Like a "Canterbury Tales" of the 21st century---- Changing History, a unique philosophical novel by How Kuff, unfolds within the alchemy of a mysterious meeting and exchange of tales by seven travelers in the mountains of Tibet. The encounter synergizes in the presence and sudden disappearance of a Buddhist monk and nun into an exploration of human nature.
A long bicycle trip winding through the mountains, monasteries, and mystery of the top of the world -- punctuated by the military projects and blockades of China... illuminated the horror of the present and inspired How to explore recurring themes in human experience and natural history. By the prayer wheels of Rongbuk monastery, in the shadows of the mighty Chomolungma, How dreamed a dervish whirling through the crisscrossed problems of the world illuminating a window into the passions and crises of the 21st century.
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This is not a book about obtaining enlightenment in Tibet. This is a book about coming to see and understand the human condition. The characters are seeking direction and action that make sense in their 21st century world. With the help of the enlightened wisdom of the Buddhists, they come to see and feel a world interrelated through time and place. And through the sharing of group experience they come to view humanity and history in a new light... exiting from the encounter with renewed focus and expanded wisdom.
Specifically this is a book about Tibet and Buddhism and the deadly struggle with China. Generally, it is about individual freedom, responsibility and the inherent tensions between the individual and the institutions of society and culture. It is a book about resources and power and energy, about the dynamics of politics and commerce and the driving forces of religious expression. It is a book about the existential nature of being and the power of actions... taking an unflinching look at the major challenges and problems facing humanity over the coming centuries. It is about past, present and future. And most importantly it is a book about our personal nexus in making and Changing History.
Howard Zinn(author of A People's History of the United States) says:
"It was a pleasurable experience. I liked the mixture of poetry and prose, the exchange of ideas through dialogue... the presentation of human beings searching for the truth, for peace, for justice, for companionship. It is a soulful book, a spiritual book, yet it does not avoid the realities of the world. Thank you."
