3 Review(s)

The Dalai Lama's Cat: A Novel lets the reader have a peek at the wonderful life of the Dalai Lama’s pet cat, who also shares some of the profound lessons that she hears from the spiritual leader. Summary Of The Book Being The Dalai Lama's Cat is a privilege as the cat readily admits. But her early days were not so fortunate. A litter of beautiful Himalayan kittens is discovered by some street children in New Delhi. They decide that the little creatures can make them some money. They quickly manage to sell all the kittens but one, the tiniest and weakest of the lot. The little kitten gets dropped into a mud puddle and ends up being wrapped up in a newspaper. Fortunately for the kitten, the Dalai Lama, on his way home from the airport, watches the incident and sends his attendant to buy the little creature from the boys. Thus begins the life of the little kitten as His Holiness’s fond companion. She now lives a pampered life, being admired and petted by celebrities as well as regular visitors who come to see the Dalai Lama. Fondly called “bodhicatva” by the Dalai Lama, she is privy to all his affairs as she lies regally in his room and observes visitors as they come and go. In the process, she also tries to imbibe the wisdom he imparts to the people who come to him, in order to be worthy of the privilege of being His Holiness’s cat. In The Dalai Lama's Cat: A Novel, she shares some of these lessons that she learnt with the reader, as she talks about her life and times as the well loved feline inhabitant of the Dalai Lama’s home. The author has done a delightful job of blending the feline psyche with the wisdom of Buddhism. The Dalai Lama's Cat: A Novel shares many nuggets of His Holiness’s conversations with visitors, in the middle of a lot of native feline perspectives on life. About David Michie David Michie is an author and teaches meditation. He has also written some informal guides to Buddhism and meditation like Buddhism for Busy People and Hurry Up and Meditate. David Michie, born in Zimbabwe and educated in South Africa, now lives in Australia. He teaches mindfulness and meditation. He is a student of the Tibetan Buddhist Society. His books have been translated to many languages.