“I am but lowly”: A Comparative Look at Humility in the Hagiographies of Yeshé Tsogyal and Mechtild of Magdeburg

The proposed paper responds to Michelle Voss’ 2009 invitation to test the wider applicability of her mapping of humility in the writings of Mechthild de Magdeburg onto a nine-level organizational schema. Using a comparative methodology, this paper will expand theological understanding of the trope of humility in the autobiographies of 8th century Tibetan Buddhist visionary, Yeshé Tsogyal. In doing so, it claims that an embrace of humility can further our own journey on the path to liberation.