Ocean of wisdom, his holiness the fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet is revered as a bodhisattva–a reincarnation of the Buddha–by six million followers around the world. He describes himself as a simple smiling monk. Between these extremes of divinity and being human, however, lies a personality fascinating in its own right: a theologian who can debate the intricacies of Buddhism, a philosopher whose thinking influences people around the world, a political and spiritual leader of the displaced Tibetan people, a best-selling author, a son and brother, and simply a friend to many. He is also universally recognized as the best hope for peace and amity in today's troubled world. In Understanding the Dalai Lama, Rajiv Mehrotra, personal student of his holiness, brings together a range of contributors who offer insights into different facets of this remarkable individual. Pico Iyer draws a portrait of a disarming man with an infectious laugh, Robert Thurman gives us a glimpse of the Dalai Lama's spiritual development, and Matthieu Ricard describes a day in the life of his holiness. The Dalai Lama's deep curiosity, keen insight and high level of scientific sophistication is revealed by Daniel Goleman, while Thupten Jinpa recounts the Dalai Lama's passion for Tibet's thousand-year-old intellectual tradition of logic and philosophical debates. The book also includes a syllable by syllable translation of the Dalai Lama's full name by Jeffrey Hopkins, a poem by U.R. Ananthamurthy and an extended interview with his holiness by Rajiv Mehrotra. Each contribution in this collection represents a personal response to the charisma of a philosopher–king, who is not merely divine but also intensely human.
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