Dear Reader, I don’t write book reviews because I’m not qualified enough to critique works by eminent authors so if you’re here for that then please reconsider. Instead, let me take you on a journey with me; From the first time I picked up the book to the ten minutes of reflection that follows after turning the last page. The Dalai Lama’s Cat, a novel by David Michie, is one of those books that was recommended to me by a friend who earned her credibility by naming some of my good reads in her list. I picked up the book in a moment of instinct coupled with a little bit of weakness. To be honest, I bought the book because it’s blasphemous for me to enter a bookstore and walk out empty-handed, even if I am just accompanying a friend.
The title of the book was an initial deterrent since it seemed like a long shot from the genres I read. I am still in the process of not judging a book by its cover and all it took was the book’s blurb to change my perception. What initially sounded like another preachy philosophical book, on the contrary, promised a lively narrative of a cat who through karmic destiny was deemed to spend her life on the lap and under the calming aura of His Holiness Dalai Lama (HHDL).
The Cat who has been given multiple nomenclatures – Rinpoche, Snow Lion, Mousie-Tung, His Holiness’ Cat (HHC) – provides a little peep into the private interactions and covert life of the esoteric spiritual leader. Through the naïve perception of this little cat, rescued by HHDL in New Delhi after a trip back from America, the author has conveyed some of the important teachings of Buddhism. Let that not deceive you into believing that the book is in anyway religious or self-praising.
The author illustrates lessons in practice through evocative instances and fascinating characters. He takes us through the lives of HHDL, Chogyal, Tenzin, and glimpses of Geshe Wangpo and Lobsang at Namgyal Monastery in the quaint town of McLeodganj. Either through the direct outpour of an unsettled soul or latent ignorant actions of an innocent mind, David Michie has sneaked life-changing dictates into the narrative.
Jack, the apprehensive Self-Development guide, became the medium to understand that when the altruistic development of others becomes priority we naturally embark on the path of self-care. Mrs. Trinci’s Italian delicacies fell short when she unknowingly lashed out at HHDL, himself, just to truly realise that temperament can be reframed. Café Franc’s “wannabe Buddhist” owner understood the true meaning of Dharma shedding the façade of a devotee without knowledge. A simple technician, Raj Goel, learnt how to battle fear after a few hostile slurs to Lobsang.
The Dalai Lama’s Cat has deeply impacted me. This descriptive expression of transcending materialistic wants to gather innate happiness left me with a positive outlook towards people, situations, feelings, and most importantly spirituality. The book made me reflect and introspect the pertinent concepts of mindfulness, happiness, money, status, relationships, fear, knowledge, and Dharma.
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