His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama is the absolute spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet. His rule, however, has been a tempestuous one and the Chinese occupation of Tibet since 1950, during which thousands of Tibetans have been massacred and thousands fhore have fled the country through the Himalayas, has tested his compassion. humanity and qualities of leadership to the limit. Attempts to negotiate with the Chinese and to avoid conflict and confrontation with them resulted in hiş being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. -
Now in exile in India, he continues to exert a powerful, positive influence on his people, and his frequent travels to the West have- proved enlightening to all who have heard him. His words speak not only to Buddhists and to spiritual and political leaders the world over, but to anyone concerned with morality and religion.
This authorised biography traces the life and rule of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, as well as the history of his predecessors since 1391 when the first incarnate teacher began his rule. The ancient Tibetan way of life, now all but destroyed under the Chinese regime, and the essence of Tibetan Buddhism are described in full so that the life and works of the Dalai Lama may be seen in their proper cultural, political and religious context,
This edition contains, as a Foreward, remarks by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on being awarded the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize.