Written in style that is accessible to teenagers and adults alike, The Dalai Lama Story is a richly illustrated, award-winning narrative of the Dalai Lama's life, from the predictions that led to his discovery through to his dramatic escape from Tibet. It includes many pen & ink drawings and photographs, and satellite images of his escape route and also that of Heinrich Harrer (Seven Years in Tibet).
The Dalai Lama contributes the Foreword, here expressing his 'hope that the better understanding of the Tibetan situation that readers may find here will ultimately bear fruit in the peace and freedom that we seek'; he tells of drawing inspiration from the 'great symbolic value' of the 'unusual but very important angle' from which the story is told.
The story told follows the transformation of a peasant lad of two into the much-loved and widely respected world leader we know today, and includes a great deal of detail of his gruelling escape through the mountains. By the end of the book, the reader is left in no doubt as to why - more than 50 years later - he remains unable to return to his homeland.
The story bears all the hallmarks of a classical hero myth, yet is factual and recent. When this boy was just fifteen years old, his fellow countrymen pleaded with him to take over leadership. His county had just been invaded and his training had until this point focussed almost entirely on how to lead an ethical life, and how to achieve inner and outer peace. As Tibet's new leader, could he walk the talk? This book seeks to convey a deep appreciation of what his teachings of forgiveness really mean. The book is written and presented in a style that is highly accessible to both adults and teenagers.
The Dalai Lama contributes the Foreword, here expressing his 'hope that the better understanding of the Tibetan situation that readers may find here will ultimately bear fruit in the peace and freedom that we seek'; he tells of drawing inspiration from the 'great symbolic value' of the 'unusual but very important angle' from which the story is told.
The story told follows the transformation of a peasant lad of two into the much-loved and widely respected world leader we know today, and includes a great deal of detail of his gruelling escape through the mountains. By the end of the book, the reader is left in no doubt as to why - more than 50 years later - he remains unable to return to his homeland.
The story bears all the hallmarks of a classical hero myth, yet is factual and recent. When this boy was just fifteen years old, his fellow countrymen pleaded with him to take over leadership. His county had just been invaded and his training had until this point focussed almost entirely on how to lead an ethical life, and how to achieve inner and outer peace. As Tibet's new leader, could he walk the talk? This book seeks to convey a deep appreciation of what his teachings of forgiveness really mean. The book is written and presented in a style that is highly accessible to both adults and teenagers.
