Apparitions of the Self: The Secret Autobiographies of a Tibetan Visionary- A Translation and Study of Jigme Lingpa's Dancing Moon in the Water and Dakki's Grand Secret Talk
"It is only one of the many virtues of Janet Gyatso'sApparitions of the Selfthat it gives us, at last, a full portrait of a Buddhist saint in all his self-admitted complexity and ambiguity.... Lucid and literate.... Significant points to ponder, and subtle arguments to which to respond."--Journal of Asian Studies"Gyatso surveys this landscape from a host of perspectives, adding to her Buddhalogical expertise a sensitivity to literary theory and comparative studies. Her sharp intelligence and thorough consideration are evident on every page. This book will attract readers from as many disciplines as Gyatso herself so effectively musters."--Religious Studies Review"This exceptional volume combines concise and felicitous translation with clear commentary and insightful analysis.... What lends considerable interest to this work is the comparison Gyatso ... makes between Tibetan literature and Western literary theory.... [Apparitions of the Self] serves as a model of innovative scholarship."--Choice"In this ambitious book, Janet Gyatso breaks new ground in the field of cross-cultural comparisons of autobiography. . . . Providing clear, poetic translations of very difficult material, Gyatso offers a glimpse into an unusual genre of autobiography. . . . [She] has accomplished a difficult task at rendering the translations of Jigme Lingpa into clear, readable, English poetry and prose and elucidating their meaning in Western theoretical terms. Her use of Western theories of autobiographical self-representation and dissimulation shed valuable light on a heretofore impenetrable subject of Tibetan literature. . . . This book provides an important contribution to Buddhist studies and to autobiographical studies."--The Journal of Religion