Prisoners of Shangri-La: Tibetan Buddhism and the West

by Donald S. Lopez Jr.

Prisoners of Shangri-La is a provocative analysis of the romance of Tibet, a romance that, even as it is invoked by Tibetan lamas living in exile, ultimately imprisons those who seek the goal of Tibetan independence from Chinese occupation.

"Lopez lifts the veil on America's romantic vision of Tibet to reveal a country and a spiritual history more complex and less ideal than popular perceptions allow. . . . Lively and engaging, Lopez's book raises important questions about how Eastern religions are often co-opted, assimilated and misunderstood by Western culture."— Publishers Weekly

"Proceeding with care and precision, Lopez reveals the extent to which scholars have behaved like intellectual colonialists. . . . Someone had to burst the bubble of pop Tibetology, and few could have done it as resoundingly as Lopez."— Booklist

"Fascinating. . . [A] provocative exploration. Lopez conveys the full dizziness of the Western encounter with Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism."—Fred Pheil, The Buddhist Review

"A timely and courageous exploration. . . . [Lopez's] book will sharpen the terms of the debate over what the Tibetans and their observers can or should be doing about the place and the idea of Tibet. And that alone is what will give us all back our Shambhala."—Jonathan Spence, Lingua Franca Book Review

"Lopez's most important theme is that we should be wary of the idea . . . that Tibet has what the West lacks, that if we were only to look there we would find the answers to our problems. Lopez's book shows that, on the contrary, when the West has looked at Tibet, all that it has seen is a distorted reflection of itself."—Ben Jackson, Times Higher Education Supplement

Genres: Buddhism, History, Religion, Nonfiction, Anthropology, Spirituality, Asia

283 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Donald Sewell Lopez, Jr. (born 1952) is the Arthur E. Link Distinguished University Professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies at the University of Michigan, in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures.

Son of the deputy director of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Donald S. Lopez.

Reviews

[robin friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life Following Art

Donald Lopez' study "Prisoners of Shangri-La: Tibetan Buddhism and the West" is a most interesting account of the reception and influence of Tibetan Buddhism. Towards the end of his book, Professor Lopez discusses Oscar Wilde's paradoxical maxim that "Life imitates Art" and views this as summarizing in a nutshell the West's attitude towards Tibet. Professor Lopez shows how the West's fascination with Tibet is of long duration and stems from a need to project to this esoteric little-known culture a spiritual search the West, or some people in it, are making for themselves. Tibet and its Buddhism thus become vehicles for the transmission of ideas that sometimes are only remotely related to this source.

Thus, most broadly, in the late 19th century, the Victorians viewed Buddhism as a form of rational religion under which one could live ethically and spiritually without a theology, a frightening God, or revelation. (This remains one of the attractions of Buddhism today for Westerners.) Tibetan Buddhism, with its mantras, its many divinities, its paintings and chants was viewed by many as in derogation of the teachings of "original Buddhism."

Later writers, influenced by Theosophy, the occult, the drug culture, or New Age, found in Tibet materials to support their predilections, sometimes on the most questionable bases. What was missing in all of this, according to Professor Lopez, was an attention to Tibetans themselves and to Tibetan sources.

Thus we learn about the Tibetan "Book of the Dead", the Tibetan mantra "Om Padhe... Hum", its art, as reflected through different Western eyes. We learn about the Tibetans in exile and about the Dalai Lama's attempts to hold his people together while creating a world-wide basis of support. I was particularly interested in Professor Lopez's discussion of the growth of Tibetan Buddhist studies in the Universities and of his discussion of the sometimes uneasy alliance between the worlds of scholarship and reflection on one hand and popular culture on the other hand.

This book is valuable for what it shows about distortions of Tibet and of how we mold reality to suit our needs. There is some spiritual quest, though, or need that underlies the interests that many bring to Tibetan Buddhism and to Buddhism in general. That seeking, and the message that one may find in Buddhism of an analysis of the human condition that is separate from particularities of time and culture, is what is of value, I think, in the revival of interest in Buddhism. It will survive distortions or cultural fads of the moment.

Robin Friedman

[Jason Poulter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an essay that I wrote using this book. It is a fascinating book that is really well researched and fun to read.


