Alexander Gardner

The hermitages above Sera Monastery in Tibet form a major center for contemplative practice in the Geluk tradition. The community of around 19 hermitages grew haphazardly, mostly in the early eighteenth century, as masters chose caves…

Biography and autobiography in Tibet are important sources for both education and inspiration. Tibetans have kept such meticulous records of their teachers that thousands of names are known and discussed in a wide range of biographical…

Few instances of Chinese involvement in Tibetan history are as rife with controversy as that of the Golden Urn. The Urn was used in a method for confirming the identity of reincarnated lamas that was mandated…