Reincarnation in Tibetan Buddhism examines how the third Karmapa hierarch, Rangjung Dorje (1284-1339) transformed reincarnation from a belief into a Tibetan institution. Rangjung Dorje was born the son of an itinerant, low-caste potter, but went on to become a foundational figure in thedevelopment of Buddhism in Tibet and a teacher of the last Mongolian Emperor, Toghun Temur. During his life, he became renowned for his contributions to Buddhist philosophy, literature, astrology, medicine, architecture, sacred geography and manuscript production. But, Ruth Gamble argues, his mostinfluential legacy was his institutionalization of the Karmapa reincarnation lineage. His transformation of this lineage ensured that after his death subsequent Karmapas were able to assume power in the religious institutions he had led. This inheritance model changed the Tibetan Plateau's powerrelations, which had previously been based on clan associations, and created a precedent for later reincarnate institutions, including that of the Dalai Lamas. Drawing on Rangjung Dorje's hitherto un- translated autobiographies and autobiographical songs, the book shows how his re-invention ofreincarnation was a self-conscious and multi-faceted project, which was enabled by the combination of Rangjung Dorje's cultural, social, and political standing and specific historical and geographical circumstances. Exploring this combination of agency and historical coincidence, this is the firstfull-length study of the development of the reincarnation institution. | Reincarnation in Tibetan Buddhism by Ruth Gamble, Hardcover | Indigo Chapters