Yolmo Tenzin Norbu (1598-1644) was a Tibetan Buddhist reincarnate lama, painter, ritual master, meditator, teacher, poet and autobiographer. His accomplishments and renown during his lifetime led his contemporary, the Fifth Dalai Lama, to refer to him as 'the Great Yolmowa.' This book offers something very precious - a complete translation and commentary of a rare literary type: an autobiography by a leading Tibetan figure at a time of tumultuous change in the political and religious landscape.