Surviving the Dragon: a Tibetan Lama’s Account of 40 Years of Chinese Rule

Date: 

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 - 4:00pm to 6:00pm

Location: 

Xavier Room (in Fromm Hall), University of San Francisco

The USF Department of Theology and Religious Studies presents a free talk and book signing

Surviving the Dragon: a Tibetan Lama’s Account of 40 Years of Chinese Rule

Surviving the Dragon is the story of Arjia Rinpoche’s upbringing as the reincarnated abbot of Kumbum monastery, one of Tibet’s largest. As a child, he was treated like a living Buddha, but after the Cultural Revolution, he was forced to shed his robes and perform heavy labor, including emptying latrines. During China's drive to modernize, he rose to prominence within the Chinese Buddhist bureaucracy.

When he was slated to become the tutor of the Chinese-selected Panchen Lama, he fled Tibet rather than betray his Buddhist religion, values, and his Tibetan and Mongolian heritage. Arjia Rinpoche’s unique experience provides a rare perspective on this tumultuous period of Tibetan and Chinese history, as well as a glimpse of life inside a major Buddhist monastery in Tibet.

For more information, contact Kristine Massetti, kmmassetti@usfca.edu, or call 415-422-6601. For a PDF map of campus and parking: http://www.usfca.edu/campusmap/