The Dalai Lama's Cat

Product Information

As my eyes and ears adjusted to my surroundings, I became aware of a scratching noise— sporadic but insistent gnawing. I paused, nostrils flared, as I searched the air. For along with the sound of incisors chomping came a pungent whiff that set my whiskers tingling. My reaction, instantaneous and powerful, triggered a reflex I hadn’t even known I possessed. Labiausiai man patiko, kad knyga pasakojama... katės. Katės, kuri išgyvena egzistencines krizes, klausosi žmonių ir mokosi iš jų, analizuoja savo poelgius ir... galų gale įsimyli vieną rainių. Kiekvienas skyrius vis kitokia pamoka tiek katei, tiek jos šeimininko Dalailamos lankytojams ir padėjėjams. Knyga ne tik kupina budistinės išminties, bet ir humoro. Labai teisingai ant viršelio parašyta: „ Istorija, šildanti širdį!“, dar jokia knyga mane nėra taip sušildžiusi širdies kaip šita. Netikėjau, kad ji mane taip įtrauks ir negalėsiu jos paleisti iš rankų. Oh! How adorable! I didn’t know you had a cat!’ she exclaimed. I am always surprised how many people make this observation. Why should His Holiness not have a cat? ‘If only she could speak,’ continued the actress. ‘I’m sure she’d have such wisdom to share.’ And so the seed was planted . . . A short while later I was resting on the windowsill of the Dalai Lama’s first-floor room. This was my all-time favorite spot, not least because it offered the ideal vantage point from which to achieve maximum surveillance with minimum effort. Simply being in the same room as His Holiness is the most wonderful sensation you can ever have. Whether you call it his presence, his energy, or his love, when you are near him, you can’t help being touched by a sense of profound and abiding well-being. The heartfelt reassurance that, whatever else is going on, beneath the surface, all is well. As she grows into a beautiful cat, HHC has her own share of adventures, meets a tabby cat admirer from ‘downtown McLeodGanj’, attends teaching sessions by monks and tells us all about her learnings. HHC takes us with her as she moves between the Dalai Lama’s residence in Dharamshala, the Namgyal Monastery and Cafe Franc (a neighbourhood cafe). Her keen observations and reported conversations in these places bring us little gems of Buddhist wisdom. Passages from the book that stays with me…

Puh-lease! It’s enough to make you want to sink your fangs very deeply into a tender part of their anatomy. So, I want to put this matter to rest, once and for all. I did not know much at all about Buddhism but this book taught me quite a bit of the basics in simple terms through the cat. She tells of conversations she hears and sees as she goes about her daily life. There was actually a lot of good inspiring messages to think about in this book. And since HHC (His Holiness' Cat) has a sense of humor, it was also fun to read. I was struggling, trying to come to terms with what had happened. Fleas? Me?! Was the Dalai Lama’s cat not immune to such a common and squalid vexation? And could there be any deeper humiliation than having been infected by a stray dog, of all things? They told me what happened,” he murmured, reaching over to where I was dozing nearby. “Sometimes our instinct, our negative conditioning, can be overpowering. Later we regret very much what we have done. But that is no reason to give up on yourself—the buddhas, they have not given up on you. Instead, learn from your mistake and move on. Like that.”

Customer reviews

When I heard His Holiness tell visitors about the importance of loving kindness, I would purr contentedly, certain in the knowledge that this was exactly what I thought, too. When he opened my evening can of Snappy Tom’s, it seemed as obvious to me as it was to him that all sentient beings wanted to fulfill the same basic needs. And as he stroked my bulging tummy after my dinner, it seemed equally clear that he was right; each of us does just want to be loved. Among the unexpected joys I have felt, writing this series, has been to discover how much little HHC, Snow Lion, or Rinpoche – she is a cat of many names – and the cast of characters around her, have engaged reader’s hearts as well as minds. This is important because both our compassion as well as our wisdom are necessary if we are to live truly purposeful lives. A few days later, I found my way down the corridor to the small kitchen and sitting area where some of the Dalai Lama’s staff went to relax, have their lunch, or make tea. Several monks were sitting on a sofa, watching a recorded news item on His Holiness’s recent visit to the U.S. By now they all knew who I was—in fact, I had become the office mascot. Hopping up on the lap of one of the monks, I allowed him to stroke me as I watched TV. Chogyal suggested several possibilities before Tenzin said, “It’s better not to force these things. I’m sure something will present itself as we get to know her better.” So that’s why I’ve put 3 stars. It is really a personal opinion, from someone who had not interest in what the book talked about, but still a bit open-minded to read it.

