ELIZABETH L. MONSON, PhD, is the spiritual codirector of Natural Dharma Fellowship and the managing teacher at Wonderwell Mountain Refuge. She is a Dharma teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, has lectured at the Harvard Divinity School, and teaches meditation throughout New England.
"Truly enthralling."-Publishers Weekly
"Tales of a Mad Yogi is a wonderfully successful experiment
in nonfiction narrative. Rooted in translation, field research, and
oral history, yet expressed through immersive storytelling and
prose-poetry, the book does what few works of scholarship can
achieve: transport the reader to vast places and intimate spaces
where the magic of Drukpa Kunley becomes real. With art, craft, and
devotion, Elizabeth Monson brings the tales and teachings of
Bhutan's great Buddhist saint to life."-Kurtis Schaeffer, professor
of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at the University of Virginia
"Elizabeth Monson gives a most compelling narrative of the Tibetan
'mad yogi,' Drukpa Kunley, revered in Bhutan for piercing through
the hypocrisy of society to bring out the essence of the Dharma.
The author, herself an academic and Buddhist practitioner, weaves
together elegant prose, spiritual insights, folktales, and
biographical elements of one of the most fascinating yet elusive
religious figure of Tibetan Buddhism."-Francoise Pommaret, senior
researcher, CNRS France, and associate professor, CLCS, Royal
University of Bhutan
"There are few Buddhist saints as lively and humorous as Drukpa
Kunley. Drawing on early autobiographical sources as well as the
oral tradition, Elizabeth Monson's stunning creative biography
captures the irreverent and joyful spirit of Drukpa Kunley's own
voice. Written by the West's foremost scholar on Drukpa Kunley,
this book is destined to become a classic. Liz Monson's creative
rendering of Drukpa Kunley's life borrows on a classic of
autobiographical literature that is absolutely unique. Shrugging
off the trappings of convention, Drukpa Kunley reminds us that the
essence of the dharma is a life authentically lived."-Willa Blythe
Baker, founder and spiritual codirector of Natural Dharma
Fellowship
"A literary gem-reimagining the elusive Drukpa Kunley, based on
exacting research and blended with lucid translations. Elizabeth
Monson gives narrative flesh to the bare biographical bones found
in his collected writings. The 'mad saint' comes to life, ever the
social critic but more human and profound than in the folktales
previously available in English."-Holly Gayley, associate professor
of Buddhist Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder
"Drukpa Kunley's outrageous deeds show us how the ways to teach the
Dharma are beyond any conventional limitations. Many of his
teachings are given in the form of songs where this great master
humorously uncovers layers of subtle hypocrisy that may stain our
practice. It is refreshing to have this new telling of his life
story, based on his autobiography and folk accounts recorded by the
author in Bhutan."-Gerardo Abboud, author of The Royal Seal of
Mahamudra: A Guidebook for the Realization of Coemergence
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