Collection
Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Hay House Visions (2012), Edition: Fiction, 240 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. HTML: "In the months that followed I watched His Holiness working on a new book . . . I began to think that perhaps the time had come for me to turn my paws to a book of my own . . . one that tells my own tale . . . How I was rescued from a fate too grisly to contemplate, to become constant companion to a man who is not only one of the world's greatest spiritual leaders and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, but who is also a dab hand with the can opener." Not so much fly-on-the-wall as cat-on-the-sill, this is the warmhearted tale of a small kitten rescued from the slums of New Delhi who finds herself in a beautiful sanctuary with sweeping views of the snow-capped Himalayas. In her exotic new home, the Dalai Lama's cat encounters Hollywood stars, Buddhist masters, Ivy-league professors, famous philanthropists, and a host of other people who come visiting His Holiness. Each encounter offers a fresh insight into finding happiness and meaning in the midst of a life of busy-ness and challenge. Drawing us into her world with her adorable but all-too-flawed personality, the Dalai Lama's cat discovers how instead of trying to change the world, changing the way we experience the world is the key to true contentment. Featuring a delightful cast of characters, timeless Buddhist wisdom, and His Holiness's compassion pervading every chapter, The Dalai Lama's Cat is simply enchanting..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member krazy4katz
I can think of nothing more pleasurable than a comfortable chair, a cup of hot tea and cat on your lap while reading "The Dalai Lama's Cat". It is the quintessential definition of heaven on earth. The story line and the lessons on mindfulness are simple; the writing has just enough humor to hold
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your attention and make this a relaxing and fun read. I loved it and I learned a lot about the Buddhist concept of mindfulness and how it can be used to improve the quality of one's daily existence. Besides, who could possibly be a better model of mindfulness than a cat? Perhaps only the Dalai Lama himself. Show Less
LibraryThing member Litfan
Confined to the house with strep and looking for something light and fun to read to distract myself, I pulled this book off the shelf. I was rewarded with a book that was indeed light and fun, but also had a quiet depth to it that I had not anticipated.
Told from the perspective of the Dalai Lama's
HHC observes the Dalai Lama carefully, and in doing so, learns many lessons along the way. Some are directly aimed at her, and others she learns by watching the Lama's interactions with others. Each changes HHC in a profound way, and in doing so, also gives the reader pause to reflect on the wisdom conveyed in the story. It has a great deal to say about the importance of slowing down, enjoying the moment, and putting others' happiness above one's own. It's a sweet, and fascinating way to learn more about Buddhist philosophy.
The novel itself isn't really plot-driven, and there isn't a great deal of plot tension; however, that seems to fit right in with the author's messages about mindfulness and enjoying the journey. This is a story that is very much about living in the present happenings on the page, without much worry about what will come next, and it was actually a refreshing change to read this kind of a book. I greatly enjoyed this and still find myself thinking about the principles reflected in its pages.
Told from the perspective of the Dalai Lama's
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cat, a rescued kitten who goes by various names including HHC (His Holiness' Cat) and Mousie-Tung, this is a cat's-eye-view of the Dalai Lama's world. As a cat owner, I felt that HHC's perspective and behavior were undoubtedly feline. There are some truly hilarious moments in the novel, such as HHC's first hairball; having never really considered what a cat must think when a hairball happens, it was quite funny to read her perspective on this delicate issue.HHC observes the Dalai Lama carefully, and in doing so, learns many lessons along the way. Some are directly aimed at her, and others she learns by watching the Lama's interactions with others. Each changes HHC in a profound way, and in doing so, also gives the reader pause to reflect on the wisdom conveyed in the story. It has a great deal to say about the importance of slowing down, enjoying the moment, and putting others' happiness above one's own. It's a sweet, and fascinating way to learn more about Buddhist philosophy.
The novel itself isn't really plot-driven, and there isn't a great deal of plot tension; however, that seems to fit right in with the author's messages about mindfulness and enjoying the journey. This is a story that is very much about living in the present happenings on the page, without much worry about what will come next, and it was actually a refreshing change to read this kind of a book. I greatly enjoyed this and still find myself thinking about the principles reflected in its pages.
