King of the Empty Plain is familiar to every Tibetan yet nearly
unknown in the rest of the world. Tangtong Gyalpo's incredible lifespan,
profound teachings, unprecedented engineering feats, eccentric deeds,
and creation of Tibetan opera have earned this fascinating figure a
unique status in Tibetan culture. Believed to be the great Indian master
Padmasambhava appearing again in the world to benefit living beings, he
discovered techniques for achieving longevity that are still held in
highest esteem and are frequently taught six hundred years later. His
construction of fifty-eight iron suspension bridges, sixty wooden
bridges, 118 ferries, 111 stupa monuments, and countless temples and
monasteries in Tibet and Bhutan remains an awe-inspiring accomplishment.
This book is a detailed study of the life and legacy of this great
master. An extensive introduction discusses Tangtong Gyalpo's Dharma
traditions, the question of his amazing longevity, his crazy activities
manifested to enhance his own realization and to benefit others, and his
astonishing engineering and architectural achievements. The book
includes a complete translation of the most famous Tibetan biography of
Tangtong Gyalpo, as well as the Tibetan text and English translation of
a unique early manuscript describing his miraculous death. The text is
further enriched with ten color plates and seventy-seven black-and-white
illustrations.