Forthcoming book brings Tibetan history to the forefront
The local history genre is one with which many residents of Kawartha Lakes are familiar. Thanks to scores of books, articles, and museum exhibits – not to mention good old-fashioned oral histories – the stories that have shaped and continue to shape our community keep being told and retold.
Count Lindsay’s Pencho Rabgey among the most enthusiastic students of local history – not simply of his adopted community in which he has resided for more than half a century, but of the region in Tibet from which he hails. So committed is Rabgey to sharing his stories with others that he wrote a book of personal reflections, chronicling his life journey in the context of the local history of his homeland in the mountains of eastern Tibet.
Originally published in the Tibetan language by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamasala, India, the book is now being edited and translated into English by his daughter, Tashi Rabgey, and will be released later this year as Roaring Mountains: A Tibetan Journey of Faith and Renewal.
Not unlike local histories published over the years in Kawartha Lakes, Roaring Mountains has its origins in an archive – in this case, books of stories kept in a Tibetan monastery. “These books document the local history of the Chungba community,” he explains. As a monk, Rabgey read through this repository of stories aloud while a scribe copied everything down. The books, available only locally, were sadly destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.
The result is a collection of tales about the history of Chungba and its monastery and includes stories from Rabgey’s own life throughout. And, as many local residents are aware, that story is one of personal sacrifice. Rabgey left his homeland in 1959 as part of the Dalai Lama’s bodyguard following the Tibetan uprising and in due course made his way to Canada, arriving as a refugee in 1971. He and his family arrived in Lindsay a few years later. In the ensuing decades, he has become best known for his work in establishing the Chungba Primary School, which welcomed its first students in 2002.
Looking back over his nearly 90 years, Rabgey is humble about what he has done to help build a stronger future for Tibet. “I have done many things – some by choice, some by circumstance,” he says.
How circumstances paved the way for Rabgey’s remarkable journey is woven deeply into the narrative of Roaring Mountains. Asked how he hopes this mixture of local history and personal story will resonate with readers (particularly those who are unfamiliar with the rich tapestry of Tibetan culture and heritage), Rabgey says, “I hope that, by reading it, young people will feel motivated to know and record their own local histories here in Lindsay, too.”
Beginning with the local (whether in Tibet or in Lindsay), Rabgey also hopes that readers of his book might feel more personally and deeply connected to the global community – and thus go forth and become the change-makers the world needs.
Pencho Rabgey will read from his book (with translation) at the 18th annual Machik Lindsay Dinner on Saturday May 10, 2025. Tickets are available via .
