The Open Road: Pico Iyer on the Fourteenth Dalai Lama

The writer Pico Iyer is no Buddhist monk, but he's pretty adept with the Zen koan - or riddle. You know the sort of thing - 'what is the sound of one hand clapping?' Here's another: 'When a monk appears in front of swarming cameras, how much do we see the monk and how much only what the cameras construct?' The monk in question is the Dalai Lama. The cameras have been with him for much of his life. By any measure, the man is a celebrity. Religious leader, politician, pop culture icon, you're just as likely to see his face on a t-shirt as in a Buddhist temple. Pico Iyer has known the Dalai Lama for 40 years. He has travelled with him, interviewed him, and observed him. His book is called The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama.

Music featured on the program:

Ngani Troma Part 1 from the CD, The Rough Guide to the Himalayas, Cut 1, by Choying Drolma and Steve Tibbets.

For more details about the CD visit the following websites:
Rambles.net - Cultura Arts Magazine
Highbeam Encyclopedia
Amazon.com