In the past century, the Western view of Tibet has evolved from an exotic Shangri-la filled with golden idols and the promise of immortality, to a peaceful land with an enlightened society now ravaged by outside aggression. How and why did our perception change? How accurate are our modern conceptions of Tibet?
Imagining Tibet is a collection of essays that reveal these Western conceptions. Providing an historical background to the West's ever-changing relationship with Tibet, Donald Lopez, Jeffrey Hopkins, Jamyang Norbu, and other noted scholars explore a variety of topics - from Western perceptions of Tibetan approaches to violence, monastic life, and life as a nation in exile, to representations of Tibet in Western literature, art, environmentalism, and the New Age movement.
"An important discussion of the western mythology of Tibet as Shangri-La. It includes three papers on foreign missionaries and scholars of Tibet, eight works on the western and Chinese views of Tibet as other, eight commentaries, and a synthesis by the editors. It also includes a foreword by Tsering Shakya, a bibliographic reference, biographical data, and a useful index. A delightful book."