Bibliotheca Himalayica
Jun 12, 2009 15:33:21 GMT
Post by spindrift on Jun 12, 2009 15:33:21 GMT
Although I read everything I can lay my hands concerning the Himalayas, I did not know until a couple of weeks ago that there is a series of books published by the Bibliotheca Himalayica.
Series 1 concerns itself with History-Geography-Travel
Series 2 with Linguistics-Bibliography-Biography-Literature
Series 3 with Art-Archaeology-Architecture-Religion-Anthropology
Series 4 with Ecology-Environment-Development
From Series 1, Volume 22 I bought Three Years in Tibet by Ekai Kawaguchi.
Ekai Kawaguchi (1866-1945) was a Japanese Zen monk who succeeded in reaching Lhasa in 1901. This was an exceptional feat because Tibet resisted the intrusion of foreigners across its borders, expelling them or executing them and punishing Tibetan who, even unwittingly, helped them to enter The Land of the Snows. Nevertheless, Kawaguchi being determined to reach the great monasteries of Tibet in order to find ancient Buddhist scriptures (to promote the teaching of the Dharma) spent a year learning to speak Tibetan in the village of Tsarang, Mustang, Nepal (recently travelled to by myself), having previously applied himself to learning Nepali. This was a single-minded man who trudged his way from Mt Kailash, western Tibet all the way to Lhasa, stayed there for several years and even became a court minister. Kawaguchi recounts his travels and adventures in Three Years in Tibet which makes fascinating reading to those, like myself, who are interested in the region. Kawaguchi trod the same paths as I did and so it happened that I visited the tiny museum at Jomsom (10,00ft) where I had a day or two to wait for the plane which would fly me down to Pokhara, and I found many mementos of my hero's visit.
Series 1 concerns itself with History-Geography-Travel
Series 2 with Linguistics-Bibliography-Biography-Literature
Series 3 with Art-Archaeology-Architecture-Religion-Anthropology
Series 4 with Ecology-Environment-Development
From Series 1, Volume 22 I bought Three Years in Tibet by Ekai Kawaguchi.
Ekai Kawaguchi (1866-1945) was a Japanese Zen monk who succeeded in reaching Lhasa in 1901. This was an exceptional feat because Tibet resisted the intrusion of foreigners across its borders, expelling them or executing them and punishing Tibetan who, even unwittingly, helped them to enter The Land of the Snows. Nevertheless, Kawaguchi being determined to reach the great monasteries of Tibet in order to find ancient Buddhist scriptures (to promote the teaching of the Dharma) spent a year learning to speak Tibetan in the village of Tsarang, Mustang, Nepal (recently travelled to by myself), having previously applied himself to learning Nepali. This was a single-minded man who trudged his way from Mt Kailash, western Tibet all the way to Lhasa, stayed there for several years and even became a court minister. Kawaguchi recounts his travels and adventures in Three Years in Tibet which makes fascinating reading to those, like myself, who are interested in the region. Kawaguchi trod the same paths as I did and so it happened that I visited the tiny museum at Jomsom (10,00ft) where I had a day or two to wait for the plane which would fly me down to Pokhara, and I found many mementos of my hero's visit.
