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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama
In this astonishingly frank autobiography, the Dalai Lama reveals the remarkable inner strength that allowed him to master both the mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism and the brutal realities of Chinese Communism.
Paperback
,
320 pages
Published
August 1st 1991
by Harper San Francisco
(first published January 1st 1990)
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The Dalai Lama wrote this in English because he said he wanted to be sure of his intended meaning and not leave anything open to misunderstanding due to translation. Consequently the prose often lacks that fluidity of form which makes for relaxing reading. That is probably a good thing because it forces the reader to "slow down" and absorb each sentence.
He is indeed a remarkable man and his life (as of 1990 when he wrote this) is almost incomprehensible to a Western mind. I found his humility a ...more
He is indeed a remarkable man and his life (as of 1990 when he wrote this) is almost incomprehensible to a Western mind. I found his humility a ...more
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i read this book while living in oregon. while there i was working for a tour company that designed trips to india, nepal and tibet. i decided that a tour should be created that followed the steps of the 14th dalai lama's exile and journey out of tibet to india because i was so moved by this story. the story of the tibetan people is sad and inspiring. they have been forcefully removed from their spiritual homeland, a land they are very much connected to. now being slowly colonized by the chinese
...more
The Dalai Lama does a wonderful job taking us from his childhood up through his exile and the current (mid 90s) situation that Tibet is in. It is truly remarkable that a man that has seen and had to deal with so many horrific things that the People's Liberation Army did to the Tibetan people can be so loving and forgiving. I really enjoyed reading this book and learning more about the history of the Tibetan people and how Mao's communism, while it seemed like a good idea at the time, ultimately
...more
Jun 29, 2012
Sarala
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Buddhism-Enthusiasts
This book became my companion during my travels in the Himalayas! What can I say, it was the book that suited the journey.
This book turned out to be nothing like what I expected it to be. The Dalai Lama shows that he is a human but with missions that were thrust on him at quite a young age. It chronicles the mischief, trials, the grandeur and the spirituality that comes along with being chosen as the Dalai Lama.
His Holiness creates a very world that I could relate to and the backdrop of Himalaya ...more
This book turned out to be nothing like what I expected it to be. The Dalai Lama shows that he is a human but with missions that were thrust on him at quite a young age. It chronicles the mischief, trials, the grandeur and the spirituality that comes along with being chosen as the Dalai Lama.
His Holiness creates a very world that I could relate to and the backdrop of Himalaya ...more
A very good read. Provided me the background of the happenings of Tibet, past and present.
Recommend to read to get an idea of what Tibet is like and what's going on.
Dalai Lama is a straight forward writer, with not a lot of details, easy to understand and read. Can fully feel his feelings for Tibet and his people through the way he wrote.
Recommend to read to get an idea of what Tibet is like and what's going on.
Dalai Lama is a straight forward writer, with not a lot of details, easy to understand and read. Can fully feel his feelings for Tibet and his people through the way he wrote.
The 14th Dalai Lama is disarmingly down to earth. Raised as a incarnate lama and as a monk since 6 years of age, he has a fresh, almost naive, comportment to dramatic events which have shaped his life. You'd think the Dalai Lama grew up in riches and was pampered. He did have servants, attendants and "sweepers". But he complains of the dark and coldness of the Potala Palace, and tells that mice roaming the floors above would pee on him!
He was impressed by Mao when he spent months in China in th ...more
He was impressed by Mao when he spent months in China in th ...more
In this book the Dalai Lama is able to share the story of Tibet's situation with China with wit, humor, and pure honesty. It helped me understand the issue much more clearly, and it was a perfect supplement to visiting Tibetan villages in India. I was fascinated by the open mindedness with which the Dalai Lama experienced everything. He does a terrific job of showing how Tibetan Buddhist culture can, in fact, fit into the modern world. I would recommend this to anybody that wants to understand t
...more
This is, in a nutshell, a beautiful, honest and extremely sad story of a wonderful man.
Most of us already know the sorry tale of Tibet and the Chinese occupation of it through popular media. The Dalai Lama's life starts in free Tibet and ends as a political exile in India, and in many ways, you know how the story will go.
What was remarkable, however, were two things:
One, the honesty and openness of this man, despite the obvious pain he's been through in his life, is refreshing and consistently e ...more
Most of us already know the sorry tale of Tibet and the Chinese occupation of it through popular media. The Dalai Lama's life starts in free Tibet and ends as a political exile in India, and in many ways, you know how the story will go.
