My Land and My People : The Original Autobiography of His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet

Rating:
Summary: Dalai Lama inside
Review: A very honest and personal but also historical and buddhist account of the Dalai Lamas life written in his very own words. Besides the tragedy of the the subjugation of the tibetan people, which was the cause for the Dalai Lamas exil and indirectly for the writing of this book, it shows the development of a and of this Dalai Lama, the monk Tenzin Gyatso, as he likes to call himself. Without pretention he reports about his priviledged education as "a prisoner" of the Potala, the castle of Lhasa. During the last decades, this book was an introduction into matters tibetan for many western people and it can still be recomended warmly.

Rating:
Summary: A little disappointed, but still a good and important read
Review: I am a college student who has studied China extensively in school. I can speak Chinese and have traveled to China several times and to Tibet once. While I have never agreed with many of the Chinese governments policies in the areas of religion, personal freedom, Tibet, and Taiwan, I think this book could have done more for its cause.

I decided to read this book after I spent 2.5 weeks in Tibet last year while studying in China. Tibet was one of the most fascinating places I have been to and I really wanted to know more about what happened there after China invaded. This book tells the Dalai Lama's story very well. Up until the last 15 pages or so, I really loved the book. However, before closing, the Dalai Lama makes several accusations about Chinese human rights abuses in Tibet (beatings, child abductions and the like) but provides no evidence of their existence.

While I personally feel Tibet was and still is a sovereign country and what China has done is wrong in many ways, the charges made in the last few pages don't belong in this book. While the Dalai Lama's story of his life and last days in Tibet are very powerful, I really think it would have been even better had the those last parting shots been omitted. Charges of human rights abuses such as these are very important and would be better served in a book of their own.

I think most Americans will enjoy this book but not share the same reaction I had to the last few pages. I have studied China for several years now and have heard accusations from both China and the world on countless occasions on a wide range of issues. Maybe this is why I get turned off when I don't see concrete evidence included when someone makes a charge such as the Dalai Lama does at the end of his book. I still think the Dalai Lama is a wonderful man and has an important story to tell, but feel this one could have come across a little better.

Rating:
Summary: A little disappointed, but still a good and important read
Review: I am a college student who has studied China extensively in school. I can speak Chinese and have traveled to China several times and to Tibet once. While I have never agreed with many of the Chinese governments policies in the areas of religion, personal freedom, Tibet, and Taiwan, I think this book could have done more for its cause.

I decided to read this book after I spent 2.5 weeks in Tibet last year while studying in China. Tibet was one of the most fascinating places I have been to and I really wanted to know more about what happened there after China invaded. This book tells the Dalai Lama's story very well. Up until the last 15 pages or so, I really loved the book. However, before closing, the Dalai Lama makes several accusations about Chinese human rights abuses in Tibet (beatings, child abductions and the like) but provides no evidence of their existence.

While I personally feel Tibet was and still is a sovereign country and what China has done is wrong in many ways, the charges made in the last few pages don't belong in this book. While the Dalai Lama's story of his life and last days in Tibet are very powerful, I really think it would have been even better had the those last parting shots been omitted. Charges of human rights abuses such as these are very important and would be better served in a book of their own.

I think most Americans will enjoy this book but not share the same reaction I had to the last few pages. I have studied China for several years now and have heard accusations from both China and the world on countless occasions on a wide range of issues. Maybe this is why I get turned off when I don't see concrete evidence included when someone makes a charge such as the Dalai Lama does at the end of his book. I still think the Dalai Lama is a wonderful man and has an important story to tell, but feel this one could have come across a little better.

Rating:
Summary: Tibet never belonged to China
Review: I enjoyed this narrative, my first experience with the writing of H.H. Dalai Lama. He writes so well. It's clear, descriptive, and engaging from the first sentence to the last. Suitable for all ages, the earlier the better. It has really sparked my interest in this country,, or at least how it once was. It has been almost two generations since this tragedy and I doubt things will ever be the same. Well, at least the chinese have thier railroad at the expense of an entire nation. Oh, but the writing isn't bitter at all. Just me.

Rating:
Summary: A memoir that stirs up compassion and feeling
Review: I started this book with the thought that I would gain a better sense of the history surrounding the current events in Tibet, where I recently visited. What I didn't anticipate was that the book would generate such strong feelings of compassion and emotion within me. Read it slowly and allow yourself to fully digest the Dalai Lama's simple but compelling portrayal of the suffering his people have encountered, as well as the incredible courage they displayed- as a testament of their deep devotion to him and their unwavering belief in their most valuable posession: Buddhist religion. I had to stop every so often and calm the inner turmoil I felt, as I read. While I have deep respect for the Dalai Lama and his own struggle to save his people & religion and to keep the Tibetan story alive, it is truly the Tibetan people who have proved their heroism and strength. When I read about them surrounding the Potala, armed only with sticks and determination, in order to protect their holy leader, it just overwhelmed me to remember that human struggles of the most basic kind are still occuring and need to be remembered and championed by those of us so far away. When I was in Tibet, I thought that it would be a tragedy to lose such a rich and vibrant culture but now after reading this, it's even more unimaginable. There are few cultures that cultivate such inner strength and whose people demonstrate such devotion for what is meaningful to them- I hope Tibetans will find a way to survive the continued oppression of China and that China will soon recognize the value of what they seem intent on destroying.

Rating:
Summary: the failure of genocide
Review: The cry to "free Tibet" takes on new meaning and a more personal conviction after reading this book. This original autobiograhpy, published in 1962, is an intimate narrative of the Dalai Lama's life from his humble beginnings as the son of a Tibetan farmer to his evolution as the greatest spiritual leader known to the modern world.
It is also the story of a young man struggling with responsibilities that are unimaginable for someone so young and of a remarkable people who were willing to give up their lives in order to protect their unique way of life.
But, more importantly, this book tells the story of an attempt by a mighty military power to eliminate a small peace-loving culture thus eliminating it's religion, a religion based simply on having compassion for all living things. In this regard, the efforts of the mighty power failed. The government of China may have been successful in taking the beautiful land from the Tibetans (thanks in part to the rest of the world turning a blind eye to what was happening) but the culture and religion is still thriving thanks to the efforts of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his government in exile.
In conclusion, this book reminds us that we all need to be aware of how frangible freedom is and that all peace-loving people must join hands throughout the world, regardless of cultural and religious beliefs, to protect that precious thing called freedom.

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Summary: An amazing story, who's ending has not yet been written.
Review: This book was a starting reminder that the "People's Republic of China" is still COMMUNIST China. Having read many times over that His Holiness was forced to flee his homeland, I didn't fully appreciate what he, and his people went through in the years prior to his exile. There is no room for doubt, after reading this book, that COMMUNIST China is engaged in genocide of the Tibetan people. Chairman Mao offered his indictment to the Dalai Lama that "religion is poison." This book offers much insight into the fact that the whole existence of Tibet was intertwined with its religious practices and beliefs. These are not a people who want to be "liberated" from a non-existent feudal rule! AFter reading this, I hope you will agree that Tibet truly does need liberation, from COMMUNIST CHINA. I am truly in awe of the 14th Dalai Lama, who is able to still call for non-violence and negotiation with those who have wreaked havoc and destruction on both his people and his country, and forced him into exile. I am left wondering what will happen to the future of Tibet, and Tibetan Buddhism, when this Dalai Lama passes on.