By Sandra Sanchez
The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama by Thomas Laird. Grove Press, 470 pp. $27.50
With his new book, “The Story of Tibet,” Thomas Laird wanted to write a popular history of Tibet as well as to draw attention to the plight of modern Tibetan people.
Laird, a journalist who has been based in Kathmandu, Nepal, for 30 years, was the Nepal correspondent for Asiaweek for a decade and has written for Time and Newsweek. His first nonfiction book was “Into Tibet: The CIA’s First Atomic Spy and His Secret Expedition to Llasa.” Laird wanted his history of Tibet to incorporate interviews with the Dalai Lama, and he prepared by spending several months immersed in research to create the questions that would form the backbone of their discussions.
It is apparent that during the process, Laird learned new ways of looking at history. As he listens to the combination of myths and historical facts the Dalai Lama relates to him, he also begins to understand the Dalai Lama’s manner of perceiving them.
For example, Laird says he had been haunted for decades by the disappearance of Buddhism from the land of its birth (India) after Muslim invaders slaughtered the monks and destroyed the temples. He wanted to discuss this piece of history with the Dalai Lama and was surprised by the Dalai Lama’s response.
The Dalai Lama attributed the destruction of Buddhism in India to three causes, only one of which was “external forces” (the Muslim invasions). Other causes: patrons of monasteries developed more of an inclination toward non Buddhist traditions; and the monks accumulated a lot of wealth, devoted themselves to material pleasures and lost the respect of the public.
The Dalai Lama points out that “The tendency to look at external forces first is deeply rooted in the human mind and difficult to eliminate.” Understanding the way in which the Dalai Lama looks first to himself, his religion and his country, before blaming external forces, is a turning point for the author.
Laird points out in an epilogue that there is support among political leaders the world over for the approach the Dalai Lama has taken to the current situation of his country, and this is shown by the respect he is accorded all over the world. But Laird points out that “despite popular support abroad, conditions for people inside Tibet do not seem to change and frustration grows.” He quotes a letter written to the International Herald Tribune by Tibetan Hunger strikers:
“Those who resort to violent means, taking innocent lives and sowing chaos, receive the attention of the media and the world community. The U.N. calls for world peace and yet it ignores and silences a people who have steadfastly waged their struggle through non-violent means.”
The author clearly wants to draw attention to the plight of the Tibetan people and the hypocrisy of the Chinese in using their own version of history to justify the conquest of Tibet. He is emotional about the issue at the end but gives the last word to the Dalai Lama, whom he clearly admires and seeks to learn from:
“Dear Tom,
For nine years you have worked hard to put the many hours of conversations we had into a book which will allow people to better understand the history of Tibet. It is important to understand the past as we are trying to find solutions for the future. … At the same time we must focus on the present and the future. We may disagree on the past, but we should work constructively to improve the present and to reach an agreement on the way to move forward, together, in the future in the interest of Tibetans and Chinese.”
This book takes an unusual and interesting approach to the writing of history because the author was forced to look at his own habits of perception differently. The reader feels like she is eavesdropping on friendly arguments between the author and the world famous religious leader, and thereby both become more human, the message more personal.
“The Story of Tibet” is not a quick or easy read but rather an important read insofar as we can’t help but look at the current history of our entire world in a new light as we read it.