What was remarkable, however, were two things:
One, the honesty and openness of this man, despite the obvious pain he's been through in his life, is refreshing and consistently e ...more
The Dalai Lama presents a convincing and earnest narrative of his life and the story of Tibet. He shines through the pages clearly as a compassionate, intelligent person, but above all he comes off as very real. In particular, I found his personal insights into human nature to be unsettling in their honesty, but refreshing. He tries to portray the Chinese in a fair enough way, giving admiration when deserved but never shying away from proclaiming the truth of their failings. This is a task I dou
...more
A comprehensible and meaningful autobiography. Though there was a ghostwriter, the ghostwriter was interviewed in another book, "Understanding the Dalai Lama," and he discusses not only the length of time spent in interviews but also in revisions to the book. There is not a single sentence the Dalai Lama did not have a hand in.
The Dalai Lama's compassionate nature is obvious. He tries to forgive or find the good in everyone, even during the period between the Chinese invasion in 1950 and his fl ...more
The Dalai Lama's compassionate nature is obvious. He tries to forgive or find the good in everyone, even during the period between the Chinese invasion in 1950 and his fl ...more
At some points I found this book to drag just a little bit, but it was still incredibly interesting. At first I thought that this book would be mostly consumed with messages about freeing Tibet and full of propaganda accordingly, but that definitely wasn't the case. There were a lot of moments that the Dalai Lama talks about Tibet(how can he not, it's inevitable), but he also mentions his fascinating childhood and upbringing as the Dalai Lama. I found it fascinating that he was actually an incre
...more
Seriously a man of many hats! This spiritual and political leader shows himself to have a great writer's eye! The books is a fantastic blend of his own personal history and recollections and the Tibetan history he's lived through. And his philosophy is also introduced in very clear and easy to understand language. It was very informative and also highly entertaining, including anectdotes of meetings with great personalities, Mahatma Ghandi, Vaclav Havel, Nelson Mandela, plus Popes, Presidents, G
...more
Dec 10, 2007
Sonam Yangden
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
buddhist people
This book deserves a rating of 5/5.
The book " Freedom in Exile" is an account of the life of his holiness The Dalai Lama. It was published in 1990. It is a very touching book, especially for me as a Buddhist, because it tells us about the suffering and paints that his holiness and the people of Tibet had to go through during the Chinese invasion. At certain stages, it is also very amusing, reading about his holiness’s childhood and about how he spent it playing pranks and also about his other ...more
The book " Freedom in Exile" is an account of the life of his holiness The Dalai Lama. It was published in 1990. It is a very touching book, especially for me as a Buddhist, because it tells us about the suffering and paints that his holiness and the people of Tibet had to go through during the Chinese invasion. At certain stages, it is also very amusing, reading about his holiness’s childhood and about how he spent it playing pranks and also about his other ...more
Dec 26, 2014
Rena Sherwood
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction
,
human-biography
This 1990 autobiography of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is worth reading for many different reasons.
Few people have lived more turbulent, more interesting lives than that of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. He went from small child of a poor horse breeder to the god-king of Tibet to an outcast to Nobel Prize winner to the witness of the end of his home nation. Although published in 1990, "Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama" is still relevant today as when it was publ ...more
Few people have lived more turbulent, more interesting lives than that of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. He went from small child of a poor horse breeder to the god-king of Tibet to an outcast to Nobel Prize winner to the witness of the end of his home nation. Although published in 1990, "Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama" is still relevant today as when it was publ ...more
Sep 26, 2014
Kirsten
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
buddhism
,
non-fiction
The Fourteenth Dalai Lama has lived a remarkable life and seen his country go from an isolated, practically medieval existence to... well, I don't feel like I can really publicly comment on the current status of Tibet because I am a foreigner and have read relatively little about the situation and nothing written from the other side of the conflict. As an account of events and an insight into a culture it is fascinating and a very gripping read. However, as a piece of literature it was not overl
...more
HHDL's writes in a strong, yet gentle voice and the pages just fly by. The history of the office of Dalai Lama is fascinating and Tenzin Gyatso's reign as 14th Dalai Lama is equally as fascinating. He is a true embodiment of what he teaches, the book recounts the hardships of his life, of the fall of Tibet, his time in exile, everything. And every page recounts it void of malice or anger. Seriously one of my favourite books.