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LibraryThing member shaunesay
The Dalai Lama's Cat is a sweet, gentle and humorous book that I truly enjoyed during a very difficult time, it was exactly what I needed. I adore the cover! I've had a passing interest in the Dalai Lama, mostly just seeing snippets of wisdom here and there attributed to him, but would really never
HHC - His Holiness' Cat actually acquires many names in her tenure at Jokhang, not all of which she is amused by. Saved from certain death as a tiny kitten, this is her story, told from her point of view of her time there, and how she grows and tries to apply the Dalai Lama's teachings to her life. She is first and foremost a cat, however, and is subject to a cat's whims, follies and attitudes. The result is a delightful and amusing story that weaves the occasional Buddhist precept into it, leaving me more interested in the Dalai Lama and Buddhism than I was before. It seems like such a gentle philosophy of life, and many of the ideas could be used as guiding principles, regardless of your beliefs.
I highly recommend The Dalai Lama's Cat to cat and all animal lovers of course. I always enjoy stories told from the animal's point of view. I would also encourage anyone who is curious about the religion to give this a try. It is a very beginning introduction by way of the setting and is very non-judgemental in the presentation of ideas.
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have thought about him having a pet, so even the title grabbed my attention.HHC - His Holiness' Cat actually acquires many names in her tenure at Jokhang, not all of which she is amused by. Saved from certain death as a tiny kitten, this is her story, told from her point of view of her time there, and how she grows and tries to apply the Dalai Lama's teachings to her life. She is first and foremost a cat, however, and is subject to a cat's whims, follies and attitudes. The result is a delightful and amusing story that weaves the occasional Buddhist precept into it, leaving me more interested in the Dalai Lama and Buddhism than I was before. It seems like such a gentle philosophy of life, and many of the ideas could be used as guiding principles, regardless of your beliefs.
I highly recommend The Dalai Lama's Cat to cat and all animal lovers of course. I always enjoy stories told from the animal's point of view. I would also encourage anyone who is curious about the religion to give this a try. It is a very beginning introduction by way of the setting and is very non-judgemental in the presentation of ideas.
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LibraryThing member MartyAllen
Readers hoping for a young or fresh perspective on Buddhism will be disappointed. It does find ways to sneak into the book, but for the most part, it is simply the cat's life. Even his owner is mostly absent, and readers may be disappointed at the lack of words of wisdom from him. Further, the
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style is overly simplistic and may be too slow for some. On the posititve side, the cat's adventures are funny, and the bits of wisdom that are inserted are clever and relatable. Show Less
LibraryThing member Vivl
Tibetan Buddhism for Dummies with a cat, basically.
This was the second book I have been required to read for the book club I recently joined. The first was a cracker, while this one was frustrating in many ways despite the quality of writing not being really bad. In fact, it's largely quite
Let me start by getting all the things that REALLY annoyed me off my chest: 1. This is basically a reworking, often obviously, of the set of three classic Japanese episodic novels I Am a Cat (published 1904-1907) by Sōseki Natsume. The debt David Michie owes Sōseki is not acknowledged, and the Japanese original did this significantly better. I don't take kindly to such blatant ripping off of ideas. 2. This is not a novel. It is a thinly-disguised guide to Tibetan Buddhism, with scraps of story mixed in. Having "a novel" on the cover leads one to anticipate... a novel! (Apart from which I've always hated that "a novel" crap.) 3. There is a disclaimer at the front saying "Any similarity to [...] persons living or deceased, is strictly coincidental." Bullshit. Clearly.
There are cute bits, there is humour, but not enough. There were moments where, for a page or two, the story started to come to the forefront and I actually began to enjoy myself, but that didn't last long and I was smacked down once more into the schoolroom to ingest another lesson on Tibetan Buddhism.
None of this is terribly surprising I suppose since Michie is better known for self-help books on Buddhism aimed at "busy people". He's not going to aim his writing at a high intellectual or critically rigorous standard as that would put off his intended audience.
I'm interested enough in the subject but object to being treated like an idiot. I'm happy to have got through this in a relatively short space of time and to be able to turn my attention to something I actually want to read!
