First published 1500
Ra Lotsawa Dorjé Drak commands formidable magical abilities in eleventh-century Tibet. He wields his Buddhist sorcery not for enlightenment alone, but to eliminate enemies who stand in his path. Where other masters like Siddhartha Gautama and Milarepa chose gentler routes to awakening, Ra Lotsawa embraces a darker approach. He accumulates vast wealth through his supernatural powers. He gathers devoted followers who witness his victories over spiritual competitors. Some call him a murderous villain who corrupts sacred teachings. Others see him as a liberator who frees people from suffering through decisive action. Ra Lotsawa faces the central tension between spiritual achievement and worldly ambition. His magical prowess wins him temporal success, yet his methods challenge traditional Buddhist values. Despite his controversial tactics, he also serves as a gifted translator of sacred scriptures, helping to revive Buddhist learning across Tibet. This first English translation reveals a complex figure who achieved both sainthood and notoriety. Ra Lotsawa embodies the contradiction between spiritual transcendence and human desire for power.
Genres: historical-fiction, fantasy, magic
Vibes: dark, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, morally-ambiguous-protagonist
Setting: Tibet
Period: 11th Century
364 pages · Paperback · Penguin Publishing Group
Content warnings: violence