ABSTRACT
This article presents a section from the rangnam (rang rnam, 'autobiography') of Sumpa Khenpo Yeshe Peljor (Sum pa Ye shes dpal 'byor, 1704-1788) entitled The Essence of the Deeds of the Famed Scholar Erteni Paṇḍitas (Mkhan po erte ni Paṇḍitasr grags pa'i spyod tshul brjod pa sgra 'dzin bcud ten), in which the author describes the events of the 1727-1728 civil war in Central Tibet, and a powerfully emotive speech he gave at that time in which he opposes monks engaging in warfare. In his account, Sumpa Yeshe Peljor reflects on the issue of peace in the wider context of the misfortunes brought about by conflict and unrest which had marked the early eighteenth century. Inspired by his own experiences and, at the time of writing his autobiography some half a century later, having witnessed continuing instability and turbulence throughout the eighteenth century, his focus on violent events and shared memory plays an important role in critically structuring narratives of peace for his contemporaries, and for future generations.