That Buddhism is all about compassion is what HHC gathers from the Dalai Lama. She describes the presence of the great man..Gesturing to set us two remaining kittens on the ground, he squatted on his haunches and inspected us closely. My older brother padded across the corrugated dirt at the side of the road, mewing imploringly for milk. When I was prodded from behind to induce some movement, I managed only a single, lurching step forward before collapsing in a mud puddle. Most interesting, my little Snow Lion,” the Dalai Lama remarked after a while, as he closed his book and came over to stroke me. Having had the immense privilege of meeting His Holiness this summer i can only endorse the author's words that "Long after people have forgotten every word that His Holiness has said they still remember how he touched their hearts and they love him for it". The author manages to convey that same ethos through the antics of HHC and the continuing storyline of the many wonderful characters. The thought manifests as the word; the word manifests as the deed; the deed develops into habit; and habit hardens into character. So watch the thought and its ways with care, and let it spring from love born out of concern for all beings … As the shadow follows the body, as we think, so we become. (c)

THE DALAI LAMA'S CAT is an often amusing romp through the life of a this most unusual, educated and highly moral cat whose names are many and varied and range from HHC (his Holinesses cat) to Rinpoche (precious) to Snow Lion and Mouser depending on the circumstances at any given moment.M-a terminat când pisica a prins un șoarece și l-a dus la templu, iar călugării l-au pus într-o cutiuță și au încercat să îl salveze. Aș fi vrut să aflu și continuarea, când șoarecele le rodea cărțile și hainele, cum mi-a făcut mie. Eu sunt un monstru și am folosit otravă. She was doing that yesterday, too,” observed Tenzin. The two of them stood, watching me for a few moments before they met each other’s eyes. They reached the same diagnosis in unison: “Fleas!” If you are looking for a book that combines charming cats, life lessons and meaningful tips this is the book for you! The author managed to write the book in a way that it combines spiritual topics with the fantasy aspect of writing out of a cat’s view to appeal to us cat lovers and owners but also to those that are looking for deeper more meaningful topics of a read. If you ever doubted that your feline companion has her own inner life, just watch what happens when she falls asleep and loses conscious control of her physical being. Inevitably you will notice a twitching of limbs, a quivering of the jaw, sometimes perhaps a snuffling noise or a meow. What are these, if not the involuntary accompaniment to the imagined drama playing out in her mind? Cats may indeed be capable of great mindfulness. But we are thinking beings, too. Each of these characters are heartwarming in a new way, and it's very easy to see yourself in them as they navigate their own human troubles.

Take for example, the pursuit of mindfulness: maybe the most important thing I learned from this book is to be mindful of every activity you do throughout the day. Instead of thinking about what to do next, think about what you're doing in that exact moment. For someone who has anxiety issues and likes to multi-task, this is a very important lesson. In this book you will find a cat's eye view of Buddhism; call it an illumination of Buddhism perhaps. After all, what is a feline who walks at the heels [and occasionally bites at the ankles] of one of the great spiritual leaders to do but study the path toward Enlightenment? I love cats and I'm also interested in religions, so which is the best way to learn something about Buddhism if not through the cat of the Dalai Lama?Through encounters with celebrity visitors and her own intriguing adventures, the Dalai Lama's Cat explains all four key themes, not so much as ideas but as practices to be embodied. Along the way she even gets a new title: "Therapy Cat." Among these people were journalists, accountants and other professionals. The nature of their various jobs had the same net effect: having to deal with enormous volumes of non-fiction as part of their working life meant that when it came to the weekend, or going on holiday, the last thing they wanted to do was read yet more non-fiction. The book is the story of HHC, of how she found herself to be the pet and companion to the Dalai Lama. It’s very much so a story of discovery through the teachings of the Buddhist community but largely it is the ridiculously entertaining memoirs of a cat who thinks very highly of herself, indeed. I can promise you that you will laugh out loud throughout this journey and not regret it one bit. "If we are wise, the greatest problems can lead to the greatest insights." I am reading about the life of Albert Schweitzer, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952. He was a very compassionate man, very sincere. I have just read something he said: ‘Sometimes our light goes out, but is blown into flame by an encounter with another human being. Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this inner light.’ I agree with that, don’t you, HHC?” What I got: a cat that is inexplicably knowledgeable about american/english gossip and explains Buddhism to, apparently, five-year-old readers through a series of mildly interesting parables concerning extremely flat characters.