Pierre Delattre s joyful book, Tales of a Dalai Lama, records earthbound flights of the spirit, like a bridge over silence. Here is a work of fiction with language simple and beautiful, detailing the structure of the faith of the Tibetan people as seen through the eyes of the awestruck, funny, and wise Dalai Lama, sometimes old and sometimes young. Here is fiction at its best, sure in its footing, centered in writing as an art, fulfilling its own functions and overcoming its own obstacles, bearing the reader along a path of zen grabbers, belly laughs, and glimpses of enlightenment while experiencing the nobility of faith. Ed Swan, Pacific Northwest Review of Books
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Brilliantly filigreed, airborne, cautionary tales . . . Delattre s wry, reed-thin humor achieves both intimacy and an agreeable distance from which to propagate the mythic/erotic paradoxical verities of The Way. --The Kirkus Services
Pierre Delattre tells several stories in Tales of a Dalai Lama which illustrate a benign objective sense of humor. --John C. Lilly, Simulations of God
Destined to become a minor classic. --Robert Somerlott, The Mexico City News
Pierre Delattre tells several stories in Tales of a Dalai Lama which illustrate a benign objective sense of humor. --John C. Lilly, Simulations of God
Destined to become a minor classic. --Robert Somerlott, The Mexico City News
About the Author
Pierre Delattre is a writer and painter living in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico between Sante Fe and Taos. Tales of a Dalai Lama was his first book of fiction, followed by Walking On Air, and Episodes, a memoir. He has published stories, poems, and essaysin many magazines, and has just completed a book of essays entitled The Art of Beauty.
Pierre Delattre's paintings have been on exhibit in several galleries in and around Sante Fe, and at his home studio in Penasco, where he lives with his wife, the painter Nancy Ortenstone.
Mr. Delattre took his graduate degree in Religion and the Arts from the University of Chicago Divinty School, and has been involved in the relationship between art and spirituality ever since, including work in theater, music, television, and film, with emphasis on spiritual humor.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful cover; some good stories; some dated stories,
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This review is from: Tales of a Dalai Lama (Paperback)
I was pleased that, in the introduction, the author admitted that he was tempted to remove some of the stories and that he knew little about Tibetan Buddhism at the time he wrote this book. I also believe he knew little about Tibet - for a collection of humorous Tibetan folktales see Tales of Uncle Tompa. It will give an accurate flavor of Tibet humor. As for the sources of Tibetan Buddhism that Delattre gives, they are on the theosophic edge; they were the most available. He does not mention Evans-Wentz, the most accurate translator of Tibetan Buddhism available at the time the stories were written. The result is that the religious philosophy expressed in these stories has little to do with the title.If, however, you consider these stories to be religious tales in the same sense as tales of Mulla Nasrudin, the jataka tales, rabbinical midrashim etc., several of the stories work quite well. Those that fail include those Delattre recognizes as failures in the foreward and those where he fails to trust his story and falls into explanation. To give a taste of the tales: Pyramid Lake is a reenactment as ritual of a very old custom of limiting a king's reign to 9 years, then burying him in a lake where he will be reborn as a fish. As the Dalai Lama is encased in mud in the ritual reenactment, he changes from boy to man. Seven Puffs on a Cigarette is a clever story of the boy's love of camels and an attempt by Camel cigarettes to get an endorsement. A Confucian Reprimand is a funny tale combining a typical boy's untidy room with an obsession for order. "Everyone Loves the Beautiful Death of Soldiers" is a didactic tale that, while imperfect as a story, carries its message well. What the book does best, however, is give insight into how little was known about Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism before the Chinese occupation sent refugees out of Tibet and into western consciousness. As a period piece, this book is excellent.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A modern classic, a perfect marriage of fact and fancy.,
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This review is from: Tales of a Dalai Lama (Paperback)
First published more than 20 years ago, Tales of a Dalai Lama stands as a modern classic, a perfect marriage of fact and fancy, myth and mirth. Each chapter offers a delightful glimpse into the imagined life of the young Dalai Lama. We follow his progress toward enlightenment, as he discovers that levity in life can be as profound as the universe's deepest secrets. Lots of fun.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magic Afoot,
By paul reinhertz (new lebanon, new york) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Tales of a Dalai Lama (Paperback)
This re-issue will serve all readers well who comprehend that a fiction book may be so authentic that if it is not reality, it should be. I have been reading this book yearly since its original issue, and every time I open it, there is a new story. The author was inspired and tapped in to the essence of how the mystic experiences the world, and expressed this experience in a lovely , entertaining manner of laughter and joy.
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