Living Tibet: The Dalai Lama in Dharamsala

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Since arriving here in 1960, in the early days of our life in exile, Dharamsala has been the headquarters of the Tibetan Administration. Over the years, stable settlements have been created and along with them schools, medical facilities and religious and cultural institutions have been established. In the monasteries and nunneries of all our spiritual traditions, educational and training programs have been resumed and in many places improved and extended. Many monastic institutions also provide their students with acquaintance with modern subjects. In addition, many artistic skills such as painting, metal work, woodcarving and sacred dance traditions have survived and are being passed on to new generations.

Perhaps most important of all, the Tibetan sense of identity, spirit and determination to achieve freedom have not weakened. Even after more than thirty years of military occupation, people in Tibet continue to demonstrate against Chinese rule. Many of these demonstrator, like their brothers and sisters born in exile, are too young to have ever known the old Tibet. Yet they all have no hesitation in asserting their Tibetan nationality and claiming their right to freedom and justice.

This illustrated book focusing on the life of Tibetans inn Dharamsala reveals many facets of our life as refugees. I congratulate photographer Bill Warren and author Nanci Hoetzlein Rose for their efforts, and trust readers many be inspired to lend their support to our efforts to gain a fair hearing for Tibet.

Back of the Book

Sheltered by the Himalayas of northern India, Dharamsala has been the home of His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet and the government and cultural headquarters for the Tibetan people since 1960. In Living Tibet: The Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, photojournalist Bill Warren and writer Nanci Hoetzlein Rose take the reader on a colorful and informative journey through the winding streets and behind the scenes of this unusual place. Sensitive and delightful portrayals of monks, nuns, artists, children, the elderly and working Tibetans reveal the rich tapestry of life in Dharamsala - there is an exclusive section on the Dalai Lama, and also on the Nechung Oracle. Living Tibet is an engaging and dramatic exploration of Tibet’s rich artistic and cultural heritage as preserved in one of the most successful refugee communities in history. For an authentic experience of Tibetan culture in exile, there is no better guide than Living Tibet.

“Perhaps most important of all, the Tibetan sense of identity, spirit and determination to achieve freedom have not weakened.

Photojournalist Bill Warren traveled three times to Dharamsala to document Tibetan culture in exile. 1975 with a 27-month around-the-world bicycle trip. He is a graduate of the Ernie Pyle School of Journalism at Indiana University, and works as a staff photographer with The Ithaca Journal in upstate New York.

Writer Nanci Hoetzlein Rose, a health educator at Cornell University, has been involved ion Buddhist studies for more than 20 years. She recently taught English at the Nechung Monastery and conducted research in Dharamsala for six months. Her writings on the dance traditions to Tibet have received wide recognition.