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

In Renunciation and Longing: The Life of a Twentieth-Century Himalayan Buddhist Saint, Annabella Pitkin deftly weaves together biography, oral history, interviews, and critical theory to tell the life story of a Buddhist ascetic called Khunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen (1895–1977). Throughout, she unravels some of the tensions between what it means to pursue a spiritual life that rejects the trappings of worldly life (food, fame, etc.) while also living in the world. This book is a major contribution to the fields of Tibetan-Himalayan studies, Buddhist studies, and religious studies for two reasons: (1) it offers innovative analyses and fresh perspectives on the intersections among literary-narrative studies, the concept of renunciation, and the role of religion in modernity; and (2) it brings together a variety of textual and oral sources on the life of Khunu Lama, a highly accomplished yogi and reluctant teacher of Tibetan Buddhism from the Kinnaur region of Himachal...