FOREWORD
It is more than fifty years since events in my homeland compelled me and many other Tibetans to seek asylum in India. These years have been one of the most difficult periods in our history for Tibetans both inside and outside Tibet. Nevertheless, there is now a great sense of unity among us and our spirit remains strong. We have also kept alive our culture and values, which are rooted in compassion and non-violence.
Since travel to Tibet opened up again some thirty years or so ago, friends have often asked me whether I advised their going there. My unequivocal response has always been, “Certainly, if you can go to Tibet, please go there. See for yourselves with your own eyes how things are there. Make up your own mind about the situation Tibetans find themselves in and when you come home, tell other people what you saw.”
Marissa Roth has done just that and in this book offers vivid photographs of what she saw. These images are evocative of the atmosphere she found in Tibet, where a rich and ancient culture, an unbowed people, and a pristine natural environment struggle to survive. I am sure readers will find their appreciation of Tibet enriched by what they find in these pages.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Dharamsala
October 5, 2012