Four Lamas of Dolpo

by David L. Snellgrove, Ed. & Tr.

This volume presents in English translation the autobiographies of four Tibetan lamas in the land of Dolpo, which was part of Western Tibet until the end of the 18th century. In every case the sustance of these biographies was dictated by the lamas themselves, in response to the entreaties of their disciples. After the lamas had died, the material was edited and compiled as an authoritative account of their lives and one hand-written copy of each biography was preserved in the libraries of the local monasteries.The introduction provides the general background of conditions in Dolpo, including an account of religious beliefs, which, like the social conditions there, have remained practically unchanged over the last thousand years.Thus this book, read by itself, presents a unique account of Tibetan religion as lived in an enclosed Tibetan-speaking community, while at the same time serving as an additional volume to the author's previous reports on Tibetan religion in Himalayan areas, viz. Buddhist Himalaya and Himalayan Pilgrimage.