Product Description

'In 1973, [Matthiessen] journeyed with George Schaller, a field biologist, to Crystal Mountain in the Himalayas, to study the wild blue sheep of the region called bharal. They also hoped to see the rare snow leopard, an almost mythical creature which Schaller once glimpsed on a previous visit. Matthiessen is a student of Zen Buddhism and for him this was as much an inner journey as a field trip. He succeeds well in blending the spiritual with the earthly and his book is an evocative account of a remote and timeless place and its people' - "Sunday Times".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14649 in Books
• Published on: 1998-01-22
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
A beautiful book, and worthy of the mountains he is among What began as a practical search for the rare snow leopard, revered Buddhist emblem, developed into a quest for the meaning of Being. An enjoyable combination of mountaineering and mysticism Observer It's a tale of an inner struggle for calm, and would be an inspiring and sustaining desert island companion As much the chronicle of an inner journey as it is the learned recording of an unfamiliar territory...a timeless account Independent An evocative account of a remote and timeless place and its people Sunday Times A magical book: a kind of lunar paradigm and map of the sacred-The book has transcended the usual limits of language Nation

Paul Theroux
‘A beautiful book, and worthy of the mountains he is among’

Observer
‘What began as a practical search for the rare snow leopard, revered Buddhist emblem, developed into a quest for the meaning of Being.'

Customer Reviews

A book of great depth and exploration
This book is a story of two journeys of exploration. On one hand it is an account of an expedition by the world famous field biologist Georges Schaller to remote North Western Nepal in search of the fabled Snow Leopard.

The second journey is Matthiessen's personal journey of spiritual discovery amongst the Himalayan gompas of both Buddhism and the ancient Bon religion.

Combining a remarkable eye for detail in the flora and fauna of the journey with a deeply moving account of his personal spiritual discoveries, this book is a "must read" for anyone with even the slightest interest in what lies beyond the mundane day to day world.

It is also a detailed account of a world which was at the time of the expedition untouched by Western technology or values. A world which largely no longer exists.

Excellent Book
Bought this while travelling, and didn't really appreciate how good it was until I returned home. Matthiesson's expedition with Schaller is excellently retold, and his linking of the essences of both spirituality and nature makes this book inspire a sense of calm, yet also sadness at the nature of our supposedly 'modern' society. I don't recall him beating any sherpa's as another reviewer has mentioned - he is (or was)a buddhist practitioner, and this would seem to be against his overriding principle - that we are all one with nature. This book is excellent as both a form of escapism, and for those who wish to read an informed and enlightened travel journal

Breathe the Himalayan air
I must have read this book at least a dozen times since first being given a copy at Christmas 1987. (I don't reread books much, as a whole.) Every time I come to it, there is something new to learn, to appreciate.Then there are some things that strike me EVERY time. Not least, the elegance and beauty of Matthiessen's writing-one minute he is writing of his meditative practice(he had been a Zen practitioner for several years when he made this Himalayan journey in the autumn of 1973), the next minute he's describing the very practical difficulties encountered on such an expedition (snow-drifts, altitude sickness,) and the NEXT minute he's describing-informatively, beautifully-the animals and plants. He's also very deep into Buddhist philosophy-as one might expect, of course-and knows a good few things about Buddhist iconography as well(whatever he modestly claims to the contrary).The book is not only an examination (and, ultimately, a celebration) of the snow leopard, or the Himalayan blue sheep, but also of the Himalayan way of life. I share some of his delight when, after many weeks of trials and tribulations, he finds himself standing in a remote gompa( a sort of Buddhist chapel or oratory), a place subtly gleaming with brass statues, prayer-wheels, etc. and lit only by candles.

It's an infectious book. And a powerful one. I'd also recommend Matthiessen's TIGERS IN THE SNOW, his study of the Amur( Siberian) tiger.If you're remotely interested in the big cats, you could do worse than treat yourself to both these gems.