Princess in the Land of Snows: The Life of Jamyang Sakya in Tibet

by Jamyang Sakya, Julie Emery, Dalai Lama XIV (Foreword)

This is the story of a determined woman who overcame great obstacles in order to achieve religious freedom. Born in eastern Tibet, Jamyang Sakya married into the powerful Sakya family, spiritual advisers of Kublai Khan and for years rulers of much of Central Asia. Her engaging personal story evokes a rich vision of Tibet's traditional culture, customs, and religious practices.

Jamyang Sakya tells of being the only girls in a monastic private school, of dreams and divinations interpreted by high lamas, of long pilgrimages to sacred Buddhist sites, and of her life as a high lady of Sakya. Her narrative reveals a multifaceted picture, from the intricacies of managing a palace household to the political takeover by the Chinese Communists, who destroyed much of Tibet's religious heritage. It climaxes with the Sakya family's harrowing walk through the Himalayas to freedom, during which they were hotly pursued by the Chinese. After a year in India, they immigrated to the United States, one of the first Tibetan families to do so.

384 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2001

Reviews

[Jude Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. Beautiful! Sweet! Touching! Sad! Exciting!
Everybody should read this to understand what China’s “Liberation” of Tibet in the 1950’s really meant. The Dalai Lama wrote the Foreword to this book and plays a big part in the story told. Anyone interested in Tibetan Buddhism and the Sakya Lineage will enjoy this heartfelt story written by the living Matriarch of the Sakya Family.
She is considered to be an Emanation of Tara. It was my greatest honor to dance Tara Serene Peace for her last November. Reading her book was thus educational, thrilling and inspiring for me. I’d love to see a second book from Jamyang Sakya on her life in the West and her Sakya Tegchen Choling Monastery founded in Seattle in 1974. The way the Tara Dancers were graciously welcomed to the Monastery was incredibly profound. My respect for this powerful mother of five sons grew exponentially reading her personal account of growing up in Tibet, palace life, and flight to freedom. I can not recommend highly enough Princess in the Land of Snows.

[Joan Newcomb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating account of the life journey of an extraordinary woman. Dagmola Jamyang Sakya was born and raised in Tibet, and received spiritual training unheard of for a woman at that time. As Tibet fell under Chinese rule, she moved to the U.S. with her husband Sakya Rinpoche, founding the Sakya Monastery in Seattle, WA. She is now one of the most highly revered female teachers in Tibetan Buddhism.

[Kartikey Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a glimpse of life in Tibet in the pre-communist era. Jamyang Sakya based this book on her life, starting with growing up in Thalung, then becoming a Sakya noble, then a refugee, and finally a leader.

This story gives you a lot of anecdotes on how the people in Tibet used to go about their day-to-day lives, their practices, and how these practises even varied from region-to-region in Tibet and how deeply religious people were in this region.

Definitely a good read, and I recommend watching the movie "Seven Years in Tibet" with this to get a good visual feel of the atmosphere around the annexation of Tibet.

[A.B. McFarland · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so interesting to read this account of a young Tibetan woman coming into royalty through marriage and then slowly seeing her country change around her in the years prior to the Chinese takeover. I loved everything from the description of her pet sheep when she was a girl, to the trials and tribulations of running for their lives with young children in tow. I think it was especially enjoyable for me because I attend the Buddhist center they opened in Seattle, and have actually met the author and her husband.