The Division of Heaven and Earth

by Shokdung

English 208 pages 1 edition

‘A remarkable book by one of Tibet’s most important contemporary authors.’—Richard Gere, actor and humanitarian activist ‘Published illegally in Tibet [this book] is a poetic, painstakingly written document of Chinese rule and…Beijing’s heavy-handed governing style.’— The New York Times ‘[A] haunting indictment of China’s colonial project in Tibet… This remarkable book, written to fortify the Tibetan spirit against the assaults of colonialism, has already performed an important service by exposing the fragility of China’s hold on the Tibetan mind.’— The Spectator The Division of Heaven and Earth is one of the most influential and important books from Tibet in the modern era—a passionate indictment of Chinese policies and an eloquent analysis of the protests that swept Tibet from March 2008 as a re-awakening of Tibetan national consciousness and solidarity. Publication of the original Tibetan edition saw Shokdung (a pseudonym), one of Tibet’s leading intellectuals, imprisoned for nearly six months, and the book immediately banned. Copies circulated underground for many years in Tibet before this English translation was made available. Written in response to an unprecedented wave of bold demonstrations and expressions of Tibetan solidarity and national identity, Shokdung’s book is regarded as one of the most daring and wide-ranging critiques of China’s policies in Tibet since the 10th Panchen Lama’s famous ‘70,000-character Petition’ addressed to Mao Zedong in 1962.