Peaks and Lamas: A Classic Book on Mountaineering, Buddhism and Tibet

Several years ago, Wendell Berry recommended we read Marco Pallis' Peaks and Lamas. He had obtained a copy of this out of print and elusive title, and upon reading it wrote saying, "I have a very high opinion of it." He praised the writing on travel and mountaineering, but he was specially drawn to the writing about Buddhism, the chapters on Tibetan Art, and went on "this is the best book, in my limited reading, in connecting a form of Buddhism with its sustaining culture. It would be useful to anybody interested in what a traditional culture is or might be, and how such a culture might preserve itself." With Wendell Berry, Gary Snyder and Robert Aitken offering encouragement, we could hardly ignore the imperative of putting this remarkable text, out of print for at least thirty years, back into print for a whole new generation of readers. PEAKS AND LAMAS Dedication Title Page CONTENTS List of Illustrations Maps Introductory Notes Part One GANGES AND SATLEJ—1933 1 The Birth of an Expedition 2 The Pilgrim Way to Gangotri 3 Porters and Sahibs 4 Central Satopant’h (By C. F. Kirkus) 5 The Ganges-Satlej Watershed 6 The Hindustan-Tibet Road 7 Riwo Pargyul 8 “Back to Civilization” Part Two SIKKIM—1986 9 The Antechamber of Tibet 10 Defeat on Simvu 11 The Round of Existence 12 The Hermit and the Pilgrim 13 Of Missionaries and Moths Part Three LADAK—1986 14 Kashmir and Purig 15 Kargil to Yura: Symbolism of the Tantra 16 “If I Forget Thee 0 Jerusalem” 17 The Bursar of Spituk 18 Leh 19 “Where Rust Doth Corrupt” 20 The Painter of P’hiyang and Spituk Debates 21 Painting Lessons and Leave-takings Part Four AFTERTHOUGHTS 22 The Present State of Tibetan Art 23 Tibetan Art (continued)—Its Connexions with the Doctrine 24 Tibetan Art—Dangers Ahead 25 Education in the Borderlands Epilogue Index "Peaks and Lamas is the account of two geographically related things: the climbing of Himalayan peaks and the Himalayan-Tibetan tradition of Buddhism. It was on a climbing expedition to the Ganges-Satlej watershed that Marco Pallis first began to study the lamas' teachings and way of life. He returned several times to the upper slopes, these later journeys undertaken in search of further spiritual guidance. This book, with its elements of high adventure, its study of Buddhism, and its informed survey of Tibetan art and living, is invaluable for its undiluted, non-western view of the roof of the world. Peaks and Lamas also includes a series of photographs taken by Pallis and his friends."--Jacket After obtaining a copy of this out-of-print and rather elusive title, award-winning writer Wendell Berry highly recommended the reading of Marco Pallis's Peaks and Lamas. He praised the writing on travel and mountaineering, but he was especially drawn to the writing about Buddhism, and the chapters on Tibetan Art. Both Gary Snyder and Robert Aitlen joined in offering encouragement on this book. This remarkable text, unavailable for at least thirty years, is now aptly back in print. Peaks and Lamas is a one-of-a-kind classic book on mountaineering, Buddhism, and Tibet, offering rare beauty and depth for a whole new generation of readers A new publication of the classic text that blends mountain climbing with Buddhism and observations of Tibet offers readers a holistic insight into the Western drive to climb peaks in the Himalayan Mountains as it intersects with the local religion and culture. Reprint. THE STORY OF two Himalayan journeys which fills this book presented a peculiar difficulty in the telling, because of the many and sometimes bewildering sudden alternations of mood required of the reader.