A Simple Monk: Writings on His Holiness the Dalai Lama

by Tom Morgan (Editor)

Lavish color photographs and wrap-around text celebrate the peripatetic spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. Unidentified contributors present such perspectives as ocean of wisdom, the god in exile, and human rights and universal responsibility. There is no index or bibliography. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Genres: Buddhism, Religion, Biography, Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published October 10, 2001

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Reviews

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good - filled with beautiful color prints and several essays/articles on the 14th Dalai Lama. I learned a ton from this book. One essay is about how the Dalai Lama was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama when he was 3 1/2 years old (another essay explains the strategy behind the 13th Dalai Lama's decision to be reincarnated so as to be young enough to deal with the political problems that Tibet was to face). Another essay explains the history of Tibet's struggles with China and how the Dalai Lama came to be in exile. But my favorite part of the book is a very hopeful piece on the future of the world, based on 4 factors that the Dalai Lama recognizes in the way humanity deals now with the world. One is that we have build mass weapons to such a destructive scale that they actually cannot be used, so we are turning to non-violence as the new way to resolve issues. Another is the fact that although people used to believe that technology held the answers to everything, we have now started to see the use of our planet's resources destroyed by technology. So, humanity is now waking up to the fact that we have to take care of the planet. So yes, the world stinks but maybe that's exactly what we need to serve as an impetus to shake up people into making better decisions. Very interesting...

[Debbie Albonaimi · Rating 2 out of 5]

To me the photographs portrayed the Dali Lama far better than any of the text.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning photos, lovely text. Worth it for the photos if you aren't into Buddhism.

[Jeremy J. Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I have this book somewhere in my home collection. I'll probably end up reading it again.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd say this is actually a 3.5 star book. It's definitely a really attractive book. The photos are well done and arranged in a way that make sense. The combination of articles or pieces (however they should be described) was a little uneven to me. It make for an unsteady read, and that really slowed me down. I particularly enjoyed the interview that was included. I am using this book as a stepping off point for other things I can read and follow up on. If you're interested in learning about this man or his story, I think this is a fair place to start.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very inspirational, the photographs, beautiful. I especially enjoyed learning how His Holiness was discovered at a very young age. I have seen the movies mentioned in this book: Seven Years in Tibet, Kundun, and Windhorse. I recommend them all. I especially liked Kundun, although it was very sad.

[Kimberly Iverson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book. Lots of great information on what he went through growing up, as well as the way they choose a successor.

[Edna Hancock · Rating 2 out of 5]

A great coffie table book for conversation.