Biographies of Eminent Tibetans – Introduction to Tibetan Civilization through Lives of Individuals 09-BET-AP-11

The course is designed as an introduction to Tibetan Civilization seen from the perspectives of individuals whose biographies illustrate Tibetan history and culture. Each class will concentrate on one person whose biography or writings will be presented in fragments (translated from original Tibetan into English) or will be conducted on the basis of an article about him/her. Personalities selected for the course belong to different periods of Tibetan history, different social strata, or they represent specific professions. Each class will conclude with discussion about peculiarities and similarities of Tibetan civilization versus other cultures.