Portrait of a Dalai Lama : The Life and Times of the Great Thirteenth Book
Contents: I. The Stage: 1. A unique figure in world history. 2. How I came to work in Tibet. II. How he came: 3. What is a Dalai Lama? 4. Discovering him. 5. Training him. III. Adversity: 6. Dark years. 7. Diplomacy and war. 8. The first exile. 9. Golden peking. 10. Chinese troops invade Tibet. 11. The flight from Lhasa to India. 12. The second exile. 13. British neutrality. 14. Frequent talks with the Dalai Lama. 15. Life in Darjeeling. 16. Political struggles. 17. The tide turns. IV. The two-fold power: 18. The Dalai Lama comes back to Tibet. 19. The heads of the Tibetan Government. 20. The Parliament. 21. Difficulties in Government. 22. Judge and historian. 23. Finance. 24. Full Control. 25. Gotama, the Buddha. 26. What is Tibetan Buddhism? 27. A God on earth. 28. Controls the religion. 29. Boys, baths and a treaty. 30. Retirement after the first World War. 31. The Government ask me to return. 32. We go to Lhasa. 33. A cordial welcome. 34. The Dalai Lama’s private life. 35. Recall from Lhasa postponed. 36. Increase the Army? 37. Casting out the evil of the old year. 38. The Potala. 39. The King’s new year. 40. People urged to kill us. 41. The butter festival. 42. Rebellion is threatened. 43. The temple. 44. Dalai Lama’s favourite in danger. 45. A day, an illness, and an angry monastery. 46. Bringing the rain. 47. Men and monasteries. 48. The Dalai Lama’s theatre party. 49. Rebellion. 50. End of our visit draws near. 51. "We two are men of like mind". VI. Foreign affairs: 52. Mongolia, Nepal, Russia, Japan. 53. China. VII. Later years: 54. Dalai and Pan-chen Lamas. 55. Dalai Lama turns towards China. 56. Occupations in old age. 57. His political testament. VIII. Changing the body: 58. The honourable field. 59. Opinions on his rule. 60. The return. Index.
"The Dalai Lama of Tibet are unique. A succession of fourteen have been guiding the spiritual life of the Tibetan people for nearly six centuries, and for three hundred years have held secular power as well. Revered as the human embodiment of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion, they choose, out of their great desire to benefit others, to reincarnate life after life as the Dalai Lama.
Thubten Gyatso, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, was born to a peasant family in 1876. He was discovered, brought to Lhasa and enthroned at the age of three. Educated as a monk, he took over full power when he was eighteen and ruled until his death thirty seven years later. His rule would prove to be more strong, more radical and more complete than that of any Dalai Lama since the Great Fifth.
His courage and energy were inexhaustible. He recoiled from nothing," writes Charles Bell, who as Political Officer in the Himalayas first met him in 1910. They developed a firm and affectionate friendship, politically and personally, that would last for twenty five years.
Portrait of a Dalai Lama is packed full of history, stories, facts and figures, anecdotes and conversation and is compelling reading."