This was the second book I have been required to read for the book club I recently joined. The first was a cracker, while this one was frustrating in many ways despite the quality of writing not being really bad. In fact, it's largely quite
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good.Let me start by getting all the things that REALLY annoyed me off my chest: 1. This is basically a reworking, often obviously, of the set of three classic Japanese episodic novels I Am a Cat (published 1904-1907) by Sōseki Natsume. The debt David Michie owes Sōseki is not acknowledged, and the Japanese original did this significantly better. I don't take kindly to such blatant ripping off of ideas. 2. This is not a novel. It is a thinly-disguised guide to Tibetan Buddhism, with scraps of story mixed in. Having "a novel" on the cover leads one to anticipate... a novel! (Apart from which I've always hated that "a novel" crap.) 3. There is a disclaimer at the front saying "Any similarity to [...] persons living or deceased, is strictly coincidental." Bullshit. Clearly.
There are cute bits, there is humour, but not enough. There were moments where, for a page or two, the story started to come to the forefront and I actually began to enjoy myself, but that didn't last long and I was smacked down once more into the schoolroom to ingest another lesson on Tibetan Buddhism.
None of this is terribly surprising I suppose since Michie is better known for self-help books on Buddhism aimed at "busy people". He's not going to aim his writing at a high intellectual or critically rigorous standard as that would put off his intended audience.
I'm interested enough in the subject but object to being treated like an idiot. I'm happy to have got through this in a relatively short space of time and to be able to turn my attention to something I actually want to read!
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LibraryThing member poetreegirl
A simple and fun novel of Buddhist teachings told through the observations of the Dalai Lama's cat. I don't reread books often, but this will be an exception as I am sure new insights can be gleaned with each reading.
LibraryThing member smik
This book came to me recommended by at least two members of my U3A reading group, whose job in life is to get me to read something other than crime fiction. Being possessed by a cat, how could I resist?
Told as snippets in the life of HHC (His Holiness' Cat), each tale has embedded within some
I imagined that perhaps the stories come from real interviews with the Dalia Lama especially as I recognised one or two of His Holiness's visitors, whom of course the cat can't name.
Good reading.
Told as snippets in the life of HHC (His Holiness' Cat), each tale has embedded within some
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Buddhist teaching. It is delightfully written and is a good reminder that there is something other can crime fiction.I imagined that perhaps the stories come from real interviews with the Dalia Lama especially as I recognised one or two of His Holiness's visitors, whom of course the cat can't name.
Good reading.
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LibraryThing member bness2
If you like cat stories, this is an excellent book. Even though it is a novel, it does provide some interesting insights to life in the Dalai Lama's home, or at least what it would be like.
LibraryThing member abycats
Thought this would be an interesting contrast to "A Dog's Purpose" which I just read for a book club. This slim volume had far loftier goals as the cat's musings and the Dalai Lama's overheard conversations provide a remarkably gentle introduction to Buddhism. This is done in the context of a plot
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that moves forward, albeit not in a swift or particularly complex way. I very much enjoyed this book. Am not sure that someone who didn't like cats would "get" it in the same way I did but it is a pleasurable short read -- and you get some philosophy to boot. Show Less
LibraryThing member kevn57
4 1/2 Stars
Short but great book, filled with timeless cat wisdom, written by the Dali Lama's Cat.
Some of my favorite parts
Was it not Winston Churchill who said that a cat is a riddle, inside an enigma, inside a delightful pelt of cuddliness? No? I could have sworn that just recently I read
We cats are the most habitual of creatures. Preferred sun loungers, meal times, hidey holes, and scratching posts are among the considerations in which we take daily satisfaction. And it is exactly because many humans embrace routine that we even consider allowing them to share our homes, let alone retain them as members of our staff.
“One of the last things Buddha said to his followers was that anyone who believed a word he had taught them was a fool—unless they had tested it against their own experience.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
“This farmer acquired his very first horse, and all the local villagers came around to congratulate him. ‘How proud you must be to own such a magnificent horse!’ they all said.
“But the farmer, understanding something about the importance of equanimity, simply smiled and said, ‘We’ll see.’
“Soon afterward, the horse broke out of the paddock and ran into the countryside. The villagers commiserated with the farmer. ‘What a terrible tragedy! What a great loss! How is it possible to recover from such a thing?’
“Again, the farmer simply smiled and said, ‘We’ll see.’
“Less than a week passed, and the farmer woke to find that the horse had returned—accompanied by two wild horses. With the greatest of ease he led them into the paddock and closed the gate behind them. The villagers could hardly believe what happened. ‘This is amazing good fortune! A cause for great celebration! Who could have believed such a thing was possible?’
