Will Tuttle, author of The World Peace Diet, has sent us a letter he has received from Rinchen Dhondrub, writing for the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India. It offers encouraging news for those concerned that the Buddhist leader is, at the very least, orienting himself and his people toward a vegetarian lifestyle, even if the letter doesn't explicitly say that he or his followers are vegetarian. Here it is:

Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts and experiences with us and for sending His Holiness the Dalai Lama a copy of "The World Peace Diet". It is a very thoughtful gesture.

As written in the book, His Holiness the Dalai Lama's kitchen here in Dharamsala is now vegetarian. It also should be noted that at the major Tibetan monasteries here in India the food offered by the monastery is vegetarian. Moreover, there is now a greater awareness among the Tibetan community about vegetarianism and attitudes towards endangered animals has very much changed.