“There are two great forces in the world today. One is the force of the people with power, with armies to enforce their power, and with a land to recruit their armies from. The other is the force of the poor and dispossessed. The two are in perpetual conflict, and it is certain who will lose… Unless this is changed, the world will perish. Therefore every poet, every religious man, every political leader, should fight against this division till he dies.”

…His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama (New Delhi, 1959)

WELCOME

Many of us are familiar with the story of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s journey into exile; but the experiences of the tens of thousands of housewives, shopkeepers, farmers and craftsmen who fled Tibet in the Dalai Lama’s wake have not been recorded. Khagyun: Stories of the Tibetan Diaspora has recently been organized to take up this task. Using basic equipment and volunteer help, we are audiotaping and transcribing these stories of courage, loss, fortitude and survival. Young Tibetans in India face a particularly uncertain future since they have no country of their own. We hope that these stories, fascinating in themselves, will serve to help them as they find their place in the world and grapple with difficult decisions they face.

If you are not already familiar with Khagyun, you may wish to link over to the Project Description. You will also find several stories that have already been transcribed. If, after going over this website, you know of people you think might be interested, please let them know about it. If you would like to be added to the mailing list, please let us know at: info@khagyun.org.