The Yeti, or Dremo in Tibetan, is a dim-witted mythical beast said to feed
only on marmots. It sees a marmot, grabs the hapless creature, and then
sits on it saving the delicious morsel for later. And then the Yeti sees
another marmot and leaps up to snatch it while the first marmot makes a
quick break for freedom. An image of bumbling, foolish effort.
This enchanting little book contains 108 traditional Tibetan
proverbs conveying the wit and wisdom of one of the worlds most unique
cultures. The proverbs appear in English and Tibetan script, along with a
brief explanation of how and when to use each saying.
Often funny and wise, these proverbs always remind us of our experiences in a natural and meaningful way.
Like a Yeti Catching Marmots: A Little Treasury of Tibetan Proverbs, Pema Tsewang Shastri, Wisdom Publications, Paperback, 176 Pages, $15.95
Pema Tsewang Shastri, a former Fulbright scholar at Harvard University,
has served as the chairman of the board of directors for the Tibetan
Association of Boston; in various capacitiesas principal, headmaster,
and teacher of Tibetan language, literature, and historyat schools in
the Tibetan Childrens Village in Dharamsala, India; and as principal
and administrator at the Institute for Buddhist Dialectics Dolmaling,
also in Dharamsala. He has published many books in Tibetan, including
poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and translations of works by Dr. Gene
Sharp and Charles Dickens. He lives in Somerville, Massachusetts, with
his family.
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