LoveReading Says
LoveReading Says
This is a story of a remarkable woman who travelled to places women had never been at the time, meeting extraordinary people and influencing writers who are well respected today. She lived through periods of tremendous change and embraced the old and the new. For a truly inspiring and fascinating read treat yourself to a copy of this.
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| Primary Genre |
Travel
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| Other Genres: |
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About
Magic and Mystery in Tibet Synopsis
Alexandra David-Neel was the first European woman to meet the Dalai Lama and in 1924 became the first to enter the forbidden Tibetan capital, Lhasa.
She had already spent a decade travelling through China, living in a cave on the Tibetan border, where she learned about Buddhism from hermits, mystics and bandits. Magic & Mystery in Tibet, like Seven Pillars of Wisdom, attempts to bring ancient wisdom into the modern age. David-Neel records the seemingly magic feats performed by Buddhist monks; telepathy, ‘tumo’ breathing (the art of generating body heat to keep warm in freezing conditions), the ability to run for days at a time, the ability to defy gravity and the ability to become invisible.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9780285637924 |
| Publication date: |
9th March 2007 |
| Author: |
Alexandra David-Neel |
| Publisher: |
Souvenir Press Ltd |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
272 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Travel
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| Other Genres: |
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Press Reviews
Alexandra David-Neel Press Reviews
“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.” Wanderlust
“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.” Geographical
“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.” Big Issue in the North
Author
About Alexandra David-Neel
Born in 1868 to a respectable French family, Alexandra David-Neel became an occultist, anarchist and the most remarkable female travel writer of the Twentieth century.
David-Neel studied at the Sorbonne at a time when women were not allowed to formally matriculate and converted to Buddhism after viewing a statue of the Buddha in the Guimet Museum. In 1911 she set off, alone, to travel around India for the second time and in 1914 she secluded herself in a cave in the Himalayas for two years, intensively studying the mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as the mystic legends that surrounded Buddhist monks. From 1918 she spent three years in a Buddhist monastery translating texts into French and English. By 1924 she had travelled to the forbidden city of Lhasa and returning to France in 1927 began to write, recording her extraordinary experiences. She died in 1969, 101 years old, still travelling, and an inspiration for a generation that included Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.
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