo, one of the most notorious Buddhist saints of Tibet. Though his exact year of birth is unknown, the translator notes that it has been traced back to 1016 by other scholars. Ra Lotsawa’s story begins in the southern region … [Read more...]
The Life of Milarepa
A summary by Zhao (Tina) Sun March 4, 2019 Abstract: The Life of Milarepa is a biography with multiple iterations, the most famous of which was compiled by Tsangnyön Heruka in the 15th century. Various translated editions exist today, but this summary focuses on two English editions, one by Lobsang P. Lhalungpa translated in 1977, and another by Andrew Quintman in 2010, both … [Read more...]
Mapping Women in Tibetan Buddhism
An online map resource by Julia Zeh. Excerpt: In addition to the Maps link which has posts related to the spaces occupied by Tibetan Buddhist women, this page is intended to give a little bit more information about the specific role women have played in Tibetan Buddhism. I found it very difficult to study women in Tibet, primarily because Tibetan written history often does … [Read more...]
Svetlana Tibet Expedition in Lavran
Introduction. Current materials represent partial translations of the microfilm copies of the “Life in the Tangutsk monastery Lavran. A diary of a Buddhist pilgrim.1906-1907.” which are currently archived at the institute of Mongol, Buddhist and Tibetan studies. The materials are covering a research expedition to Lavran monastery undertaken by B.Baradin.(3) The … [Read more...]
“A Trip to Labrang” by B. B. Baradiin, translated by Vahe Galstyan
From the summary at the book's beginning: "The report made in 1908 at the Geographic society by B. B. Baradiin on the results of his trip to Tibet from 1905-1907 is of great interest not only because of the details it provides about the realities of the daily life in the monastery - center of the Buddhist teachings in Labrang, but also because of the structure of his … [Read more...]
Fearless in Tibet; the life of the mystic Tertön Sogyal
Tertön Sogyal, or Lerab Linpa was a treasure reveler, a tertön, who was born in the year of the Fire Dragon (1856) in Shiwa Village, in Nearing, Eastern Tibet. His family was descended from a financially secure lineage in upper Nyarong in Kham. Dargye, Sonam Gyalop’s father, encouraged his son to follow in the footsteps of the warrior chief Amgon, a skilled marksman hunter, … [Read more...]
The Life of Longchenpa
The fourteenth century Nyingma synthesizer known by the epithet Longchenpa occupies a fascinating space within his tradition. He was among the first treasure discoverers, the hallmark of Nyingma, yet he also studied widely across the ‘new tradition’ (Sarma) topics and was ordained – both somewhat characteristics being aberrational in a tradition that largely values its … [Read more...]