When a 14-year-old refugee crossed the Himalayas and arrived in India, China lost its best hope of one day controlling the Tibetan people. It was 5 January 2000 and the boy was the 17th Karmapa, the only incarnate lama to be recognised by both the Dalal Lama and China's Communist government. Instead of gaining freedom, this young spiritual leader of an ancient line of Tibetan Buddhism became embrolled in Sino-Indian politics and the victim of a violent controversy that still rages today. In India he is a prisoner in all but ...
Read More
When a 14-year-old refugee crossed the Himalayas and arrived in India, China lost its best hope of one day controlling the Tibetan people. It was 5 January 2000 and the boy was the 17th Karmapa, the only incarnate lama to be recognised by both the Dalal Lama and China's Communist government. Instead of gaining freedom, this young spiritual leader of an ancient line of Tibetan Buddhism became embrolled in Sino-Indian politics and the victim of a violent controversy that still rages today. In India he is a prisoner in all but name - living in a few spare rooms atop a deserted monastery in Northern India - a leader in waiting. Rumoured to be a spy for either the Chinese or the CIA, the Karmapa is being challenged for his title by another young man who has his own exceedingly powerful backer. Full of intrigue, portent and miracle - as well as claims and counterclaims - Wrestling The Dragon might seem like a colourful fiction except that the story is true, and being played out against a highly sensitive spiritual and political backcloth.
Read Less