The Invention of Tibet
When Christopher Columbus wrote of his travels to the New World his writings were full of preconceptions and cultural assumptions that shaped the image of America in the minds of Europeans. The Mexican historian and philosopher Edmundo O’Gorman later coined the phrase, the “invention of America.” (Hanks 219) Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism have experienced this same type of ignorant projection of views onto their culture and religion, being packaged and repackaged for Western audiences. The book “Prisoners of Shangri-La”, by David Lopez, outlines how western missionaries, explorers, historians, writers, and philosophers have twisted, “invented,” and re-invented Tibet throughout the centuries in order to match what they believe it to be. Throughout the book we can find examples of these ignorant projections of images onto the Tibetan people and their religion.
Missionaries traveling to Tibet found what they believed to be an apostate version of Christianity. In 1626, the Jesuit missionary Antonio de Andrade wrote that after a lama had watched him perform the Mass that the lama said that the “Grand Lama in Utsang offers small quantities of bread and wine… and wears on his head a tiara like mine but much larger.” (Page 25) The similarities found in Tibetan Buddhism and Catholicism led many to theorize how these similarities came to be. Huc and Gabet, Vincentian missionaries, made a huge list of the affinities between Tibetan Buddhism and Catholicism then at the end stated, “Now, can it be said that these analogies are of Christian origin? We think so.” (Page 29) Therefore the view of Tibetan Buddhism by these Europeans caused many to believe that the religion of Tibet had Christian roots. These similarities were used by Catholics to argue the veracity of their beliefs. Whereas Protestants viewed this similarity with Catholicism as an obvious sign that Catholicism was corrupt. The English Protestant Thomas Astley “catalogs the similarities, which he claims the Catholics try to hide, finding the religion of the Buddha and the Romish faith identical in every way, except for… the Eucharist.” (Page 30) He found the same similarities in order to condemn the Catholic Church as idolatry. It is through these views of Tibetan Buddhism as an apostate Idolatrous religion that cause it to be separated from Buddhism. During the same time that Tibetan Buddhism, falsely referred to as “Lamaism,” was being cursed as idolatry the “Buddha” was being seen as one of the greatest philosophers of all time, “opposed to ritual, superstition, and socerdotalism.” (Page 31) These opposing viewpoints of what Europeans viewed the teachings of the Buddha to be and the twisted way they viewed Tibetan Religious belief to be caused them to label Tibetan Buddhism as corrupt. Rhys Davids wrote that, “Lamaism, has come to be the exact contrary of the earlier Buddhism.” (Page 37) The negative portrayal of Tibetans and their religion are constant throughout the writings of late 19th century Victorian writers, scholars, and philosophers.
The Tibetan Book of the Dead has also been a mean by which westerners have created or invented the beliefs of Tibetan Buddhists. Walter Evans-Wentz, a theosophist, had collected many different ancient Buddhist texts during his travels through Asia and had them translated. These translations were interpreted first through the eyes of the Theosophists which reflected more of the beliefs of Hinduism than Buddhism. The psychological commentaries of Carl Jung reflect the view that many have of Tibetan Buddhism today; he believed that “Western science will eventually evolve to the point at which it can confirm the insights of the East, most importantly, the existence of rebirth.” (Page 56) Lopez inserts that this is the same viewpoint that is held by the present Dalai Lama. The Tibetan Book of the Dead has been described as esoteric, mystical, and other worldly. Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner, and Richard Alpert wrote the book, “The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead.” Their book was a guide to the use of hallucinogens in which the various stages that are discussed in the Tibetan Book of the Dead are transposed onto the stages of an acid trip. Lopez describes this process of misinterpreting the Tibetan texts saying, “in order to put the Tibetan text (or, more precisely, Evans-Wentz’s book) to such use, it was necessary for the authors to decontextualize it from its traditional use as a mortuary text… like Evans-Wentz before them when he found Theosophical doctrines.” (Page 72) Thus it was through these misinterpreted texts that many of the false views of Tibetan Buddhism have emerged.
The third chapter of Lopez’s book focuses on the fictional novel, “The Third Eye,” and its effects on the imagined view of Tibet in the eyes of westerners. The best way to explain the effect of this book on the minds of people is represented in an experiment that Lopez performed on one of his classes at the University of Michigan. He had the students read the book after six weeks of studying Tibetan Buddhism and did not explain to them the history of the book. All of the students thoroughly enjoyed the book and appreciated the detail about what Tibet was “really” like. When Lopez notified his students that the book was fiction and explained to them the history of the book and its writer the students were full of questions. Many of these questions reflect the views that many westerners have of Tibet. The questions included, “Did Tibetans really perform amputations without