Circling the Sacred Mountain : A Spiritual Adventure Through the Himalayas (Hardcover)

~ Robert Thurman (Author), Tad Wise (Author) "Mt. Kailash is the axis mundi, the cosmic pillar that upholds the vault of heaven..." (more)
Key Phrases: mandala palace, blade wheel, mind reform, Dalai Lama, Superbliss Buddha, Systematic Path (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In the harsh, forsaken landscape of Western Tibet, a holy mountain rises up, the legendary center of the world. Sacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike, Mount Kailash had been in professor and popular writer Robert Thurman's mind for some time when he finally decided to organize a group and go--across the Chinese border, where he has always been persona non grata. Writer Tad Wise decides to tag along and put the adventures on paper. While recording Thurman's dharma lectures, Wise comes face to face with the magic of the mountain, its myths and its people, and haltingly transforms from cynical skeptic to tear-streaked pilgrim. Wise's writing leans toward the quirky, pushing ordinary sentences to their lapidary limits, and Thurman, as usual, tosses off tantalizing Buddhisms like "mind-body bubble" and "supreme orgasm of bliss-void-indivisible." For a book that's effectively about walking 32 miles over rubble around a remote peak, Circling the Sacred Mountain succeeds in drawing you into a mandala of swirling ideas and experiences, nudging you toward your own realizations. --Brian Bruya

From Library Journal

Thurman (religion, Columbia Univ.), one of the country's leading scholars on Buddhism, and Wise, Thurman's former student and a writer, have produced a vivid account of a spiritual pilgrimage to Kailash, a mountain sacred to Tibetan Buddhists. Along the way, Thurman teaches the group of nine travelers the Blade Wheel of Mind Reform, a Tibetan Buddhist approach to enlightenment. The authors' descriptions of the exotic places they see, the persons they meet, and their reactions to it all are so well written that the reader feels like a fellow traveler. Thurman relates his deep knowledge of Tibetan Buddhism to each aspect of the journey and to the external and internal experience of each traveler. This intriguing account of a great physical and spiritual adventure keeps the reader engaged from beginning to end. The combination of travel and Buddhist teachings makes this a special book indeed. Recommended for any library whose travel and Buddhist collections could use a wonderful addition.
-?David Bourquin, California State Univ., San Bernardino
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; First Edition edition (March 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553103466
• ISBN-13: 978-0553103465
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #732,763 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an fascinating introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, September 5, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Boston) - See all my reviews

A terrific book! Thurman's lectures on Tantric Buddhism are fascinating, and they are counterpointed well by Wise's narration of the trek to Kalias, his own failings and fears, and his relationship to his teacher. Thurman is (as always) enlightening and impressive, and Wise's story is wonderful in that he is "only" human, too-- it makes the path toward enlightenment seem possible for the rest of us! Also, it's a great book about an exciting trek to the backcountry of Tibet. A wonderful book!!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most lucid rendition of Tantric Dharma I have seen., May 20, 1999

By	James Trattner "wannabe critic" (Venice, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Thurman and Wise took me on a journey to Mt. Kalish in Tibet which I will never forget. I was amazed at Thurman's crystal clear description of Tibetian Buddhist Dharma. I couldn't wait until I could get to my book each evening. This is a page turner par excellance!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Armchair Travel and Tantra, December 7, 2004

By	Evelyn Uyemura (Torrance, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Circling the Sacred Mountain: A Spiritual Adventure Through the Himalayas (Paperback)

If Tantra is the union of opposites, this book works pretty well. Tad Wise seems likeable enough, except for the fact that he has 3 kids by 3 Moms, and leaves Mom #3 behind with a newborn to go off on this spiritual adventure. So I'm rooting for him to get it right this time and go home and help with the laundry. And Robert Thurman seems to use Tad as a whipping boy, teasing and taunting him, which doesn't make Thurman exactly shine in my eyes either. The other members of the trek are more or less invisible, though they are mentioned from time to time.

The mountain captures my attention starting from the picture on the cover. It looks extraordinary. I love Tibet, and this is deepest darkest Tibet for sure. The monasteries have all been trashed and recently rebuilt to attract tourists for China's benefit. Young Tibetans are as likely to smoke and play pool as they are to chant mantras. So all the tragedy of Tibet are here to see.

The dharma presented here is very Tibetan. Yamantaka, the fierce deity of death is invoked to stomp on and anhiliate one's self-obsession (the false self). The teaching is called the Blade Wheel of the Mind, and it is meant to work like a buzz-saw, turning all that is self-oriented into dust and all negative experiences into potential gold. To be there, exhausted and suffering from the high elevation, and to listen to these teachings, would probably be an extraordinary retreat experience. I don't know that it is particularly effective in absentia. Thurman does come off as a gas-bag. Maybe it was very unselfish of him, also worn out from trekking all day, to sit down and teach. Or maybe it was just pedantic of him. His close friendship with the Dalai Lama is name-dropped several times. I suppose it's relevant, but it also does not really endear him to me.

Since I will in all likelihood never even get to Tibet, much less to this remote corner, I enjoyed the vicarious trek. But I'm just as glad I wasn't part of this particular group of trekkers.