Buddha in Exile
Brij Sinha
Geisteswissenschaften, Kunst, Musik / Regional- und Ländergeschichte
Beschreibung
Shangri-La, the mythological name associated with a mysterious land, Tibet, stands on the roof of the world where, once, serenity prevailed. One day, however, the tranquillity of the land was disrupted by Chinese gunfire, which changed everything that the natives had enjoyed for several millennia. To save the land's culture and prestigious religion, His Holiness the Dalai Lama had to exile himself in India. There followed a mass exodus of Tibetans.
Dharamsala, in Northern India, the central seat of Tibetans in exile, has become the new Lhasa, to which tourists flock from all over the world to feel the essence of Buddhism, which permeates its atmosphere.
Norbu, the story's principal character, leaves Tibet at twelve and excels in his education in exile. People find that he has an inquisitive nature and a unique argumentative skill, which leads them to call him a 'Little Buddha'. Norbu meets Dolma, a girl from the Khampa clan, who, defying all odds, has survived and set her foot firmly on the path to becoming a school teacher in India. Love grows out of the wilderness, and Dolma pins her hopes on Norbu to fulfil her dream of a happy life, but the spell is broken before he makes a commitment. Norbu is compelled to heed the call of his conscience, and he decides to return to Bodoland.
The book highlights the ongoing Chinese atrocities in Tibet and gives a wake-up call to world leaders to help a nation that is now on the verge of extinction. The book also touches briefly on the essence of Buddhism and takes you to the land of Buddha where you can understand and embrace the nature of loving relationships-and learn to share something more significant than the self.
Kundenbewertungen
Tibet and Chinese occupation, Buddhism and Tibetan spirituality, Dalai Lama in exile, Historical nonfiction about Tibet, Dharamsala Tibetan culture, Shangri-La myth and reality, Tibetan refugees and resilience