anesthesia, with the patients using breath control and hypnotism instead? Did monks really eat communally and in silence while the Scriptures were read aloud?” and “Are the priests in Tibet vegetarian? Did priests really only ride white horses? Were horses really only ridden every other day? Did acolytes really wear white robes? Did cats really guard the temple jewels?” Even questions that may seem ridiculous like, “Were there really man-bearing kites in Tibet?” (Page 104) The students believed what they read because it played into all there fanciful views that had been projected on them of Tibet and Buddhism. Titles of books often included words that could be described as mysterious, such as Lama Govinda’s work “Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism according to the Esoteric Teachings of the Great Mantra Om Mani Padme Hum.” The words mysticism and esoteric are key words which strike the imaginations of many. Lopez notes that because books like, “The Third Eye,” are entertaining and play into the fantasies of Tibet they are more widely read and therefore the false image is portrayed to more people than the “scholarly” image of Tibet. It is also important to note that all of the early writings on Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism are completely void of any Tibetan participation.
In the case of the Tibetan prayer or mantra “om mani padme hum” there have been many different interpretations and imagined meanings that have been pushed on Tibetans themselves. Through philology the meaning of this mantra was defined as “Oh! The jewel in the lotus, amen.” Many would concur with this definition throughout the different writings on it and as Lopez states, “… no traveler to Tibet or Ladakh could let the mantra pass without comment.” (Page 118) The symbolism behind the words in the prayer were also interpreted to have a wide variety of meanings, from the jewel representing the Dalai Lama, to sexual interpretations, to the bidding of Avalokitesvara, to T. Lobsang Rampa’s explanation as “Hail to Man’s Overself!” All of these interpretations placed an idea in the heads of westerners of who Tibetans were. Lopez states, “It is perhaps noteworthy that in all of these renderings of the mantra as some variation of ‘the jewel in the lotus,’ Tibetan texts are never cited in support, that once the early-nineteenth-century European Sanskrit scholars had translated it as ‘the jewel in the lotus,’ the rendering took on a life of its own.” (Page 130) The chapter that discusses the spell in Lopez’s book shows many different examples of how writers and scholars have misunderstood and mistranslated the mantra spoken by Tibetans. The penultimate paragraph shows us how the erroneous interpretations of Tibetan Buddhism have even affected Tibetans. Lopez concludes the chapter stating that “based on the Tibetan sources and an analysis of the grammar… it appears that the endless variations… are merely fanciful.” And that it would be ironic if we were to find a Tibetan text that agrees with this rendering. “And such a text exists.” The Dalai Lama’s tutor, in an explanation on the meaning of the mantra, said that it could mean translated loosely, “The jewel in the lotus, Amen.” It is not hard to speculate that the meaning of the mantra as defined by the Dalai Lama’s tutor was influenced by the writings of the west, thus reflecting a part the image that the west has projected upon Tibet. (Page 133-134)
Since the Tibetan Diaspora of 1959 by the Chinese there has been a large shift in the image of Tibetans and Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetans, because they are now allies against communism, have received much praise from writers and politicians from around the world. This praise has been intensified by the portrayal of Tibetans and Tibet as a perfect peaceful society that is led by philosophical teachings above all superstitions. Hilton’s Shangri-La utopia is often the image that is projected today of Tibet. Lopez explains it well when he says, “we might regard Tibet as a work of art, fashioned through exaggeration and selection into an ideal with little foundation in history.” (Page 183) The view of Tibet before the Chinese invasion in 1950 is described as “unusually peaceful and happy… based wholly on the practice of Buddhism’s highest ideals… Tibet and the sanity she represents must not be allowed to disappear.” (Page 203) The western writers describing how monks live and act in Tibet has caused “many young lay Tibetans growing up on India” to “criticize Tibetan monks for not living up to the image of the Tibetan Buddhism they have read about in English.” (Page 201) Therefore, the very views that Tibetan youth are being brought up to understand are the imagined views that westerners have projected onto Tibet.
When Christopher Columbus wrote back to Europe describing his discoveries he told of cannibals and Amazon women that he was assured existed on other islands. Throughout history the image of what really exists in a culture has been sent through the imaginations of writers, scholars, explorers, and philosophers inventing new images all together. The people of Tibet and the religion of Tibet have changed drastically in the minds of the observing west. Lopez states that when Tibetan refugees look back at what Tibet had been will see “the Land of Snows only as it was reflected in the elaborately framed mirror of Western Fantasies about Tibet.” (Page 200) Tibetans and Tibetan Buddhism are now prisoners of the “invention” of Tibet that has been packaged and re-packaged through the years in the imaginations of others.



