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Arriving Ahead of Time: The Ma 'das sprul sku and Issues of Sprul sku Personhood
Journal of the International Association of Tibetan Studies
Format: Journal Article
Publication Date: 2013-07
Publisher: Tibetan and Himalayan Library
Sources ID: 128206
Visibility: Public (group default)
Abstract: (Show)

Creator's Description: A ma 'das sprul sku is a non-hereditary reincarnate lama (sprul sku) who assumes his or her predecessor's status, but who takes birth before his or her predecessor's death. This paper presents ten oral histories of ma 'das sprul skus and examines what they and their narrators reveal about the logic of transference in establishing the personhood of a ma 'das sprul sku, how ma 'das sprul sku personhood may challenge conventional understandings of sprul sku personhood and temporality, ma 'das sprul sku and their creators as reflective agents, and what the dearth of ma 'das sprul sku hagiographies may imply. (2013-07-01)