BuzzFlash Reviews
The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama (Hardcover)
Thomas Laird and the Dalai Lama
BUZZFLASH REVIEWS
Books about spirtuality are always popular on BuzzFlash. We need emotional and holistic relief, given the reality of the government we have to face -- and the ongoing strife in the world.
And there is a political dimension, as always, to this premium.
The failure of the United States to in any serious way advocate for the independence -- let alone the cultural and religious preservation -- of Tibet puts the lie to any Bush claim to want to spread democracy and freedom. Bush won't lift a finger to prevent the destruction of the Tibetan way of life and monastic tradition. It is a culture of peace and harmony, being ravaged by Chinese torture, destruction and colonization.
And yet, because they have no oil -- and because Bush's corporate buddies profit from their relation with China, the White House does nothing to prevent the ongoing imperial "Chinification" of Tibet.
This is a rich historical and spiritual book that reminds us of other worlds and paths to peace.
From the Publisher:
The Story of Tibet is a work of monumental importance and a crucial addition to our understanding of a country with one of the world's richest backgrounds. Over the course of three years, journalist Thomas Laird spent more than sixty hours with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in candid, one-on-one interviews addressing His Holiness's beliefs on history, science, reincarnation, and his lifelong study of Buddhism. Laird brings his meetings with His Holiness to life in a rich, historical narrative that outlines the essence of thousands of years of civilization, myth, and spirituality. Traveling across great distances to offer vivid descriptions of Tibet's monasteries, Laird explores with His Holiness Tibet's relations with the Mongols, the Golden Age under the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, Tibet's years under Manchu overlords, the four decades of modern independence in the first half of the twentieth century, and the Dalai Lama's personal meetings with Mao Tse-Tung just before His Holiness fled into exile in 1959.
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