Lopez, Donald. 1999. Prisoners of Shangri-La: Tibetan Buddhism and the West. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Wiesner-Hanks, Merry E. Early Modern Europe, 1450-1789. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[Zan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. At only 207 pages (plus almost 80 of notes) it does not pretend to give an exhaustive survey of the history or anthropology of the West's relationship with Tibet, but especially for someone not very familiar with that relationship, it is eye-opening. Lopez is a scholar of Tibetan Buddhism (as the large number of notes suggests) who trained at the University of Virginia, one of the oldest and best academic centers of Buddhist study in North America. Yet this work is a fast, accessible read aimed for a general audience and occasionally tinged with an understated, wry humor.

As a child I had a copy of Mordicai Gerstein's beautifully illustrated story book The Mountains of Tibet The Mountains of Tibet, but despite pouring many times over its lyrical watercolors, and in later years cultivating a deep interest in many other parts of Asia, I never developed the fascination for Tibet many people apparently have. I think I was about 10 when I realized that Tibet was part of the PPRC, and (ever the staunch atheist) came to the conclusion that were Tibet "freed" in the sense of being delivered back to the Tibetan government in exile, it would be placed under the rule of a theocracy (the situation has of course changed somewhat since then with the Dalai Lama's abdication as a temporal leader), and that if the Tibetans claim to be Buddhists par excellence, shouldn't they recognize the impermanence of all transient states, including their, uh, state? Though I did not grow up to become either a good Chinese communist or an esoteric philosopher, I have always viewed the stereotypical bleeding heart Western response to the Tibetan occupation as at best usually under-informed and emotional, and at worst toxically hypocritical. My engagement with Tibet and the Tibetan problem ended there.

I was dimly aware of course that much romanticism surrounded the plateau. I had no idea of the real extent and sheer fantasy of what has, for most of the modern era, constituted the West's "knowledge" of Tibet. Victorian notions of a barbarous and decadent country run by malicious and despotic priestcraft are no more partial and unbalanced than the idealized visions of a uniformly enlightened nation which holds the key to mankind's spiritual awakening, both of which are ultimately just as grossly patronizing and objectifying to real Tibetans. Without even the need for much commentary, Lopez often simply lets the equally absurd claims of colonialists, missionaries, Theosophists, and New Age spiritualists speak for themselves, evoking feelings of alternate shock and amusement.

One impression the book left particularly strongly on me is how there is essentially NO notion of Tibet to Westerners separate from Tibetan Buddhism. As Lopez points out, Tibet is an Old World country with an unusual history, as until 1950 it was never occupied by a colonial power (and never by a European one), nor forcibly opened to European contact in the 19th century, and undertook no modernization from within. A point could be made, then, that as an essentially medieval society until the mid-twentieth century, it makes no more sense to consider Tibet without Buddhism than it does to discuss medieval Europe without the Church. That as may be, Lopez leaves one with the impression that the West essentially sees "Tibet" not as a piece of geography, nor a nation of people and a culture dispersed and under assault, but as a religion sustained by organic hosts. This creed has been viewed both negatively and positively, but always hyperbolically. He suggests that, in part in an attempt to throw off the stigma of "Lamaism", even in modern scholarship the study of any aspects of Tibet or Tibetan Buddhism that do not fit its image of ultimate spiritual subtly and sophistication (such as folk practices or texts addressing the more earthly and pragmatic concerns of religion) have been severely neglected.

