–

This is a charming little novel. I enjoyed it very much.

It is about the Pope and the Dalai Lama sneaking off in disguise (and in a Maserati) to pretend to be ordinary for a while. It was fun to come along with them for this adventure and at times it was thought provoking as well.

Here are some tidbits I marked to share:

• “Marriage is an intricate dance. Each partner is moving, moving, constantly moving: you hold your love – a precious vase– between your bodies. A single clumsy step and the vase crashes to the floor in a hundred pieces.”
• “Ignore the cold wind of fear. Trust in God’s protection.”
• “We believe family love is the most important part of spiritual life!”
• “We make up these stories about the other person. In our minds we build these stories– she is this way, he is that way; she always does this, he always does that– and then these things keep us from seeing this person full as they are in the present.”
• “A feeling essential to every artist, and every monk too: the understanding of what a gift it is to be alive.”
• “Anger grows out of the ego.”

We might not agree on everything, but what we have in common and can agree on are the important parts. That is what should be stressed and built upon. Hopefully the next generation will do this better than we have, but we need not wait.  We all can start now, with humility, spiritual vision, and respect. What are you doing to bring unity and peace on the earth?

I encourage you to read and think about this little gem. I give it four stars.

–