Description
Reincarnation: The Boy Lama tells the extraordinary story of a small child destined to become one of the most important and unusual spiritual leaders of our time. Osel Hita Torres, the son of humble Spanish parents, became the focus of world attention when at the age of 14 months he was recognized by the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of Lama Yeshe, a prominent Tibetan lama who died in California in March 1984.
Vicki Mackenzie knew Lama Yeshe for the eight years preceding his death. She met him in 1976 in a monastery in Nepal and subsequently enjoyed a provocative, intimate and often humorous relationship with this larger-than-life character who was a major force in bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the West. Her book contains numerous personal insights taken from their conversations and is filled with mystery, mysticism, humanity and, above all, hope.
Tibet and its religion play a significant part in this story. Until very recently, Tibetan Buddhism was a jealously guarded secret, kept literally on ice for centuries-locked away behind the vast Himalayan mountains. It is the most complete form of Buddhism in the world and, following the Chinese invasion of Tibet in the 1960s and the subsequent destruction of Tibetan culture, the religion faced the threat of extinction. Lama Yeshe brought it to the West in the hope that it would survive.
One of the subjects on which Lama Yeshe spoke a great deal was reincarnation. He designed his own memorial monuments and allegedly controlled his own death in order to be reborn in the precise conditions that would enable him to continue his work. This book explores the idea of reincarnation both in terms of Lama Yeshe/Lama Osel and in a broader context, including that of the Dalai Lama himself.
The second part of the book follows the life of Osel from his birth to the present, describing his initial discovery and his enthronement in northern India, as well as his plans for the future. Here, naturally, controversy is present, and in these pages both points of view are aired: that of those who believe he is a reincarnation of Lama Yeshe and that of those who have doubts.
Vicki Mackenzie has visited most of the places in which the story is set, has met Lama Osel himself-and was present at his enthronement - and has talked to his parents and to former students of Lama Yeshe and interviewed the Dalai Lama.
ISBN:9780747501565
