Gongga Laoren (1903-1997)

Fabienne Jagou, Ph.D. with habilitation (1999, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris) is Senior Associate Professor at the École française d’Extrême-Orient. She has published widely on the modern Sino-Tibetan political and cultural history and is the author of The 9th Panchen Lama (1883-1937): A Life at the Crossroads of Sino-Tibetan Relations, Chiang Mai, Silkworm/EFEO, 2011 and the editor of The hybridity of Buddhism: Contemporary Encounters between Tibetan and Chinese traditions in Taiwan and the Mainland, Paris, EFEO (Coll. “Études thématiques no. 29”), 2018.

"This is an exceptionally well-researched work, and although one might criticize the somewhat dated methodological use of Weber, this volume grants an undeniably invaluable insight into a figure that has received next to no prior scholarly attention, as well as the intricate world of Tibetan Buddhism in Taiwan as a whole. More broadly, those with an interest in religion and globalization as well as religion and gender and self-representation will have much to gain from this volume. - Joseph Chadwin, University of Vienna, Religious Studies Review https://doi.org/10.1111/rsr.15601 "Gongga Laoren (1903–1997) offers a groundbreaking study of this remarkable figure whose life spanned from the late Qing Dynasty to post-martial law Taiwan and who played a crucial role in initiating the development of Tibetan Buddhism there. This volume will be of greatinterest to all students of modern Chinese and Tibetan religious life. Additionally, those interested in religion and gender, sociology of religion, or transnational studies more broadly will also find much of value in this volume." - Eben Yonnetti is a PhD candidate in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia, Reading Religion, November 28, 2022.

• AcknowledgmentsList of FiguresIntroduction1 Life in China and in Tibet (from 1903 to 1958)1 Birth and Early Childhood2 Youth and Majority3 Heading towards the Bo Gangkar Monastery4 From the Bo Gangkar Monastery to Hong Kong2 Building Religious Legitimacy in Taiwan (from 1958 to 1980)1 Arrival in Taipei2 Publication of the First Dictated Autobiography3 Esoteric Teachings4 Retreats5 Using the Secret3 Contribution to the Development of Tibetan Buddhism in Taiwan (from 1980 to 1997)1 Vows Taken with the 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rikpé Dorjé2 Invitations Extended to Karma Kagyü School’s Reincarnated Masters3 Place in the Karma Kagyü School’s International Network4 Links with the 14th Dalai Lama4 Spiritual Heritage1 Death and Mummification2 Succession3 Maintaining Links with the Karma Kagyü School4 Continuing Charity ProjectsConclusionAppendix: Timeline of Gongga Laoren’s Life (1903–1997)Glossary of Tibetan NamesBibliographyIndex