Product Description

In 1938 a two year old boy was recognised through a traditional process of discovery as being the reincarnation of all previous Dalai Lamas, the spiritual rulers of Tibet. Taken away from his parents, he was brought up in Lhasa according to a monastic regimen of rigorous austerity and in almost total isolation. Aged seven he was enthroned in the 1000-room Potala palace as the supreme spiritual leader of a nation the size of Western Europe, with population of six million. And at fifteen, he became head of state. With Tibet under threat from the newly Communist Chinese, there followed a traumatic decade during which he became the confidant of both Chairman Mao and Jawaharal Nehru as he tried to maintain autonomy for his people. Then in 1959, he was finally forced into exile - followed by over 100,000 destitute refugees. Here, in his own words, he describes what it was like to grow up revered as a deity among his people, reveals his innermost feelings about his role, and discusses the mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18822 in Books
• Published on: 1998-04-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 344 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Dalai Lama's autobiography should leave no one in doubt of his humility and genuine compassion. Written without the slightest hint of pretence, the exiled leader of Tibet recounts his life, from the time he was whisked away from his home in 1939 at the age of four, to his escape from Tibet in 1959, to the winning of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. The backdrop of the story is the 1950 Chinese invasion of Tibet. We learn in calm detail of imprisonment, torture, rape, famine, ecological disaster and genocide that in under four decades of Chinese rule have left a million-and-a-quarter Tibetans dead and the Tibetan natural and religious landscapes decimated. Yet the Dalai Lama's story is strangely one of hope. This man who prays for four hours a day harbours no ill will toward the Chinese and sees the potential for good everywhere he casts his gaze. Someday, he hopes, all of Tibet will be a zone of peace and the world's largest nature preserve. Such optimism is not naive, but a result of his daily studies in Buddhist philosophy and his doctrine of Universal Responsibility. Inspiring in every way, Freedom in Exile is both a historical document and a fable of deepest trust in humanity. --Brian Bruya

Review
'A touching book, that arouses great sympathy for its extraordiary author' SPECTATOR 'From the supernatural marvels of Shangri-La to the life-and-death manoeverings of Realpolitik: an earnest, inspiring, and wholly captivating tale of spiritual adventure' KIRKUS REVIEWS

KIRKUS REVIEWS
'From the supernatural marvels of ShangriLa to the life and death manoeverings of Realpolitik...'

Customer Reviews

Truely inspirational & life-changing book
I have had this book on my bookshelf for at least a year but only now have I plucked up the courage to read it. I was always terrified to understand the atrocities that I had a vague awareness that the Dalai Lama had faced for his people and country. After seeing Kundun about a year ago, it was only then, that I had a realisation about the suffering the Tibetan people had undergone.

The book was told in an extremely compassionate and caring way that only a spiritual person could visualise the world. As “James from England” has written, I could almost hear the voice of the writer in my head as if he was describing his life. Knowing this was an autobiography brought tears to my eyes.

I felt mortified to think that the situation in Tibet has worsened and still there appears to be little done to rectify it. Due to the fact that China invaded Tibet 50 years ago, I felt it really penetrated my soul to think that the Tibetans are still undergoing such inhumane treatment by the Chinese Government as if they are lesser human beings than the rest of the country. I found it shocking to read the stories of the torture and humiliation of the Tibetan monks and nuns. Now I feel that I must do something to help the cause and I feel the best way is, is to encourage everyone who reads this review to pick up the book and know the truth of the immense suffering of this peace-loving country that China is destroying. Not only does it reveal the truth but also it is a fascinating story about an extraordinary man’s escape from his home to another land and start again.

An excellent and inspirational book.
When I bought this book I was a little apprehensive whether it might be too historical and not too exciting. Thankfully these suspicions were laid to rest after reading just the first few pages. It is historical as it's the Dalia Lama's life story and about the Chinese occupation of Tibet, but it's also exciting and very personally written. He tells the story as if you're in the same room with him, almost like you're old friends and he's confiding in you. The way he makes you smile and laugh one minute, then wince with shock the next really showed the care and heart put into this book. I was also pleasantly shocked at how the Dalia Lama, his people and his country have suffered so much yet he still smiles and twists any negative situations into positive ones. I think everyone could learn from his patients and thoughtfulness towards not only friends but also his enemies. I can only think of one bad thing to say about this book and that's I found it hard to follow some of the characters as most had very similar Tibetan names. That all I could find and even this isn't the authors' fault. Overall I loved this book and really enjoyed reading it, I sometimes found myself unable to put the book down as there is always some good about to happen. I'd recommend this book to anyone, especially to anyone who has lost their faith in human nature as I think we can all learn from the authors examples and experiences.

Put this on your "books I must read" list
A very humble book which gives you the real story of the life of the Dalai Lama, including the events which led to his departure from his beloved Tibet and the daring tale of his escape.
There now appear to be hundreds of books about the Dalai Lama. Many of them pocket-sized books of quotes or "how to" books on Buddhism or living a better lifestyle. Before you read any of these, many of which seem to have little to do with the Dalai Lama, read this one. It is a joy to read and when you have finished it you will know more about this wonderful person, Tibet and yourself.