Adventures of a Tibetan Fighting Monk

by Tashi Khedrup

The old world of traditional Tibet had its few windows to the outside world slammed shut when Chinese troops completed their conquest in 1959. This is the life of Tashi Khedrup, who was born in a traditional Tibetan village, ordained as a monk in one of the great monasteries, and eventually became a Dob-dob, or 'fighting monk' responsible for policing the monastery. He fled from the Chinese with the Dalai Lama, and instantly faced a world he never imagined could exist. Having lost one leg in his flight from Tibet, the homeland he was never to see again, he had no choice but to adjust to his new life. He died on the Isle of Man, UK, in 1986. "For those of you interested in analyzing life in Tibet from a secular perspective this book should prove to be a valuable resource." Paul Ratchford, Tibetan Biographies, March, 2007.

135 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1997

Reviews

[Yigal Zur · Rating 4 out of 5]

most people know so little about Tibet. i researched it a lot when I wrote Death in Shangri La. few knows that it was a hugh kingdom with its own small and ill equipped army which just kept borders from intruders to get to the sacred kingdom in the mountains. this is a story of one of the fighting monks. nice.

[Rolanda Crockpot · Rating 4 out of 5]

👍 I don't know if this is true but he says when you corner a marmot they raise their hands as if in prayer and that's why it was frowned upon to hunt them even though they made nice purses. One weird trick to stay the hand of your aggressors: Prayer

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book club selection. It's not the usual book I like to read, but it was interesting to learn how someone with such a totally different lifestyle lives his life. The monk in this story started living at a monastery at a very young age and eventually became a Dob-dob, a fighting monk and fought Chinese. Later, he left Tibet with the Dalai Lama to get away from the Chinese. It's worth reading, but did not capture my attention like the mystery novels I enjoy, I'd give it a 3.5 rating on a scale of 0 to 5.