{"product_id":"flight-of-the-b-n-monks-war-persecution-and-the-salvation-of-tibets-oldest-religion","title":"Flight of the B?n Monks: War, Persecution, and the Salvation of Tibet's Oldest Religion","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn inside account of the Chinese invasion of Tibet told through the voices of three persecuted monks\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e- 2024 International Book Award Nonfiction - Creative Category \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e- Shares the true story of three monks' heroic escape from occupied Tibet and the subsequent rebirth of the B?n religion in exile \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e- Introduces B?n, Tibet's oldest religion, and a traditional way of life extinguished by foreign occupation \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e- Reveals details of the 1950 Chinese invasion of Tibet and the exodus of thousands of Tibetans to neighboring countries \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eProviding an inside view into the Chinese occupation of Tibet and the tenets of B?n, one of the world's oldest but least known religions, this book chronicles the true story of three B?n monks who heroically escaped occupied Tibet and went on to rebuild their culture through incredible resilience, determination, and passion. After taking his vows to become a B?n monk and completing a pilgrimage around 22,000-foot Mount Kailash, the holiest mountain in Tibet, Tenzin Namdak envisions a life of quiet contemplation at Menri, B?n's mother monastery. Instead, he finds himself fleeing for his life across the highest and most difficult terrain on the planet. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAfter Tenzin's escape party is ambushed and he is severely wounded, Tenzin is taken to a concentration camp, where he overcomes his nearly fatal wound before making an arduous escape from Tibet over the daunting Himalayas. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe other two monks, lifelong friends Samten Karmay and Sangye Tenzin, witness Tibet's capital explode in a violent insurrection against Chinese rule. Escaping to Nepal, they worry about the survival of the B?n religion and begin collecting scattered works of B?n scripture. A chance meeting with British scholar David Snellgrove brings the three monks together and dramatically changes their lives. Tenzin founds a B?n settlement in exile in India, Sangye is chosen as the thirty-third Menri Trizen, B?n's highest office, and together the three monks help rebuild the nearly extinct B?n religion. Aside from the escape of the Dalai Lama, no other escape from Tibet has been so consequential for so many.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHarvey Rice and Jackie Cole are a husband-and-wife team committed to bringing this story to the world. Rice is a journalist with more than 40 years of experience, working at both U.S. newspapers and international news agencies. Cole has studied Bön for more than two decades and has taken many retreats with the main characters of the book, who have given their blessings and permission to share their story. The authors live in Galveston, Texas.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Destiny Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50615040114962,"sku":"9781644118580","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_007fb12e-a767-4946-beff-159ed417721d.jpg?v=1732473423","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/flight-of-the-b-n-monks-war-persecution-and-the-salvation-of-tibets-oldest-religion","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}