Princess in the Land of Snows The Life of Jamyang Sakya in Tibet

by Sakya, Jamyang; Emery, Julie; H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama

• ISBN13: 9781570626913
• ISBN10: 157062691X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-05-01
• Publisher: Shambhala

Summary

This is the story of a determined woman who overcame great obstacles in order to achieve religious freedom. Born in eastern Tibet, Jamyang Sakya married into the powerful Sakya family, spiritual advisers of Kublai Khan and for years rulers of much of Central Asia. Her engaging personal story evokes a rich vision of Tibet's traditional culture, customs, and religious practices. Jamyang Sakya tells of being the only girls in a monastic private school, of dreams and divinations interpreted by high lamas, of long pilgrimages to sacred Buddhist sites, and of her life as a high lady of Sakya. Her narrative reveals a multifaceted picture, from the intricacies of managing a palace household to the political takeover by the Chinese Communists, who destroyed much of Tibet's religious heritage. It climaxes with the Sakya family's harrowing walk through the Himalayas to freedom, during which they were hotly pursued by the Chinese. After a year in India, they immigrated to the United States, one of the first Tibetan families to do so.

Author Biography

Jamyang Sakya lives in Seattle, Washington.Julie Emery is a reporter for the Seattle Times.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Introduction	p. xiii
Growing up a Khampa	p. 1
Family Bonds	p. 16
Time for Dancing	p. 28
The Pilgrimage	p. 43
Romance and Strife	p. 64
The Wedding	p. 89
Palace Life	p. 98
On to Kham	p. 122
Home to Thalung	p. 147
Nomads and Monasteries	p. 159
Confronting the Chinese	p. 178
Peril on the Road	p. 202
Homecoming and Decision	p. 224
Lhasa Politics and Revolt	p. 248
Flight to Freedom	p. 283
Life in India	p. 316
Path to the West	p. 335
Epilogue	p. 347
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