Songs of Love, Poems of Sadness

The Sixth Dalai Lama refused to take full monastic vows, preferring instead to indulge in his passions for women, alcohol and archery. This book is a collection of the love poetry he wrote, revealing a rich a complex personality.

---

The Sixth Dalai Lama (1683-1706) refused to take full monastic vows, returned the vows he had already taken, and loved women, alcohol and archery with a passion that perhaps suggests he had a premonition of his early death at the age of 24. He also wrote love poetry, poetry that has survived in a Tibetan world where secular verse generally does not, precisely because he was the Dalai Lama. In this fascinating and completely original book, Paul Williams aims to make the Sixth Dalai Lama and his verses accessible to those with no background in the study of Buddhism or Tibet. He also offers a completely new translation of the extant erotic poems, which reveal a rich and complex personality. This first translation to be based on the latest critical edition and accompanied by hints on how to read the verses, as well as explanations of obscure points or allusions, will be of great interest to those desiring to learn more about eastern religion and spirituality.