Ultimately he leaves the reader with what I imagine to be his own sense of troubled unease. Unease that even with the best of intentions, the West cannot help Tibet, nor, perhaps, can Tibetans (who in diaspora begin to appropriate the categorizations the West has placed on them) help themselves, if they continue to be viewed through a lense, even a rose-tinted one.

[Michal Thoma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books uncovers how the Tibet was and still is imagined by the west in different stages of history and on different topics. All contesting and contradictory imaginations with very little touch to the reality are grimly voiced to the shame of their holders (including the authorities like C. G. Jung). Definite eye opener.

One more star should be added for extra dry academic humour.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

o boy.....i'm on page 47 and am almost bored out of my mind. the book is thoroughly academic and full of big academic words (which i find tiresome and arrogant). i will continue to wade thru it, but have found very little which suits me.

just finished the second chapter on The Tibetan Book of the Dead. this chapter was very readable and not so full of scholarly language. i did laugh a few times, but was unhappy with his take on Sogyal, probably because i just finished a book about him and had become quite enamored. this is an interesting book and thought provoking. the next chapter is on Lobsang Rampa (oy)....as i have stated in previous reviews on books describing spirituality gone awry, i am grateful to have escaped these snares.

i am now deeply into the chapter on Om Mani Padme Hum. i must say i have rarely laughed so hard as at the explanation by the anthropologist and how he arrived at his interpretation: the nipple is in the mouth. it gives new meaning to PhD, as in Piled Higher and Deeper. a thoroughly enjoyable read. i must now go back and reread the first chapter since i've come to an understanding of his dry wit.

a fascinating read, debunking the romantic ideal of Tibet. kind of sad really because we all like the utopian vision.

[John Eliade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second book I've read by Donald Lopez, and am consistently impressed by his breadth of knowledge on the subject, his clarity, and his expertise. Lopez very carefully and clearly outlines the pespective of Western interaction and perception of Tibet, Tibetans, and Tibetan Buddhism, while taking periodic breaks to describe historical information that is prerequisite for understanding the seven episodes he outlines.

His personal experience is mixed in one chapter, "The Field" which discusses the development of Tibetology in North America, while the internal politics of Tibet-in-Exile is discussed at relative length in another, "The Prison," while being explained in as thoroughly, succinctly, and clearly as I've seen it so far (the infamous and infamously complex Dorje Shugden controversy). In the chapters previous to those two, discussing Tibetan Buddhist Art, Evans-Wentz's "Book of the Dead," T. Lobsang Rampa, om mani peme hung, and the seemingly uncontentious term "Lamaism," he rattles off sources as if he had just read them, but in a way that allows even outsiders to understand and comprehend without difficulty.

[Tony Gualtieri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent guide to fallacies regarding Tibet made by Western writers and travelers. Occasionally, Lopez lapses into the laxness of Foucaultian irony; however, these languors are made up for in bursts of startling original thinking. I relished his meditation on how authority to speak for foreign cultures is granted to some writers and not to others. This topic has been discussed elsewhere, but here Lopez provides a context in which an obviously fictional "true story," The Third Eye by Lobsang Rampa (actually Cyril Hoskin from Devon), became an inspiration for a generation of Tibetologists. In another interesting chapter, the author describes the distortions applied to Tibetan Buddhism as it became disseminated in the West, changing monastic practice to suit a laity of individual worshipers steeped in Christian tradition. He also shows how the political and social needs of the Tibetan diaspora have driven further misconceptions.

[C. Varn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book on the construction of Tibet in the Western mind and the feedback loop effects it has had on Tibetan religion and culture itself. From the construction of Tibet as a mythical place to the varying perceptions of "Lama-ism" to the various myths surrounding Tibetan culture, Lopez's gift for pointing how the recent mythology of various forms of Buddhism and popular culture really standout here. While by no means exhaustive, it is a good introduction to the problems of the construction of Tibetan Buddhism in European and American popular culture.

