Harmony in Diversity: How to Move from Conflict to Compassion; Seven Years in Tibet; Tibet: On the Edge of Change

Question: What do Richard Gere, Brad Pitt, and His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama share in common? Answer: All three are unwelcome in Tibet. In exile since the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, is a well-known figure in Western culture, even more so now with his recent American lecture tours and the release of two Hollywood feature films: Martin Scorsese's Oscar-nominated Kundun and Jean-Jacques Annaud's Seven Years in Tibet.In the latter, an autobiographical account set during WWII, Brad Pitt plays Austrian climber Heinrich Harrer, a self-centered loner who spends the first 45 aimless minutes of the film ranging over Buddha's creation: up Himalayan mountains, into a P.O.W. camp, and along northern India's roads less traveled before finally winding up in the Tibetan Shangri-La where he befriends the young Dalai Lama (a luminous performance by Jamyang Jamtsho Wangchuk) and learns to Unharden His Heart. Director Annaud's meticulous recreation of Tibet's Holy City of Lhasa (in Argentina!) in the last moment before Tibetan culture was irrevocably changed carries the second half of the movie, and the scenes with Harrer interacting with both the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people are far and away the best. Not surprisingly, however, since History and Hollywood mix about as well as Oprah and Texas cattle barons, Tibet's occupation by the Chinese is not only dramatically shorthanded, but largely laid on the shoulders of B.D. Wong's machinations as a villainous Tibetan turncoat (save us from Hollywood plot devices!). Sure to be popular, this is a strong optional purchase. Aud: J, H, C, P.Viewers curious to see more of Tibet's culture will find their visual appetites whetted with Tibet: On the Edge of Change, which offers a colorful overview of the people, history (including the story of the Dalai Lama's exile), and geography of this besieged land which is bordered by no less than eight countries. Located a staggering 17,000 feet up the Himalayan mountains (where, I suspect, I would need supplemental oxygen), the face is Tibet is rapidly changing. Although the media has given a higher profile to the monstrous destruction of Buddhist monasteries (over 6,000), other devastating events in recent Tibetan history include the gradual displacement of the indigent population (Tibetans are now a minority in Lhasa) and the ecological nightmare of massive clear-cutting, strip-mining, and soil erosion in a wholesale plunder of the country's natural resources. Still, what is most memorable about Tibet: On the Edge of Change is scenes of village life, the weathered faces of an incredibly hardy people, and the serenity of Tibetan prayer wheels spinning in continual hope. Aud: J, H, C, P. (R. Pitman)Hope has certainly not been abandoned by His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama. In Harmony in Diversity: How to Move from Conflict to Compassion, the Tibetan spiritual leader, speaking before a large audience in New York's Cathedral of St. John the Divine in May, 1997, focuses on the universal: the need to make our world community a place of peace and mutual respect. In his gentle sing-song voice, the Dalai Lama talks about the wonderful diversity in the "human garden," and the importance of encouraging individual differences. Not philosophically lofty ideas, just simple, wise thoughts which--if heeded--could drastically and sublimely change our world. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (N. Plympton)Among the many other new titles available on Tibet and the Dalai Lama, we also recommend the new Frontline episode Dreaming of Tibet ($69.95, PBS Video, 800-344-3337), Dalai Lama from A&E's acclaimed Biography series ($19.95, A&E, 800-423-1212), and the 4-volume set The Four Noble Truths, a six-hour series of lectures by the Dalai Lama ($108, Mystic Fire Video, 800-999-1319).