(2 credits) This course will explore the genres of biography and autobiography in Buddhist traditions, with particular emphasis on Tibetan figures. Spiritual biographies have long played a crucial role in Buddhist traditions, from the life stories of the Buddha (avadānas and jātakas) to the liberation stories (rnam thar) of Tibetan saints, such as Milarepa, Padmasambhava, Yeshé Tsogyal, and Tsongkhapa, to modern figures. They serve not only as (quasi-)historical accounts of their lives and times, but as sources of inspiration and teaching for Buddhists, illuminating key points of Buddhist doctrine and philosophy. We will consider Buddhist auto/biography through multiple frameworks, focusing especially on what these “stories” tell us about Buddhist notions of self, karma, identity, reality, and the Buddhist path. We will begin the course with an overview of theoretical studies of biography and narrative before reading and analyzing a variety of examples of Buddhist biographical literature in translation.