“Of course, the farmer only smiled and said, ‘We’ll see.’
“His son began the work of breaking in the two wild horses. It was dangerous work, and during the course of it, he was thrown from one of the horses and broke his leg. This happened shortly before harvest, and without his son’s help, the farmer faced a great challenge in collecting his crops. ‘How difficult is your hardship,’ the villagers told him. ‘Losing your son’s help at a time like this—there could be few greater misfortunes.’
“‘We’ll see,’ is all the farmer said.
“A few days later, the Imperial Army sent troops to every village to round up fit, able-bodied young men. The Emperor had decided to go to war and was rallying the troops. But because the farmer’s son had a broken leg, he was excused from service.”
Short but great book, filled with timeless cat wisdom, written by the Dali Lama's Cat.
Some of my favorite parts
Was it not Winston Churchill who said that a cat is a riddle, inside an enigma, inside a delightful pelt of cuddliness? No? I could have sworn that just recently I read
Show More
something to that effect in an article about him. And if he didn’t say it, he almost certainly thought it. Wikipedia should be told! We cats are the most habitual of creatures. Preferred sun loungers, meal times, hidey holes, and scratching posts are among the considerations in which we take daily satisfaction. And it is exactly because many humans embrace routine that we even consider allowing them to share our homes, let alone retain them as members of our staff.
“One of the last things Buddha said to his followers was that anyone who believed a word he had taught them was a fool—unless they had tested it against their own experience.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
“This farmer acquired his very first horse, and all the local villagers came around to congratulate him. ‘How proud you must be to own such a magnificent horse!’ they all said.
“But the farmer, understanding something about the importance of equanimity, simply smiled and said, ‘We’ll see.’
“Soon afterward, the horse broke out of the paddock and ran into the countryside. The villagers commiserated with the farmer. ‘What a terrible tragedy! What a great loss! How is it possible to recover from such a thing?’
“Again, the farmer simply smiled and said, ‘We’ll see.’
“Less than a week passed, and the farmer woke to find that the horse had returned—accompanied by two wild horses. With the greatest of ease he led them into the paddock and closed the gate behind them. The villagers could hardly believe what happened. ‘This is amazing good fortune! A cause for great celebration! Who could have believed such a thing was possible?’
“Of course, the farmer only smiled and said, ‘We’ll see.’
“His son began the work of breaking in the two wild horses. It was dangerous work, and during the course of it, he was thrown from one of the horses and broke his leg. This happened shortly before harvest, and without his son’s help, the farmer faced a great challenge in collecting his crops. ‘How difficult is your hardship,’ the villagers told him. ‘Losing your son’s help at a time like this—there could be few greater misfortunes.’
“‘We’ll see,’ is all the farmer said.
“A few days later, the Imperial Army sent troops to every village to round up fit, able-bodied young men. The Emperor had decided to go to war and was rallying the troops. But because the farmer’s son had a broken leg, he was excused from service.”
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LibraryThing member Dabble58
Surprisingly clear and accessible discussion of Buddhism. Liked seeing it all through the eyes of an adopted cat...
LibraryThing member isabelx
Was it not Winston Churchill who said that a cat is a riddle, inside an enigma, inside a delightful pelt of cuddliness? No? I could have sworn that just recentlyI read something to that effect in an article about him. And if he didn't say it, he almost certainly thought it. Wikipedia should be
During the course of this book, a himalayan cat who goes by several names, HHC (His Holiness' Cat), Mousie-Tung, Rimpoche and Snow Lion, learns a lot about Buddhism from the Dalai Lama and other people in his headquarters and the surrounding town.
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told!During the course of this book, a himalayan cat who goes by several names, HHC (His Holiness' Cat), Mousie-Tung, Rimpoche and Snow Lion, learns a lot about Buddhism from the Dalai Lama and other people in his headquarters and the surrounding town.
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Original publication date
2012
ISBN
1401940587 / 9781401940584
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Call number
MIC-007
Pages
240
Library's review
A tiny spy observing the constant flow of private meetings between His Holiness and everyone from Hollywood celebrities to philanthropists to self-help authors, the Dalai Lama's cat provides us with insights on how to find happiness and meaning in a busy, materialistic world.