Exile may have taken the 14th Dalai Lama away from Tibet, but it could not separate him from the culture, philosophy and traditions he represents. His life is a testament to the power of compassion and the resilience of a community determined to preserve its identity. This journey now finds a Telugu voice in Mana Kaalam Buddhudu, a translation of Eternal Light, a biography by author, biographer and journalist Arvind Kumar Yadav. The book was recently launched virtually by former Vice-President of India M Venkaiah Naidu in Hyderabad.
Senior journalist and translator Nancharaiah Merugumala, who translated the book, shares, “I have been a Telugu journalist since 1984, and I have always been interested in politics. That is why translating Winds of Change was relatively easy for me. I have worked on several other translations as well. But when it came to a book about Buddhism, I was initially skeptical because I did not have much knowledge about the subject. I wondered whether I would be able to do justice to it.”
It was Arvind’s encouragement that prompted him to take up the challenge. “The author (Arvind) told me that I could do it, and that gave me the confidence to begin. I started learning about Buddhism, China and Mongolia as I went along. Whenever I came across something I could not understand, I would look it up on Google. It was a learning experience for me as much as it was a translation assignment,” he explains.
For him, the key was to retain the original narrative without compromising on the details or readability. “As a journalist, I knew how to translate without disturbing the essence of the original work. The publishers have edited the book, but I translated all the necessary details and made sure that the flow of the story was not tampered with. It was important that the reader should be able to follow the narrative without losing the meaning or context,” he notes.
Meanwhile Arvind, who initially wrote the biography in Hindi before bringing out its English version, says he entrusted the Telugu translation to Nancharaiah because of his extensive experience in journalism and his association with journalism schools. “I consider Nancharaiah garu my guru in many ways. He is a very senior journalist with vast experience, and I felt he was the right person to do justice to the translation. As I expected, the book has come out really well, and everyone is appreciating it,” says Arvind.
The idea for Eternal Light came from an unexpected suggestion by Arvind’s daughter, Shubhangi Yadav. During a visit to McLeod Ganj in June 2022, he accompanied his friend Geetha Golla, who wished to meet the Dalai Lama.
It was during this visit that his daughter encouraged him to write a biography of the spiritual leader. “Destiny took me to his holiness. During this visit, my daughter asked me, ‘Daddy, you have written about so many people and authored biographies of several personalities. Have you written anything about the Dalai Lama?’ I told her that I hadn’t. She then said that I should definitely write about him,” recalls Arvind.
The following day, when he met the Dalai Lama, Arvind shared the conversation and sought his consent to write the biography in Hindi. The spiritual leader readily agreed, and he promised to complete the book within three years and present the manuscript to him. Keeping up his promise, the Dalai Lama subsequently appreciated the work in a letter, expressing hope that it would help spread his message of love, peace and compassion.
Researching the biography involved reading nearly 50 books on Buddha, Buddhism, Tibetan history and the Dalai Lama, including autobiographies and accounts written by members of his family. “While reading the books, I noticed that there were many contradictions. One book would mention something, while another would describe the same incident differently. Whenever I had a doubt, I approached the Dalai Lama’s team. They would consult his holiness. Wherever there was misinformation or misinterpretation, I was fortunate enough to rectify it through my book,” he says.
Divided into five parts, the biography traces the Dalai Lama’s life, from his identification following the passing of the 13th Dalai Lama to his monastic training, the political turmoil in Tibet, his escape to India and his emergence as a global advocate of peace.
Arvind further highlights, “The first two sections are particularly significant, as they explore aspects that have not been adequately documented in other publications. While the first examines the complex spiritual, religious and social traditions involved in identifying the 14th Dalai Lama, the second follows his monastic education, from learning the alphabet to studying science and mathematics.”
The Telugu edition is the first translation into a South Indian language, with other Indian-language editions planned.
