Tibet: History, Culture, and Religion - Constance Kassor

There are few regions that have been more misunderstood by the West than Tibet. It is still often portrayed in the West as the “Shangri-la” that was described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon, one of the earliest references to Tibet in English-speaking culture. Westerners too often envision a mystical place full of happy, meditating monks and carefree nomads who use Tibetan singing bowls for healing and comfort and The Tibetan Book of the Dead to guide their journey from this life. But while the s