The first definitive biography of the Dalai Lama--a story by turns inspiring, surprising--from an acclaimed Tibetan scholar with exceptional access to his subject
The Dalai Lama's message of peace and compassion resonates with people of all faiths and none. Yet, for all his worldwide fame, he remains personally elusive. Now, Alexander Norman, acclaimed Oxford-trained scholar of the history of Tibet, delivers the definitive biography--unique, multilayered, and at times even shocking.
The Dalai Lama illuminates an astonishing odyssey from isolated Tibetan village to worldwide standing as spiritual and political leader of one of the world's most profound and complex cultural traditions. Norman reveals that, while the Dalai Lama has never been comfortable with his political position, he has been a canny player--at one time CIA-backed--who has maneuvered amidst pervasive violence, including placing himself at the center of a dangerous Buddhist schism. Yet even more surprising than the political, Norman convinces, is the Dalai Lama's astonishing spiritual practice, rooted in magic, vision, and prophecy--details of which are illuminated in this book for the first time.
A revelatory life story of one of today's most radical, charismatic, and beloved world leaders.
The Dalai Lama: An Extraordinary Life, Alexander Norman, Mariner Books, Paperback, 432 pp, $17.99
ALEXANDER NORMAN first met the Dalai Lama thirty years ago. Since then he has collaborated with the Tibetan Leader on several best-selling books, including the autobiography Freedom in Exile. He is the author of a critically acclaimed history of the Dalai Lamas, Holder of the White Lotus. In addition, he has served as a speech writer for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and on the Tibetan leader's Special Review Committee. He is president of the London-based charity Help Tibet.
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CONTENTS: The Dalai Lama: An Extraordinary Life
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A Note on Language and Spelling
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ix
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Map of Cultural Tibet
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x
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Introduction: Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York, August 1989
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xiii
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PART II: A PROPHECY FULFILLED
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1.
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The Travails of the Great Thirteenth
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3
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2.
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A Mystic and a Seer: The Regency Established
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16
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3.
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A Child Is Born
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27
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4.
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The View from the Place of the Roaring Tiger:
Tibet's Nameless Religion
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36
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5.
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"Lonely and somewhat unhappy": A Hostage in All but Name
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45
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PART II: THE LION THRONE
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6.
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Homecoming: Lhasa, 1940
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57
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7.
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Boyhood: Two Cane-Handled Horsewhips
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74
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8.
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Trouble in Shangri-La: Devilry and Intrigue on the Roof of the World
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87
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9.
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The Perfection of Wisdom: The Higher Education of a Tibetan Buddhis Monk
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99
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10.
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"Shit on their picnic!: China Invades, 1949-50
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113
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11.
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Into the Dragon's Lair: The Dalai Lama in China, July 1954-July 1955
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132
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12.
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The Land of the Gods: India, November 1956-March 1957
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148
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13.
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"Don't sell the Dalai Lama for silver dollars!": Lhasa, 1957-1959
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166
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PART III: FREEDOM IN EXILE
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14.
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On the Back of a
Dzo: The Flight to Freedom
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187
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15.
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Opening the Eye of New Awareness: Allen Ginsberg and the Beats
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196
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16.
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"We cannot compel you": Cultural Revolution in Tibet, Harsh Realities in India
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215
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17.
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"Something beyond the comprehension of the Tibetan people":
The Yellow Book and the Glorious Goddess
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232
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18.
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From
Rangzen to Umaylam: Independence and the Middle Way Approach
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246
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PART IV: BODHISATTVA OF COMPASSION
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19.
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Cutting Off the Serpent's Head: Reaction and Repression in Tibet
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263
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20.
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"An oath-breaking spirit born of perverse prayers":
The Murder of Lobsang Gyatso
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281
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21.
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Tibet in Flames: The Beijing Olympics and Their Aftermath
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299
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22.
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The Magical Play of Illusion
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312
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Afterword and Acknowledgments
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331
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The Fourteen Dalai Lamas
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335
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Glossary of Names and Key Terms
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338
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Notes
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349
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Bibliography
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386
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Index
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392
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