UNIT II Book Quiz
The Search for the Panchen Lama
Study Guide

 

Instructions: the following are some themes that you should ponder and be able to respond to Thursday on the book quiz. In addition you should be able to identify the main characters, places, and other significant details for the matching section (ten terms).

[Note: Since this book is so long, and so wide ranging in the topics covered, I have decided to give you the list of possible terms below]

 

Avalokiteshvara

Hu Jintao

Tashilhunpo Monastery

Chenrezig

Lhamo Latso Lake

 TAR

(Baba) Phuntsog Wangyal

Li Jie

 Karmapa

Chadrel Rinpoche

Qinghai

 Xining

Gedhun Choekyi Nyima

Sera Monastery

 Wendu

Gyaltsen Norbu

Shigatse

 PLA

 

  1. The contentious struggle to select the eleventh Panchen Lama is the central narrative of Isabel Hilton’s book The Search for the Panchen Lama.  Describe the three primary issues that prevented the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government from agreeing on a single candidate. 

 

  1. For many years the tenth Panchen Lama was a controversial figure for many Tibetans.  Describe two or three of the primary reasons for this reputation and suggest how this image changed during the last decade of his life.

 

  1. In many ways the tenth Panchen Lama’s life was set on October 1, 1949 when he offered his unqualified support for the Communist Chinese.  Selecting two or three specific events, trace how this fateful choice colored the rest of the Panchen Lama’s life.