Biographies under review:
Note: The list is in chronological order based on when the biography was written.
14th Century
Rinchen Namgyal, Dratshadpa. A Handful of Flowers: A brief biography of Buton Rinchen Drub. (1290-1364, written 1366). Hans van der Bogaert (trans.). Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1996.
15th Century
Heruka, Tsangnyon (1452–1507). Tibet’s great yogī Milarepa: a biography from the Tibetan, being the Jetsün-Kahbum or biographical history of Jetsün-Milarepa, according to the late Lāma Kazi Dawa-Samdup’s English rendering. W. Y. Evans-Wentz (ed.) New York: Oxford University Press, 1971.
Milarepa, two translations of the same text:
Heruka, Tsangnyon (1452–1507) & Lobsang Phuntshok Lhalungpa. 1977. The life of Milarepa. New York: Dutton, 1977.
Jampel Gyatso (1356 – 1428) in Willis, Janice D. Enlightened Beings: Life Stories from the Ganden Oral Tradition. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1995.
Heruka, Tsangnyon (1452–1507) & Andrew Quintman. 2010. The life of Milarepa. New York: Penguin Books.
Senge, Ra Yeshe & Cuevas, Bryan J. (trans). The All-Pervading Melodious Drumbeat: The Life of Ra Lotsawa. New York: Penguin Classics, 2015.
16th Century
Merit Intellect (Bsod nams blo gros) 1456-1521: D. L. Snellgrove. Four Lamas of Dolpo, Autobiographies of Four Tibetan Lamas (15th–18th Centuries). By Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1967.
17th Century
Dargye, Yonten & Sorensen, P.K (trans). The Biography of Pha-jo-Sgom Zhig-po Called the Current of Compassion. Thimphu: The National Library of Bhutan, 2001.
Yolmo Tenzin Norbu’s (1598-1644) in Bogin, Benjamin E., “The Life of Yol mo Bstan ‘dzin nor bu: A critical edition, translation, and study of the memoirs of a seventeenth-century Tibetan Buddhist lama”, Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2005.
Yolmo Tenzin Norbu’s (1598-1644) in Tenzin Norbu, Yolmo. The Illuminated Life of the Great Yolmowa, Benjamin Bogin (trans). Chicago: Serindia Publications, 2013.
The Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lozang Gyatso (1617-1682): Ngag-dbang-blo-bzang-rgya-mtsho, Dalai Lama V. The Illusive Play: The Autobiography of the Fifth Dalai Lama, Samten Karmay (trans.). Chicago: Serindia Publications, 2014.
Luvsanprinlei, Zaya Pundita. Agata Bareja-Starzyńska (trans). The Biography of the First Khalkha Jetsundampa Zanabazar [1635-1723]. Warsaw: Elipsa Dom Wydawniczy, 2015.
Choekyi Gyaltsen, Panchen (paN chen Blo bzang chos kyi rgyal mtshan) “Chos Smra ba’i dge slong blo bzang chos kyi rgyal mtshan gyi spyod tshul gsal bar ston pa nor bu’i phreng ba (=Nor bu’i phreng ba),” in Blo bzang chos kyi rgyal mtshan gyi gsung ’bum (Collected Works of the First Panchen Lozang Chokyi Gyaltsen). Tashi Lhunpo Edition. Vol.1, ff.1r-225v. Also see TBRC W23430 (5 vols.)
18th Century
Lee, Ji-young (trans). 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. MA Thesis (Indiana U), 2016.
Nuden Dorjee, Taksham (stag sham nus ldan rdo rje). Keith Dowman (trans.) Sky Dancer: The Secret Life and Songs of Lady Yeshe Tsogyel. London; Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1996.
Schaeffer, Kurtis. Himalayan Hermitess: The Life of a Tibetan Buddhist Nun. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.
Dargyé, Ngawang Lhundrup. Simon Wickham-Smith (trans). The Fugitive Lives of the Sixth Dalai Lama. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2011.
Dokhar, Tsering Wangyel. Tang Chi’an (trans). Poluonai Zhuan (Biography of Pho-lha-nas (1689-1747)). Lhasa: Xizang ren min chu ban she, 2002.
Dokhar, Tsering Wangyel. Galun Zhuan [Autobiography of Dokharwa Tsering Wanggyel (1697-1763 )]. Lhasa: Xizang ren min chu ban she, 1986.
Paljor, Doring Tenzin. Rdo-ring Bandi-ta’i rnam thar. Beijing: Zhongguo Zang xue chu ban she. * Chinese edition; Bstan ‘dzin dpal ‘byor (1761-?), 1995.
19th Century
Princess Mandarava (8th CE): Bsam gtan gling pa (b. 1871). The Lives and Liberation of Princess Mandarava the Indian consort of Padmasambhava, Lama Chonam and Sangye Kandro (trans). Boston, Mass: Wisdom Publications, 1998
Tsogdruk Rangdrol, Shabkar & Ricard, Matthieu (trans.) The Life of Shabkar: The Autobiography of a Tibetan Yogin. Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications, 2001.
Kongtrul, Jamgon & Barron, Richard (trans.) The Autobiography of Jamgon Kongtrul: A Gem of Many Colors. Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications, 2003.
