I am reading the best book right now. Sorrow Mountain is the story of Ani Pachen, a Tibetan nun, told by Adelaide Donnelley. It tells Ani's story, which is also the story of Tibet, from her childhood years before invasion, through the takeover, torturing, genocide and oppression of its people, to Ani's imprisonment for 21 years for her activism. During this time, she endured torture.
The story is told simply, and the history of Tibet is given a face and a voice: what its people suffered as the invaders took over and their rich cultural and spiritual history was banned and forbidden. It is also the story of spiritual empowerment, as this nun who had longed for a life of prayer and contemplation, was forced onto another path, that of warrior, rather than victim.
I am deeply loving every page, and cannot recommend it highly enough. As I read, these words keep repeating in my head:
How many times
must we climb
Sorrow Mountain?
And the answer?
As many times
as it is
required
of us.
Ani Pachen climbed Sorrow Mountain, bravely and with spirit. One more story of a human being transcending extremely difficult circumstances, emerging radiant on the other side. It is a story that is inspiring and empowering, that touches heart and soul of the reader.
