The Seed of Compassion
by His Holiness Dalai Lama and illustrated by Bao Luu
Today (July 6) is the 86th birthday of the Dalai Lama. “The Seed of Compassion” by his Holiness the Dalai Lama and illustrated by Bao Luu. Published by Penguin. An extremely special book to introduce the children to the life and teachings of his holiness the Dalai Lama.
The book begins with the birth of the Dalai Lama in Taktser in the Amdo province of northeastern Tibet. He talks about his home and the landscape of the region. He then goes on to talk about his family, their daily routine and the influence his mother had on him given that he spent most of his time with her. She taught him one of the most important lessons in life by demonstrating how to practice compassion.
When he was almost three years old, some monks came from Lhasa to look for the child who was the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. They had been looking for him all over the country and the people of Tibet were waiting eagerly for him to be found. Little did he or his family know that it was him. He passed a series of tests in which he correctly identified the belongings of the previous Dalai Lama and held them with a sense of great familiarity. Then began the journey to Lhasa when he was four years old. He traveled in a palanquin with his brother. Being boisterous little boys, they kept knocking it off balance every time they rough-housed inside it, as he says!! Found this quite amusing that the Dalai Lama whom we all know as so calm and composed was also a boisterous little boy once upon a time.
The Dalai Lama then talks about his training in Lhasa and goes on to talk about the importance and need of compassion. What makes us humans different from all the other animals? What is our superpower? Why should we be compassionate? How can we bring more happiness to the world? The answers to all these and more messages from the Dalai Lama to the children who have within them the potential to build a more compassionate century and promote a greater sense of oneness among the whole of humanity.
I enjoyed reading this with my seven year old who loved the book. The illustrations are charming and complement the story well. In particular, the spreads of the Dalai Lama with his mother and the journey to Lhasa which I have added to this review. Given that we have already read a few books around the topic of Tibet, he was familiar with the topic and appreciated the book. Thank you Vidya Mani of Funky Rainbow for recommending this beautiful book! It is a must read for all children above 6.
Where to buy from?
An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.