In his early twenties, the Tibetan monk Sangye Gyaltsen (1452-1507) left his monastery to become a wandering tantric yogin. As he moved from place to place, seeking enlightenment beyond the bounds of monasticism, his behavior became increasingly erratic. While some were shocked or even angered by his actions, others were drawn to him. Tsangnyon's followers described his transgressive behaviors as enlightened action, rooted in authoritative Buddhist scripture. Using biographical sources, Stefan Larsson explores Sangye Gyaltsen's transformation into the charismatic 'Madman of Tsang,' Tsangnyon Heruka. Best known today as the author of the Life of Milarepa, Tsangnyon Heruka was one of the most influential mad yogins of Tibet. His biography brings its reader face-to-face with an unexpected aspect of Buddhist practice that flourished in fifteenth-century Tibet.
Crazy for Wisdom: The Making of a Mad Yogin in Fifteenth-Century Tibet, Stefan Larsson, Brill, Hardcover, 354 Pages, $156.00
Stefan Larsson, Ph.D. (2009) in History of Religions, Stockholm University, is a postdoctoral fellow at University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses upon the non-monastic and practice-oriented aspects of Tibetan Buddhism, particularly as evidenced in Buddhist songs and biographical literature.
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