Gyamtso, Yeshe. 2005. Precious Essence: The Inner Autobiography of Terchen Barway. KTD Publications, 2005.
Dharmatāla, Damchoe Gyatso & Klafkowski, Piotr (trans.) Rosary of White Lotuses, Being the Clear Account of How the Precious Teaching of Buddha Appeared and Spread in the Great Hor Country. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, 1987.
Lodro Thaye, Kongtrul (kong sprul blo gros mtha’ yas). The Life of Jamyang Khyentsé Wangpo. Matthew Akester (trans). New Delhi: Shechen Publications, 2012.
20th Century
Rinchen, Gendun (brag phug dge bshes dge ‘dub rin chen). The Divine Madman: the sublime life and songs of Drukpa Kunley (1455 – 1529). Keith Dowman & Sonam Paljor (Tr.) Clearlake: The Dawn Horse Press, 1983.
Thondup, Tulku. Masters of Meditation and Miracles: the Longchen Nyingthig lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Boston: Shambhala, 1996.
Diemberger, Hildegard, et al. Feast of Miracles: The Life and Tradition of Bodong Chole Namgyal (1375/6-1451 A.D.) According to the Tibetan Texts “Feast of Miracles” and “The Lamp Illuminating the History of Bodong”. Porong Pema Chöding Editions, 1997.
Mipham Rinpoche (1846-1912). Khyentse, Dilgo, and Jamgon Mipham. Lion of Speech: The Life of Mipham Rinpoche, Padmakara Translation Committee (trans). Shambhala Publications, 2020.
Delog Dawa Drolma. Delog: Journey to Realms Beyond Death, Richard Barron (trans.). Varanasi: Pilgrims Publishing, 2001 [1995].
His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama. The Life of My Teacher: A Biography of Kyabje Ling Rinpoché, Gavin Kilty (trans). Wisdom Publications, 2017 [Tibetan text published 1989].
21st Century Biographies of Earlier Tibetan Figures
Riggs, Nicole. Like an Illusion: Lives of the Shangpa Kagyu masters. Eugene, Oregon: Dharma Cloud Press, 2001.
Thrangu, Rinpoche). 2001. The spiritual biography of Marpa, the translator [1012-1097]. Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications, 2001.
Guard, Richard (ed.) and Tandar, Sangye (trans.) The Twelve Deeds: A Brief Life Story of Tonpa Shenrab, the founder of the Bon Religion. Dharamsala: Tibetan Library of Archives & Works, 2003.
Lawudo Lamas Kunzang Yeshe (b. 1865) and Thubten Zopa Rinpoche (b. 1946): Jamyang Wangmo, The Lawudo Lama: Stories of Reincarnation from the Mount Everest Region. Boston: Wisdom. 2004.
‘Gyur-med-bde-chen, Cyrus Stearns, and Kun dgaʼ bsod nams grags pa dpal bzaṅ. King of the empty plain: the Tibetan iron-bridge builder Tangtong Gyalpo. Ithaca, N.Y.: Snow Lion Publications, 2007.
Diemberger, Hildegard. When a Woman Becomes a Religious Dynasty: The Samding Dorje Phagmo of Tibet. New York: Columbia University Press, 2007.
Achard, Jean-Luc. The Life and Works of Shardza Tashi Gyeltsen (1859–1935). Leiden: Brill, 2008.
Templeman, David. Becoming Indian: a study of the life of the 16-17th century Tibetan Lama, Tāranātha. Thesis (Ph.D.). Monash University, 2009.
Norbu, Namkhai, and Dell’Angelo, Enrico. The lamp that enlightens narrow minds: the life and times of a realized Tibetan master, Khyentse Chökyi Wangchug [1909-1960]. Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books, 2012. (Read two other reviews here by Greene & Kung)
The Tenth Karmarpa Choying Dorje (1604-1674): 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
Stewart, Jampa MacKenzie. The Life of Longchenpa: The Omniscient Dharma King of the Vast Expanse [1308-1364]. Boston MA. Snow Lion Publications, 2013.
Pistono, Matteo & Rinpoche, Sogyal. Fearless in Tibet: The Life of the Mystic Terton Sogyal. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, Inc., 2014.
DiValerio, David M. (trans) The Life of the Madman of Ü. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.
Patrul Rinpoche (1808-1887) in Ricard, Matthieu, Enlightened Vagabond: the Life and Teachings of Patrul Rinpoche. Shambhala Publications: Boulder, Colorado, 2017.
Drimé, Kunga and Tsogyal, Yeshé. The Life and Visions of Yeshé Tsogyal the Autobiography of the Great Wisdom Queen. Chonyi Drolma (trans). Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion, 2017.
Jinpa, Thupten. Tsongkhapa: A Buddha in the Land of Snows (Lives of the Masters). Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2019.
Rinpoche, Thrangu. A Spiritual Biography of Marpa, the Translator. Kathmandu: Sri Satguru, 2000.
Drukpa Kunley (1455-1529): Monson, Elizabeth L. Tales of a Mad Yogi: The Life and Wild Wisdom of Drukpa Kunley. Shambhala Publications, 2021.