The Lama Question

The Lama Question PDF

Author: Christopher Kaplonski

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press

Published: 2014-11-30

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 0824838572

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Before becoming the second socialist country in the world (after the Soviet Union) in 1921, Mongolia had been a Buddhist feudal theocracy. Combatting the influence of the dominant Buddhist establishment to win the hearts and minds of the Mongolian people was one of the most important challenges faced by the new socialist government. It would take almost a decade and a half to resolve the “lama question,” and it would be answered with brutality, destruction, and mass killings. Chris Kaplonski examines this critical, violent time in the development of Mongolia as a nation-state and its ongoing struggle for independence and recognition in the twentieth century. Unlike most studies that explore violence as the primary means by which states deal with their opponents, The Lama Question argues that the decision to resort to violence in Mongolia was not a quick one; neither was it a long-term strategy nor an out-of control escalation of orders but the outcome of a complex series of events and attempts by the government to be viewed as legitimate by the population. Kaplonski draws on a decade of research and archival resources to investigate the problematic relationships between religion and politics and geopolitics and biopolitics in early socialist Mongolia, as well as the multitude of state actions that preceded state brutality. By examining the incidents and transformations that resulted in violence and by viewing violence as a process rather than an event, his work not only challenges existing theories of political violence, but also offers another approach to the anthropology of the state. In particular, it presents an alternative model to philosopher Georgio Agamben’s theory of sovereignty and the state of exception. The Lama Question will be of interest to scholars and students of violence, the state, biopolitics, Buddhism, and socialism, as well as to those interested in the history of Mongolia and Asia in general.

Questions for the Dalai Lama

Questions for the Dalai Lama PDF

Author: Dede Cummings

Publisher: Hatherleigh Press

Published: 2014-06-03

Total Pages: 84

ISBN-13: 1578264987

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For centuries, millions upon millions of people have sought out the wisdom of the Dalai Lama. Tenzin Gyatso, the current and XIV Dalai Lama, has traveled the world, spreading his personal doctrine of compassion and understanding. His sage words resonate with all who hear him speak, encompassing topics as grand as world peace, and as simple as learning to love ourselves. Presented in a clear, elegant format, Questions for the Dalai Lama poses universal questions, giving answers from the Dalai Lama himself, assembled from quotes, articles, speeches, and written works directly attributed to His Holiness. Organized into several themes, Questions for the Dalai Lama touches on themes ranging from love, to tragedy, to compassion and happiness. Drawing on the enduring words of the His Holiness, this inspirational book makes a wonderful gift for anyone seeking greater personal happiness and a life informed by compassion and wisdom. Organized into sections and built around a simple, informal question and answer format, Questions for the Dalai Lama is easy to understand, and easy to share with friends and loved ones. “The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your actions will be.” —XIV Dalai Lama

Awakening the Buddha Within

Awakening the Buddha Within PDF

Author: Lama Surya Das

Publisher: Harmony

Published: 1998-06-15

Total Pages: 434

ISBN-13: 0767901576

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Lama Surya Das, the most highly trained American lama in the Tibetan tradition, presents the definitive book on Western Buddhism for the modern-day spiritual seeker. The radical and compelling message of Buddhism tells us that each of us has the wisdom, awareness, love, and power of the Buddha within; yet most of us are too often like sleeping Buddhas. In Awakening the Buddha Within, Surya Das shows how we can awaken to who we really are in order to lead a more compassionate, enlightened, and balanced life. It illuminates the guidelines and key principles embodied in the noble Eight-Fold Path and the traditional Three Enlightenment Trainings common to all schools of Buddhism: Wisdom Training: Developing clear vision, insight, and inner understanding—seeing reality and ourselves as we really are. Ethics Training: Cultivating virtue, self-discipline, and compassion in what we say and do. Meditation Training: Practicing mindfulness, concentration, and awareness of the present moment. With lively stories, meditations, and spiritual practices, Awakening the Buddha Within is an invaluable text for the novice and experienced student of Buddhism alike.

The Dalai Lama Book of Quotes

The Dalai Lama Book of Quotes PDF

Author: Travis Hellstrom

Publisher: Hatherleigh Press

Published: 2016-09-13

Total Pages: 144

ISBN-13: 1578266416

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“The need for love lies at the very foundation of human existence.” —XIV Dalai Lama The words of the Dalai Lama resonate within each of us, empowered as they are by centuries of experience and a passionate, enduring spirit for peace on Earth. Tenzin Gyatso, the current and XIV Dalai Lama, has continued this grand legacy, traveling the world while spreading his personal doctrine of compassion and true understanding. And with each year that passes, more and more people come to know the Lama, and seek his wisdom on a breadth of topics, from world peace to a life well-lived. Presented in an elegant, attractive format, The Dalai Lama Book of Quotes collects the very best of the Lama’s sage wisdom, assembled from quotes, articles, speeches, and written works directly attributed to His Holiness. Organized into universal themes that everyone can relate to, The Dalai Lama Book of Quotes touches on themes ranging from love, to spirituality, to happiness and humanity. This inspirational book makes a wonderful gift for anyone seeking greater personal well-being and a life informed by compassion and faith. Each thought from the Lama is sure to inspire and invigorate you throughout your day, as your eyes are opened to a more beautiful way of looking at the world. Simple and accessible for all ages, this inspirational title makes a great gift for anyone seeking to incorporate the wisdom of the ages and a love that transcends lifetimes into their daily life. From the Hardcover edition.

