Account of Travel Through Tibet
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In Tibet, Tibet author Patrick French (2003) provides us with a firsthand account of his studies on and travels throughout Tibet. French (2003) explains that the typical image of Tibet in the Western world is one that evokes a Lost Horizon of a benign, pacifist culture of Buddhists tucked away on a mountain side and determined in their struggle for liberation from China. Under occupation for more than a half century, there are a variety of myths maintained about Tibet by outsiders, particularly those in the West. These include a view of Tibetans as good and the Chinese as bad; the infallibility of the Dalai Lama; and a view of Tibetans as a saintly and spiritual people locked in an unending struggle for self-determinism. FrenchÆs (2003) purpose of Tibet, Tibet is to explore Tibet firsthand in order to observe the real Tibet that lies behind the fatade of myth. He tells us his journey and purpose of the book are designed ôto link the Tibet of the mind to a modern, physical reality,ö (31).In exploring Tibet on an individual level, French dispels many myths about the land, its people, its culture, and the Dalai Lama. French argues that the pastoral, saintly images of Tibetan monasteries and prayer wheels conjured up in myths about Tibet do exist, but so does a completely different contemporary Tibet that reflects the mundane impact of Chinese occupation for a half century. Lhasa has become nothing more than a city defined by cheapo pizzas and blue jeans, while Hollywood
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h respect to UN resolutions, French (2003) explores how the UN and its members routinely ignore TibetÆs issues or place it conveniently on the back burner. At one point he describes the self-immolation of the Tibetan Thubten Ngodup in New Delhi in 1998. Ngodup was scheduled to be included in the upcoming round of hunger strikers. One of his main protests was the long-forgotten UN resolutions on Tibet. Though U.S. foreign policy has long supported self-determinism and human rights, China remains a sore spot on both levels. In this respect, French (2003) is highly disillusioned with Tibetan activism. He describes the influence of Hollywood and a celebrity like Richard Gere in the move to liberate Tibet, but finds such efforts ineffectual and demeaning to traditional Tibetan culture and the spirit of Buddhism. He discusses his feelings with respect to the Dalai Lama, particularly his decision to leave Tibet. French (2003) wonders if the Dalai LamaÆs flawed relations with Chinese officials or his decision to leave Tibet to save the Western world from materialism while promoting Tibetan liberation were the right decisions. He wonders if the Dalai Lama could have done more. In this aspect, we see one of FrenchÆs flaws that ste
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Approximate Word count = 1479
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)
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