David Michie’s portrayal of the Dalai Lama adds a dimension of ordinary “humanity” to this global icon. Through Mousie-Tung’s eyes, the reader gets to see this kind, compassionate and brilliant man go about his every day business. His interactions with the cat thoroughly charmed me. Throughout the book, as Mousie-Tung tells her story, the reader gets introduced to some of the basic concepts of Buddhism. And who better to explain these teachings than a cat? Those of us who have opened our hearts to the many lessons cats teach us won’t find it much of a leap at all to believe that cats are indeed “boddhicatvas,” as Mousie-Tung calls herself (in Buddhism, a boddhisattva is an enlightened being). She learns that it is not so much the circumstances of our lives as how we view them. Also that it is not the purpose of Buddhism to convert people but to give them tools so they can create greater happiness. Little Snow Lion notices that sometimes the people at a local cafe (that is honored so serve her delicious tidbits) don’t take the time to appreciate the moment and practice an important Buddhist principle –“mindfulness means paying attention to present moments deliberately and non-judgmentally.” Cats enjoying their dining have already got that covered. So as far as I’m concerned, the case is closed. You have photographic evidence that the Dalai Lama is a Cat Lover. I, HHC, have an online pawprint that grows by the day. The matter of my existence is therefore beyond dispute. I would love to give a copy to my close Italian friend, and I wonder if your books have been translated into Italian? I am reading about the life of Albert Schweitzer, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952. He was a very compassionate man, very sincere. I have just read something he said: ‘Sometimes our light goes out, but is blown into flame by an encounter with another human being. Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this inner light.’ I agree with that, don’t you, HHC?”

The Dalai Lama’s Cat by David Michie - Dear Author REVIEW: The Dalai Lama’s Cat by David Michie - Dear Author

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. Mindfulness means paying attention to the present moment deliberately and non-judgementally.” Why you should read this book…

By the way, is your cat quite as delightful as me? Does she give you such precious opportunities to practice generosity and patience? I think I deserve to be told! After publishing Buddhism for Busy People in 2004 and subsequent non-fiction books, I sometimes found myself talking to people who were voracious readers, and had a keen interest in the subjects I wrote about. They hadn’t read my books – and they didn’t plan to. The reason wasn’t personal, and was quite simple: they didn’t read non-fiction. They never went near the Self Help shelves of a bookstore. And they weren’t about to start now. That Buddhism is all about compassion is what HHC gathers from the Dalai Lama. She describes the presence of the great man..

The unexpected joy of writing The Dalai Lama’s Cat series The unexpected joy of writing The Dalai Lama’s Cat series

Among these people were journalists, accountants and other professionals. The nature of their various jobs had the same net effect: having to deal with enormous volumes of non-fiction as part of their working life meant that when it came to the weekend, or going on holiday, the last thing they wanted to do was read yet more non-fiction. If you’re interested in learning more about mindfulness and other Buddhist principles, this is an easily accessible way to do so. If you believe that cats have many lessons to teach us, reading this enchanting book will be a transformational experience for you. 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.”His Holiness is certainly aware of my books, Iveta. He once had a cat but hasn’t had one for some time. The story created around HHC is largely based on the activities of my own pampered feline, Princess Wussik! Warm wishes, David

The Dalai Lama’s Cat — A Book Review - Medium The Dalai Lama’s Cat — A Book Review - Medium

What if it could talk? Or even … write a book? That was the start of The Dalai Lama’s Cat series. One thing I hadn’t counted on was how engaged readers would become in the life of His Holiness’s Cat – or HHC, to give her official title. Because the simple fact is that characters and stories engage us at an emotional level, which most non-fiction books do not. Novels can speak not only to our minds, but also to our hearts.Dear Lynne, Thank you so much for your very kind message. I am very sorry to hear about your chronic pain. I just wanted to mention the work of Dr Bruno Cayoun, who I had the privilege to meet this year at a conference. He specialises in helping people suffering from chronic pain use mindfulness to manage their condition – often with astonishing results! http://www.mindfulness.net.au/micbt-books-cds.html Most interesting, my little Snow Lion,” the Dalai Lama remarked after a while, as he closed his book and came over to stroke me. If I had to summarize The Dalai Lama’s Cat in just a few words, they would be “Buddhism 101, brought to you by an adorable cat.” But these few words wouldn’t do this charming book justice. While this warm-hearted story of a small kitten rescued from the slums of New Delhi through fortuitous circumstances may be a little contrived, it’s also utterly delightful. I so agree! I am the same. I work hard and want to be taken away into a fantasy life in my spare time. But I’m also very hopeful to grow spiritually, so your books have been a favourite of mine. One question I’ve always wanted to ask you is did the Dalai Lama and the Queen (Queens Corgi) have to, or want to comment on these books?