The remarkable memoirs of Paljor Thondup, a Tibetan freedom fighter who was inspired by the Dalai Lama to renounce his duty of blood vengeance, become a peace warrior and conquer the inner enemy.

After losing his family in a deadly ambush, Paljor Thondup made the decision to respond not with violence and revenge, but with compassion and forgiveness.

The active resistance to the Chinese invasion of Tibet coalesced into a guerrilla army of freedom fighters, the Chushi Gangdruk. In the 1950s, China's Red Army and communist cadres systematically slaughtered hundreds of thousands of Tibetans in Amdo and Kham, seeking to enslave the survivors.

Paljor Thondup's diehard Khampa family rose up to repel the invaders. The leaders hated the ongoing heroic raiding by his family, and finally slaughtered them all - only Paljor and his close cousin Dupa survived. Hearing his father's dying wishes, Paljor put down his weapons and changed his life, migrating to India to seek help from the Dalai Lama. Paljor and Dupa then began a modern education, to continue the struggle for Tibet as businessmen.

Contributions by: Susan Brown