What Does It Mean to “Write Oneself” in Tibetan Autobiographical Tradition: The Amazing Life of Guru Chowang

Apr 22, 2026 | 11:30 AM @ 11:30 am – 1:00 pm – This talk examines what it means to “write oneself” in the Tibetan autobiographical tradition through the case of the thirteenth-century treasure revealer Guru Chowang (1212–1270). Challenging the view that autobiography is a uniquely Western genre, it shows that Tibetan rang rnam (autobiography) developed as a distinct form of life writing at an early period. Focusing […]