Take a photo of a barcode or cover
_askthebookbug 's review for:
His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama: An Illustrated Biography
by Tenzin Geyche Tethong
• r e c o m m e n d a t i o n •
His Holiness The Fourteenth Dalai Lama is an epitome of kindness and compassion. Although his life is not much of a secret, how much do we really know about him? We know that he had to flee from Tibet decades ago and that he received The Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 but most of us know next to nothing about his childhood and growing up years. In this biography of His Holiness, Tenzin Geyche Tethong has bared it all; be it His Holiness's selection as the fourteenth Dalai Lama or even details of the previous ones, their contribution towards the cultural heritage of Tibet and finally, China's unfair invasion of Tibet. This biography is one of the most informative books I've had the chance to read this year and to make it even better, there are rarest of rare pictures of His Holiness's teachers, family members, of his meetings with various world leaders etc. It is incredibly educative.
What fascinated me the most was the selection process involved in looking for the Dalai Lamas. At age four, His Holiness who was originally known as Lhamo Thondup was selected as the next Dalai Lama. Very quickly he grew up into an adult and this process was hastened by China's invasion. When he had to flee to India in the '60s he was received with such warmth and affection by Indians that he began calling himself as the 'Son of India'. Now, at 85 he is one of the most influential and respected person in the World. This biography explains in detail about how tough it has been on the thousands of Tibetans who had to leave their motherland because of China and are still unable to go back. The political aspect of this book is brilliantly written in detail right down to the dates and years. His Holiness's role in maintaining a peaceful relationship with the Chinese took years to form and his compassion and nonviolent attitude is still highly revered by millions. His love for science, contrary to other religious people who rarely indulge in the scientific aspect of the world, is appreciated by many renowned scientists and physicists. There's in fact, no one quite like His Holiness and this book proves exactly that.
5/5.
His Holiness The Fourteenth Dalai Lama is an epitome of kindness and compassion. Although his life is not much of a secret, how much do we really know about him? We know that he had to flee from Tibet decades ago and that he received The Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 but most of us know next to nothing about his childhood and growing up years. In this biography of His Holiness, Tenzin Geyche Tethong has bared it all; be it His Holiness's selection as the fourteenth Dalai Lama or even details of the previous ones, their contribution towards the cultural heritage of Tibet and finally, China's unfair invasion of Tibet. This biography is one of the most informative books I've had the chance to read this year and to make it even better, there are rarest of rare pictures of His Holiness's teachers, family members, of his meetings with various world leaders etc. It is incredibly educative.
What fascinated me the most was the selection process involved in looking for the Dalai Lamas. At age four, His Holiness who was originally known as Lhamo Thondup was selected as the next Dalai Lama. Very quickly he grew up into an adult and this process was hastened by China's invasion. When he had to flee to India in the '60s he was received with such warmth and affection by Indians that he began calling himself as the 'Son of India'. Now, at 85 he is one of the most influential and respected person in the World. This biography explains in detail about how tough it has been on the thousands of Tibetans who had to leave their motherland because of China and are still unable to go back. The political aspect of this book is brilliantly written in detail right down to the dates and years. His Holiness's role in maintaining a peaceful relationship with the Chinese took years to form and his compassion and nonviolent attitude is still highly revered by millions. His love for science, contrary to other religious people who rarely indulge in the scientific aspect of the world, is appreciated by many renowned scientists and physicists. There's in fact, no one quite like His Holiness and this book proves exactly that.
5/5.