Renunciation and Longing: The Life of a Twentieth-Century Himalayan Buddhist Saint

Khunu Lama, a Himalayan Buddhist teacher, traversed Tibet and India in the early twentieth century, becoming a revered teacher of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. This study explores devotion, renunciation, and the teacher-student lineage relationship as resources for understanding Tibetan Buddhist approaches to modernity, refuting caricatures of Tibetan Buddhist communities as unable to be modern.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 04 April 2022
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

In the captivating journey of a Himalayan Buddhist teacher,Khunu Lama,this study unveils a fresh perspective on cultural continuity,transcending the traditional and modern dichotomy.

Khunu Lama embarked on a remarkable expedition across Tibet and India in the early 20th century, seeking enlightenment and meeting Buddhist masters. His students claim that he sometimes lived on mere cold porridge and water during his travels. Despite his elusive nature, Khunu Lama emerged as a revered teacher of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. His passing in 1977 elicited heartfelt condolences from Himalayan nuns, Tibetan lamas, and American meditators alike. The numerous surviving stories about him offer profound insights into Tibetan Buddhism, shedding new light on the complexities of religious affect and memory.

In her book, Renunciation and Longing, Annabella Pitkin delves into the realms of devotion, renunciation, and the intricate relationship between teacher and student. By examining narrative accounts of Khunu Lama's life, particularly focusing on his remembered identity as a renunciant bodhisattva, Pitkin sheds light on Tibetan and Himalayan practices of memory, emotional connection, and mourning. She challenges the notion that Tibetan Buddhist communities are incapable of embracing modernity due to their religious commitments. Instead, she reveals how twentieth- and twenty-first-century Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhist narrators have employed themes of renunciation, devotion, and lineage as touchstones for navigating loss and revitalizing continuity.

Through this insightful exploration, Renunciation and Longing offers a valuable contribution to our understanding of Tibetan Buddhism and its dynamic relationship with modernity. It provides a rich tapestry of narratives that highlight the enduring significance of tradition while embracing the possibilities of adaptation and transformation. By delving into the depths of devotion, renunciation, and lineage, Pitkin offers a fresh perspective on cultural continuity, challenging us to reimagine the ways in which religion and modernity can coexist harmoniously.

Dimension: 229 x 152 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226816920