By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, May 3: Former Prime Minister (Kasur) Professor Samdhong Rinpoche on Wednesday launched a Tibetan translation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s autobiography Freedom in Exile,, at the Library of Tibetan Works & Archives (LTWA) conference hall in Gangchen Kyishong.
Calling the autobiography as a big part of Tibetan history, Professor Samdhong Rinpoche said, “Of all the Dalai Lamas and other high Lamas of Tibet, the present 14th Dalai Lama’s accomplishments in one life is incomparable to the rest. However, I doubt if Tibetans are fully aware of all the deeds accomplished by His Holiness.”
“Many Tibetans cry out of devotion when they see His Holiness but fail to live up and implement his visions and teachings,” Rinpoche said while expressing dissatisfaction with the lack of interest among Tibetans towards literary works of the Dalai Lama.
Acknowledging and appreciating the hard work put in by the translator, Rinpoche said that since it both the languages belong to different families with different expressions, it is hard to translate from English to Tibetan.
Tenzin Sherab, translator of the book, said that his project started in 1996, and then left incomplete, as he was not satisfied with the end product. He, however, restarted the translation in 2011 and took 5 years to complete the book.
“First of all, it is our responsibility as Tibetans to know what is written in the autobiography and secondly it is a well balanced book touching topics from religious harmony, environment and messages for the benefit of entire world,” Sherab said while explaining why he chose the book, which is also dubbed as the second autobiography of the Dalai Lama after My land and My People.
This is not the first time the book has been translated into Tibetan. Tibet House had previously launched a translated edition of the book, which according to Sherab is much harder to comprehend and that his book is much simpler and easier to understand.
The 320-paged book written by Alexander Norman, a British journalist, features the ‘frank’ conversations between him and the Dalai Lama on the latter’s life post the Chinese occupation in 1959 and the tragedies witnessed by the Tibetans at the hand of Chinese military.
