Division of Heaven and Earth

On Tibet's Peaceful Revolution

Akester Matthew

For sale in CIS only!

"The Division of Heaven and Earth" is one of the most influential and important books from Tibet in the modern era – a passionate indictment of Chinese policies and an eloquent analysis of protests that swept Tibet from March 2008 as a re-awakening of Tibetan national consciousness and solidarity.

Publication of the original Tibetan edition saw Shokdung (a pseudonym), one of Tibet's leading intellectuals, imprisoned for nearly six months, and the book immediately banned. This English translation is being made available for the first time since copies began to circulate underground in Tibet.

Written in response to an unprecedented wave of bold demonstrations and expressions of Tibetan solidarity and national identity, Shokdung's book is regarded as one of the most daring and wide-ranging critiques of China's policies in Tibet since the 10th Panchen Lama's famous "70,000-character Petition" addressed to Mao Zedong in 1962.

About the Author

Matthew Akester is a translator of classical and modern literary Tibetan, based in the Himalayan region. His translations include "The Life of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo", by Jamgon Kongtrul and "Memories of Life in Lhasa Under Chinese Rule" by Tubten Khetsun. He has worked as consultant for the Tibet Information Network, Human Rights Watch, the Tibet Heritage Fund, and the Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center, among others.

Reviews

"Published illegally in Tibet in 2010, [this book] is a poetic, painstakingly written indictment of Chinese rule and a call for a 'peaceful revolution' against what [Shokdung] describes as Beijing's heavy-handed governing style" – New York Times

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