Published by Serindia in May 2014, “The Illusive Play: The Autobiography of the Fifth Dalai Lama” by Samten Karmay is an English translation of the autobiography of Ngawang Lobzang Gyatsho, the Fifth Dalai Lama.
From the Serindia website:
Lobzang Gyatsho’s autobiography is therefore a veritable witness to the life and culture of Tibet in the 17 th century, which was a formative period for the establishment of the Tibetan Buddhist theocracy. In addition, the major events in which he himself played a pivotal role are presented: the overthrow of the king of Tsang, the creation of the Tibetan theocratic state with the founding of the Gaden Photrang government, the building of the Potala Palace and the undertaking of major diplomatic relationships with foreign powers, such as the Mongols and the Manchu empire. All these events are either alluded to or fully recounted in a personal way, so that on reading them one cannot help but feel the momentous occasions which the author recounts from his own experience.
Thank you to @pchilimzam for recommending this book via Twitter:
@hpeaks tshering dhompa ‘a home in tibet’ out of the academic field but so powerful. tenzin jinba on gyalrong & samten karmay the 5th dl bio
— Francoiseབཀྲིས་དབངམོ (@pchilimzam) November 23, 2014
Buy the book on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/12lolVN
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