This open and very human autobiography by the Dalai Lama is very easy to read. Of particular interest to me are the sections describing the settlement of Tibetan refugees in Bylakuppe in the early 1960s. My mother was involved in helping the new refugees to adapt to living on an arid piece of then scrubland, such a huge leap from the clear air and grassy highlands of their mountain homes.
I've been interested in Tibet for a long time and finally got around to reading this autobiography of Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama. His personality really shines through in his simply phrased explanations of his thoughts on everything from Buddhism, politics, the role of religions, the environment, China, and the fate of Tibet.
Of particular interest was his optimism toward China in the beginning. He was initially impressed by Mao, and felt that he was sincere and that China wou ...more
Of particular interest was his optimism toward China in the beginning. He was initially impressed by Mao, and felt that he was sincere and that China wou ...more
The night my father-in-law very suddenly passed away (almost a month ago now), I just couldn't get into the book I had been reading at the time. It just seemed too shallow that night. So I picked this up instead. It wasn't exactly a "comfort" given the sad recent history of the Tibetan people, but it was a heartwarming look into someone who truly wants to end human suffering.
The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and the leader of the Tibetan Government.* This autobiography recounts the life of Tenzin Gyatso (the 14th Dalai Lama) from the time of his birth in 1935 up to the time this book was published in 1990. His unpretentious, compassionate, and honest nature shines through the pages.
The Dalai Lama opened a window into a way of life that is unfamiliar to many. In the first one-third of the book, we learned about his childhood: the process of f ...more
The Dalai Lama opened a window into a way of life that is unfamiliar to many. In the first one-third of the book, we learned about his childhood: the process of f ...more
This book really opened my eyes to a lot of things I didn't know happened. I was shocked at the brutality endured by the Tibetan people. The pain and trauma of the Tibetans has left a mark on my conscience. The Dalai Lama's non-violent opposition of the Chinese is admirable and to be an example for us all.
What an incredibly inspiring and heart-breaking story. One really doesn't have to even have an interest in Buddhism in order to gain a great deal from reading this book. This was my first real detailed exposure to the story of Tibet and the events that have transpired during the life of the Dalai Lama. Though perhaps not unusual on the world stage for one country to invade and exterminate the way of life of another but it is still astonishing to witness through the writing of one who lived throu
...more
This is an honest, personal account of a fascinating life's story. Although he discusses the political environment, I would have liked if the author had included more details about the cultural changes that occurred during the Chinese invasion and subsequent occupation of Tibet. Including these details would have been difficult because the author fled to India before the occupation, thus he doesn't have much personal knowledge of living conditions. However, the reader would benefit from a deeper
...more
Amazing read! I found the life of the Dalai Lama so fascinating and I definitely learned so many things from this autobiography. I never knew the suffering in Tibet was so great and the weight of responsibility he had was incredible, but he pulled through. Inspiring! A must read.
Informative and entertaining. This book has lots to tell about the Tibetan culture and the way of life before and after Chinese annexation. His holiness Dalai Lama also gives a perspective of nearly half a century of politics in India and China. This book is full of humor and at same time accounts of horrors faced by Tibetans after Chinese 'liberation' and early difficulties of refugees in India. The book is written with honesty and made me happy particularly because of the tolerance and hope th
...more
Written in very simple manner, the Dalai Lama tells his story as though he were talking to you in person. His wisdom and understanding of human nature is so wonderful as he always look to see the good while knowing that the bad exists. Highly recommend.
One of the most distressing and heart-rendering books I've ever read. Anybody who ever casually claims to support a free Tibet needs to read this book and anybody who knows nothing about the place should read it too. The Chinese have a lot to answer for.
Memoirs full of compassion and determination; this is about the Dali Lama's life as ruler and exile. Still managing to keep hatred from his heart in the face of the total destruction of his culture, the Dali Lama is truly someone to emanate.
It's a heart-rending book towards the end, but very interesting to read how a teenager ruled Tibet and went on to come one of the greatest peace activists in history.
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Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso (born Lhamo Döndrub), the 14th Dalai Lama, is a practicing member of the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism and is influential as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the world's most famous Buddhist monk, and the leader of the exiled Tibetan government in India.
Tenzin Gyatso was the fifth of sixteen children born to a farming family. He was proclaimed the ...more
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Tenzin Gyatso was the fifth of sixteen children born to a farming family. He was proclaimed the ...more
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