The biographies of Rechungpa
Subtitle: the evolution of a Tibetan hagiography
By: Peter Alan Roberts
Series: Routledge critical studies in Buddhism
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2006
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 290
Subjects: Biography; Lamas; Bkaʼ-rgyud-pa lamas; Buddhist hagiography; History and criticism
Description: "This book traces the lifestory of Rechungpa (1084-1161) - the student of the famous teacher Milarepa - using rare and little-known manuscripts, and discovers how the image of both Milarepa and Rechungpa underwent fundamental transformations over a period of over three centuries. The author compares significant episodes in the life of Rechungpa as portrayed in a succession of texts and thus demonstrates the evolution of Rechungpa's biography. This is the first survey of the surviving literature which includes a detailed analysis of their dates, authorship and interrelationships. It shows how Rechungpa was increasingly portrayed as a rebellious, volatile and difficult pupil, as a lineage from a fellow-pupil prospered to become dominant in Tibet."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.