His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama Author:Peter Michel Despite all the tragic political entanglements of the 20th century, it was still a century of significant spiritual awakening. Never before in the history of mankind has the general population had access to such a vast spiritual knowledge; never before were there so many inspired teachers known to us, both in the East and the West. These teacher... more »s are a major force behind the much-cited paradigm shift. Their teachings and their lives stand as models for generations to come. To outline their unusual lives, and to preserve their most important teachings, we are building a literary monument to them in the form of a series of books: Those Who Light the Way. This is not for the purpose of worship, but to provide a means of orientation. According to old Eastern wisdom, "A true guru is like a signpost. You read its message and go on. Who would be so stupid as to worship the signpost?" The first in the series is dedicated to the religious leader of Tibetan Buddhists and the head of the Tibetan government in exile. Born in 1935 in the province of Amdo in Eastern Tibet, he is the one person in this series whose path has been most shaped by the political events of the 20th century. This book explains who he is, his impact on the West in particular, and what his lasting message for the world might be.« less