Description

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On a peaceful summer day in 1952, ten monks on horseback arrived at a traditional nomad tent in northeastern Tibet where they offered the parents of a precocious toddler their white handloomed scarves and congratulations for having given birth to a holy child—and future spiritual leader.

Surviving the Dragon is the remarkable life story of Arjia Rinpoche, who was ordained as a reincarnate lama at the age of two and fled Tibet 46 years later. In his gripping memoir, Rinpoche relates the story of having been abandoned in his monastery as a young boy after witnessing the torture and arrest of his monastery family. In the years to come, Rinpoche survived under harsh Chinese rule, as he was forced into hard labor and endured continual public humiliation as part of Mao’s Communist "reeducation."

By turns moving, suspenseful, historical, and spiritual, Rinpoche’s unique experiences provide a rare window into a tumultuous period of Chinese history and offer readers an uncommon glimpse inside a Buddhist monastery in Tibet.

Arjia Rinpoche, one of the most important religious leaders to escape Tibet since the Dalai Lama fled into exile, started the Buddhist Center for Compassion and Wisdom in Mill Valley, CA, and is the director of the Tibetan Cultural Center.

Surviving the Dragon is the remarkable life story of Arjia Rinpoche, who was ordained as a reincarnate lama at the age of two and fled Tibet 46 years later. In his gripping memoir, Rinpoche relates the story of having been abandoned in his monastery as a young boy after witnessing the torture and arrest of his monastery family. In the years to come, Rinpoche survived under harsh Chinese rule, as he was forced into hard labor and endured continual public humiliation as part of Mao’s Communist "reeducation."

By turns moving, suspenseful, historical, and spiritual, Rinpoche’s unique experiences provide a window into a tumultuous period of Chinese history and offer readers an uncommon glimpse inside a Buddhist monastery in Tibet.

"This is the real story: a heroic account of the oppression of Tibet that needs to be told. In Surviving the Dragon, the world can hear the suffering and injustice that burden the Tibetan people and the heartfelt response of a truly wise lama. Maybe this will help us to act. I hope so."—Jack Kornfield, author of The Wise Heart and After the Ecstasy, the Laundry

"Surviving the Dragon is much more than an autobiography. It is a fascinating history, told by an insider, of China's occupation, domination, and destruction of Tibetan culture. For anyone interested in the story behind the inner workings of China-controlled Tibet, this is a must-read told by a deeply religious leader."—Mikel Dunahm, author of Buddha's Warriors and Samye

"A deeply moving, vivid account that only a person who lived through these terrible events in Tibet could write. Free from polarized thinking and language, Arjia Rinpoche's intimately told, candid portrayal of life in an occupied land poignantly depicts one of the most massive brutalizations in human history. This stunning book exposes the consequences of a regime without compassion. I was often moved to tears."—Jeffrey Hopkins, profess emeritus of Tibetan and Buddhist studies, University of Virginia

About the Author

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ARJIA RINPOCHE, one of the most important religious leaders to escape Tibet since the Dalai Lama fled into exile, started the Buddhist Center for Compassion and Wisdom in Mill Valley, CA, and is the director of the Tibetan Cultural Center.