[Marsha Altman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye-opening book on the way Tibet is perceived in the West, and has been perceived since missionaries first arrived at its borders 300 years ago, and how that perception colors the exile community today.

[Tatiana Friar McDermott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prisoners of Shangri-La: Tibetan Buddhism and the West by Donald S. Lopez Jr. – ★★★★☆

As a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism since 2005, I found Prisoners of Shangri-La to be an insightful exploration of how Western perceptions have shaped and, at times, distorted the understanding of Tibetan Buddhism. Lopez delves into the romanticized notions that have emerged, highlighting how these idealizations often overshadow the religion’s authentic practices and cultural significance.

What resonated with me most was Lopez’s examination of the Western reinterpretation of key Tibetan texts and symbols, such as the Tibetan Book of the Dead and the mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum.” He illustrates how these elements have been adapted to fit Western ideals, sometimes diverging from their original meanings and contexts. This perspective prompted me to reflect on my own practice, encouraging a deeper appreciation for the rich cultural heritage and complexities inherent in Tibetan Buddhism.

Disclaimer: Reading this book may challenge preconceived notions and inspire a more nuanced understanding of Tibetan Buddhism.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

#Binge Reviewing my previous Reads # Buddhism #Modern Scholarship & Global Buddhism

Lopez’s polemic is a meta-reading of the West’s fantasy of Tibet. It reveals how “Tibetan Buddhism” in the Western imagination became a mirror for our own longings: purity, timelessness, and spiritual exoticism. In a move reminiscent of Edward Said’s Orientalism, Lopez documents how scholars, explorers, and New Age seekers co-constructed an image of Tibet that often imprisoned real Tibetans. The book feels like a Derridean undoing of a myth: each chapter peels away a layer of projection, exposing the politics of representation beneath. The irony, of course, is that even this critique risks becoming another Western narrative. For readers interested in Buddhism, Prisoners of Shangri-La is a reminder that our “truths” about the dharma are mediated by lenses we rarely question.

Most recommended.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comparable in academic tone to Edward Said's Orientalism, this book offers a deep dive into various aspects of Tibetan Buddhism and culture and how the West has projected a lot of very strange desires onto things like the translation of Om Mani Padme Hum, the meaning of lamaism, and more. It also shows how more modern Tibetan Buddhism since the 14th Dalai Lama has tried to meet some of these desires. In short, like all things, our fantasies and dreams about what seems exotic and mysterious can obscure a much more complicated and mundane truth.

[Matt Ely · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit more narrow than you'd actually expect. The book is more a series of essays than an integrated whole. It treats different manifestations of Tibet in Western discourse, but it suffers sometimes from overquotation and deep diving while lacking a broader apparent thesis. There's plenty of great anecdotal material and it shines at moments, but it's probably best read in sections to answer specific questions than read front to back, especially to the academic outsider.

[Kate Allsebrook · Rating 2 out of 5]

Solid preface and intro. Lopez somehow manages to smoothly weave together different topics in a way that you don't remember how we got from one subject to the next. However, the material as a whole is very dense and has lots of niche words that had me looking at a dictionary a lot of the time. I'm sure it's well researched and important, but not accessible to those of us without a phD

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book that will stay with me for a while. The part on the Tibetan Book of the Dead was especially surprising. I am simultaneously both more and less interested in Tibetan Buddhism.

[Laura B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it, if only for the extensive footnotes of Tibetan history. But the book is very interesting too.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read due to the clear purpose and smart voice established by Lopez. A very good anthro study.

[Lachlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully articulate - and highly readable - analysis of how Tibet, Tibetans and Tibetan Buddhism have been represented in the West. A useful tool to start to untangle the idealisation of Tibet.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesus.

An acid trip.

[Hannah Massey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for class

[Leni Torvbråten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mansplaining -sort of.

[Jessica Zu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cool book, 6thchapter is very interesting... Academia and Tibetan monks,... Worked in tandem with pop culture to create this fantasy of eternal pure spiritual Tibet.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good lesson in how history is made by the interests and attitudes of historians and writers.