Ten Thousand Miles Without a Cloud

Ten Thousand Miles Without a Cloud - Sun Shuyun
10,000 miles without a cloud, is a Buddhist saying. It signifies the search for a mind clear of doubts: a perfect title for this remarkable book on a journey of discovery and faith. Son Shuyun grew up in China during the dark night of the Cultural Revolution, when it was more important to learn the right attitudes than to study. Her father was an ardent communist and a veteran of the Long March, her grandmother (with whom she shared a room) a Buddhist. By the time Sun Shuyun reached university, she had witnessed the bitter disillusionment of both her father - for whom Mao's brand of communism had failed to deliver on its promises - and her classmates. Scarcely surprising then, given the influence of her grandmother, that she turned to Buddhism for inspiration, and specifically to Xuanzang, a true Chinese hero waiting to be rediscovered. Xuanzang lived in the seventh century AD - a golden period in Chinese history. He was a man of extraordinary qualities, who travelled from China through Central Asia to India in search of enlightenment. Sun Shuyun set out to discover what gave Xuanzang such phenomenal strength and purpose and, above all, to find a faith for herself, a faith that could replace the false god of communism. In retracing Xuanzang's steps, Sun Shuyun makes a journey, both literal and metaphorical, through four landscapes - historical, cultural, spiritual and personal. In so doing, she presents us with a vivid and fascinating insight into China and its people, past and present. Though sparsely illustrated, this is a book whose rich, descriptive language is marvellously evocative. Moving and original, it is both a fine introduction to Chinese Buddhism, and an extraordinary voyage of the soul

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The Hotel on the Roof of the World: Five Years in Tibet

The Hotel on the Roof of the World: Five Years in Tibet
Fawlty Towers meets The Shining in this absorbing tale of business (mis)management. Keen to unravel the mysteries of the East, Alec Le Sueur moves to the Tibetan capital of Lhasa to become the marketing manager for a major hotel chain. But what seems like a dream job soon turns into a nightmare as events conspire against him. Rats plague the hotel and infest the air-vents.

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Magic and Mystery in Tibet - Alexandra David-Neel

Magic and Mystery in Tibet - Alexandra David-Neel
David-Neel's trailblazing travels were driven by curiosity and deep-seated Buddhist spirituality... Her writings blend descriptions of extraordinary psychic exercises and Bon sorcery... with accounts of the wonders and rigours of early 20th-century travel in remote regions.

A fascinating account of the spiritual training of Tibetan monks and mystics… an intriguing book… A true travel classic that will enchant thinkers and adventurers alike.

One of the most remarkable and influential female travellers of all time, delves into the mysterious world of Tibetan Buddhism… Her lucid prose and insightful observations will captivate readers throughout, opening the door to a different kind of reality.

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Travels in the Netherworld: Buddhist Popular Narratives of Death and the Afterlife in Tibet

Travels in the Netherworld: Buddhist Popular Narratives of Death and the Afterlife in Tibet

In Travels in the Netherworld, Bryan J. Cuevas examines a fascinating but little-known genre of Tibetan narrative literature about the delok, ordinary men and women who claim to have died, traveled through hell, and then returned from the afterlife. These narratives enjoy audiences ranging from the most sophisticated monastic scholars to pious townsfolk, villagers, and nomads. Their accounts emphasize the universal Buddhist principles of impermanence and worldly suffering, the fluctuations of karma, and the feasibility of obtaining a favorable rebirth through virtue and merit. Providing a clear, detailed analysis of four vivid return-from-death tales, including the stories of a Tibetan housewife, a lama, a young noble woman, and a Buddhist monk, Cuevas argues that these narratives express ideas about death and the afterlife that held wide currency among all classes of faithful Buddhists in Tibet.

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Globe Trekker: North India - Varanasi to the Himalayas

Traveller Andrew Daddo begins his intense journey through North India with a dawn boat trip on the holy River Ganges in Varanasi.

He witnesses pilgrims bathing in the ghats along the river and bodies being cremated. He also meets a number of characters in the narrow, winding streets and alleys of Varanasi - Saddhus (holy men) smoking chillums, beggars and touts. A young boy introduces him to betel nut and a yoghurt drink called lassi.

An overnight train takes Andrew to Agra, home to the famous Taj Mahal. Just outside Agra is Mathura where a large Hindu festival takes place celebrating the birth of the Hindu deity, Krishna. From there, Andrew heads on to Delhi where he hires an Enfield motorbike for the next leg of the journey to Corbett National Park, where he goes on an elephant safari. He then drives to Rishikesh, where he joins an ashram (meditation centre) and meets the guru who oversees Andrew’s very first yoga lesson.

A narrow gauge railway takes Andrew to Simla, a former British Hill station at the foot of the Indian Himalayas, where he learns about Indian history and the British Raj in India.

Andrew continues his trip climbing higher into the Himalayas to enjoy the beautiful views of the Kulu valley, before taking a short bus journey to Manali. Here Andrew prepares for the climax of the trip, trekking from Manali to Leh.

His companions Chris and Bob take him up the second highest Pass in the world, the Tag Lang La, and past Buddhist gompas. After a grueling journey they finally arrive in Leh, a lost city populated by Tibetan refugees isolated from the world nine months of the year, perched in the Himalayan mountains.

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