The Fourteen Dalai Lamas

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Fascinating account of Tibetan religion and history - Rated
I write this review as a non-Buddhist (and as an atheist). Like many, I was aware of the plight of the Tibetan people due to their recent barbaric oppression by the empire-building communists. But I knew little of the religious and historical context in which this happened. I also knew of Tibetan Buddhism but little of its history and full colour.

"The 14 Dalai Lamas" presents not just a story of 14 lives; it is the story of Tibet from its most ancient times to the present. The book starts with a description of Tibets early history, really kicking off in the seventh century, the famous kings and sages leading up to the first Dalai Lama in the 14th century. This is also an account of the previous lives of the Dalai Lama before becoming the first Dalai Lama - he was, they say, some of these previous kings, sages, or disciples of some of these sages. There is then a chapter for each Dalai Lama up to the present, with Dalai Lamas 9 to 12 contained in one chapter because of their early deaths.
One might think it would be boring - for a nonreligious, non-Buddhist person like myself - to read about the life of one sage after another. Not so. The book has many facinating details about the political and religious relationship between Tibet, on the one hand, and Mongolia and China, on the other. The intrigues internal to Tibet are just as interesting, some ancient ones having serious repercussions right to the present day. The lives of each Dalai Lama are also far from dull - clearly remarkable people, often in quite unexpected ways. The process by which each reincarnation was discovered is also described in detail. Each chapter typically closes with readings from that Dalai Lama to get a direct feel for their works. The chapter on the 14th Dala Lama is fairly minimal, but this is appropriate given the abundance of material that already exists, including the 14th's own autobiography. The book is also enhanced by comments the current dalai lama gave the author, Glen Mullin, about his view on the meaning or correct interpretation of various historical events, as well as surprising comments about himself! All in all, an excellent read.