At the end of March 2009, Buddhist monks from the Drepung Gomang Monastery in India will construct a sand mandala at the Central Library. This month also marks the 50th anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan uprising that sent the Dalai Lama into exile. Learn more about Tibetan Buddhism, sand mandalas, and the Dalai Lama in these books.

Sand Mandalas | Tibetan Buddhism | The Dalai Lama

Sand Mandalas

The Wheel of Time Sand Mandala: Visual Scripture of Tibetan Buddhism
By Barry Bryant
This book provides a stunning visual introduction to the artistic and spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism. According to the monks who create it, the Kalachakra Sand Mandala, also known as the Wheel of Time, imparts peace and healing to all beings and to the planet. Remarkable not only for its stunning beauty but also for the intricate process of its construction--a delicate sifting of colored sands into elaborate patterns and symbols rich in meaning--the mandala serves as a visual scripture and vital key to understanding the essential teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. This lavishly illustrated volume captures each stage of the mandala's construction, the serene joy and painstaking discipline of the monks, and the fascinating history behind its symbolism.

Learning from the Dalai Lama: Secrets of the Wheel of Time
By Karen Pandell with Barry Bryant
For children, here is a simple and creative introduction to the Buddhist way of life and to the teachings of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. Text and photos explain the beautiful and intricate Kalachakra ceremony and initiation, and the meaning of the sand mandala and its symbols.

Tibetan Buddhism

The Search for the Panchen Lama
By Isabel Hilton
In May 1995, a seven-year-old Tibetan boy and his family were taken from their home by Chinese security forces. They have not been seen since. The boy's devotees believe him to be the eleventh incarnation of the Panchen Lama, the second most important incarnation in the Tibetan Buddhist hierarchy. Isabel Hilton tells the gripping inside story of how this child became the pawn in a battle between the Chinese regime and Tibet's exiled religious leader, the Dalai Lama.

Buddhism in Contemporary Tibet: Religious Revival and Cultural Identity
Edited by Melvyn C. Goldstein and Matthew T. Kapstein
A look at religious revival in Chinese-ruled Tibet following the Cultural Revolution in China, these essays reveal the vibrancy of the ancient Buddhist religion in contemporary Tibet and also the problems that religion and Tibetan culture in general are facing in a radically altered world.

Simple Tibetan Buddhism: A Guide to Tantric Living
By C. Alexander Simpkins and Annellen Simpkins
Simple Tibetan Buddhism offers an introduction to Tibetan Buddhism. Divided into three parts, it chronicles the history, the spread of Buddhism into Tibet, and the unique culture behind this tradition. This book offers a clear and detailed explanation of philosophy, history and practice. Complete with detailed illustrations and accessible resources, this volume invites readers to discover this religion and its peaceful doctrines.

Fundamentals of Tibetan Buddhism
By Rebecca McClen Novick
In Tibetan, the word for Buddhist means "insider" -- someone who looks not to the world but to themselves for the source of peace and happiness. The purpose of Buddhism is to relieve suffering; it begins with the premise that all suffering, however real it may seem, is the product of our own minds.

The Dalai Lama

A Simple Monk: Writings on His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Edited by Tom Morgan
This dynamic biography of the Dalai Lama includes impressionistic essays by Diki Tsering, his mother; China scholar and journalist Orville Schell; and travel writer Pico Lyer; as well as an interview with His Holiness by Spalding Gray.

Why the Dalai Lama Matters: His Act of Truth as the Solution for China, Tibet, and the World
By Robert Thurman
Renowned Tibetan scholar Thurman presents his five-point plan for China's creation of an autonomous Tibet, and shows just why the Dalai Lama is the only person who can usher in this new, peaceful era for the world.

The Buddhism of Tibet
By the Dalai Lama
Unlike most books by the Dalai Lama which are edited compilations of talks that he has given, this book consists of two texts that he himself wrote and two that he chose--all especially aimed at helping Western readers become better grounded in Buddhism.

Book descriptions provided by BookLetters.