The Holy Madmen of Tibet

The Holy Madmen of Tibet

Throughout the past millennium, certain Tibetan Buddhist yogins have taken on profoundly norm-overturning modes of dress and behavior, including draping themselves in human remains, consuming filth, provoking others to violence, and even performing sacrilege. They became known far and wide as "madmen" (smyon pa, pronounced nyÃ¶npa), achieving a degree of saintliness in the process. This book offers the first comprehensive study of Tibet's "holy madmen" drawing on their biographies and writings, as well as tantric commentaries, later histories, oral traditions, and more.

Much of The Holy Madmen of Tibet is dedicated to examining the lives and legacies of the three most famous "holy madmen" who were all of the KagyÃ¼ sect: the Madman of Tsang (author of The Life of Milarepa), the Madman of Ãœ, and Drukpa KÃ¼nlÃ©, Madman of the Drukpa KagyÃ¼. Each born in the 1450s, they rose to prominence during a period of civil war and of great shifts in Tibet's religious culture.

By focusing on literature written by and about the "holy madmen" and on the yogins' relationships with their public, this book offers in-depth looks at the narrative and social processes out of which sainthood arises, and at the role biographical literature can play in the formation of sectarian identities. By showing how understandings of the "madmen" have changed over time, this study allows for new insights into current notions of "crazy wisdom." In the end, the "holy madmen" are seen as self-aware and purposeful individuals who were anything but insane.
Country USA
Brand Oxford University Press, USA
Manufacturer Oxford University Press
Binding Paperback
ItemPartNumber 16 illus.
Model 16 illus.
ReleaseDate 2015-07-06
UnitCount 1
EANs 9780199391219

Country	USA
Brand	Oxford University Press, USA
Manufacturer	Oxford University Press
Binding	Paperback
ItemPartNumber	16 illus.
Model	16 illus.
ReleaseDate	2015-07-06
UnitCount	1
EANs	9780199391219

The Holy Madmen of Tibet

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