The Nobel Book of Answers

The Nobel Book of Answers PDF

Author: Jimmy Carter

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2003-10

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 0689863101

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A collection of essays written by various Nobel Prize winners about their fields of endeavor.

The Book of Joy

The Book of Joy PDF

Author: Dalai Lama

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2016-09-20

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 0399185062

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An instant New York Times bestseller Two spiritual giants. Five days. One timeless question. Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have survived more than fifty years of exile and the soul-crushing violence of oppression. Despite their hardships—or, as they would say, because of them—they are two of the most joyful people on the planet. In April 2015, Archbishop Tutu traveled to the Dalai Lama's home in Dharamsala, India, to celebrate His Holiness's eightieth birthday and to create what they hoped would be a gift for others. They looked back on their long lives to answer a single burning question: How do we find joy in the face of life's inevitable suffering? They traded intimate stories, teased each other continually, and shared their spiritual practices. By the end of a week filled with laughter and punctuated with tears, these two global heroes had stared into the abyss and despair of our time and revealed how to live a life brimming with joy. This book offers us a rare opportunity to experience their astonishing and unprecendented week together, from the first embrace to the final good-bye. We get to listen as they explore the Nature of True Joy and confront each of the Obstacles of Joy—from fear, stress, and anger to grief, illness, and death. They then offer us the Eight Pillars of Joy, which provide the foundation for lasting happiness. Throughout, they include stories, wisdom, and science. Finally, they share their daily Joy Practices that anchor their own emotional and spiritual lives. The Archbishop has never claimed sainthood, and the Dalai Lama considers himself a simple monk. In this unique collaboration, they offer us the reflection of real lives filled with pain and turmoil in the midst of which they have been able to discover a level of peace, of courage, and of joy to which we can all aspire in our own lives.

Mipam: The Lama of the Five Wisdoms

Mipam: The Lama of the Five Wisdoms PDF

Author: Lama Yongden

Publisher: State University of New York Press

Published: 1987-01-31

Total Pages: 360

ISBN-13: 1438424663

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This story, drawn from old Tibetan folk tales, has the psychological depth of a western novel. It is a love story woven around the search for the missing reincarnation of a great Lama. Along the way we glimpse a people whose spirituality is as exalted as the Himalayas. There is humor as well, when the hero encounters a bewildering group of Christian missionaries. In the depiction of Chinese culture, and the Chinese merchants of Tibet, there is a foreshadowing of the country's tragic fate.

Enlightenment and the Gasping City

Enlightenment and the Gasping City PDF

Author: Saskia Abrahms-Kavunenko

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 2019-06-15

Total Pages: 251

ISBN-13: 150173766X

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With air pollution now intimately affecting every resident of Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, Saskia Abrahms-Kavunenko seeks to understand how, as a physical constant throughout the winter months, the murky and obscuring nature of air pollution has become an active part of Mongolian religious and ritual life. Enlightenment and the Gasping City identifies air pollution as a boundary between the physical and the immaterial, showing how air pollution impresses itself on the urban environment as stagnation and blur. She explores how air pollution and related phenomena exist in dynamic tension with Buddhist ideas and practices concerning purification, revitalisation and enlightenment. By focusing on light, its intersections and its oppositions, she illuminates Buddhist practices and beliefs as they interact with the pressing urban issues of air pollution, post-socialist economic vacillations, urban development, nationalism, and climate change.

The Big Questions

The Big Questions PDF

Author: Lama Surya Das

Publisher: Rodale

Published: 2007-10-02

Total Pages: 259

ISBN-13: 1594862087

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A leading Western Buddhist scholar and author of Awakening the Buddha offers a series of reflections and insights that challenge readers to develop individual, authentic responses to some of life's most provocative questions, from What is my purpose in life? to What happens after I die?

Mongolia

Mongolia PDF

Author: Michael Dillon

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2019-11-28

Total Pages: 233

ISBN-13: 1788316967

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Mongolia remains a beautiful barren land of spectacularly clothed horse-riders, nomadic romance and windswept landscape. But modern Mongolia is now caught between two giants: China and Russia; and known to be home to enormous mineral resources they are keen to exploit. China is expanding economically into the region, buying up mining interests and strengthening its control over Inner Mongolia. Michael Dillon, one of the foremost experts on the region, seeks to tell the modern history of this fascinating country. He investigates its history of repression, the slaughter of the country's Buddhists, its painful experiences under Soviet rule and dictatorship, and its history of corruption. But there is hope for its future, and it now has a functioning parliamentary democracy which is broadly representative of Mongolia's ethnic mix. How long that can last is another question. Short, sharp and authoritative, Mongolia will become the standard text on the region as it becomes begins to shape world affairs.