Rechung-pa (1084-1161) is a Tibetan folk-hero whose biography is one of the most well-known literary works in Tibet. This book traces the life story of the student of the famous teacher Milarepa using rare and little-known manuscripts. The author compares significant episodes in the life of Rechung-pa as portrayed in a succession of texts and thus demonstrates the evolution of Rechung-pa's biography. This is the first survey of the surviving literature which includes a detailed analysis of their dates, authorship and interrelationships. It shows how Rechung-pa was increasingly portrayed as a rebellious, volatile and difficult pupil, as a lineage from a fellow-pupil prospered to become dominant in Tibet.
