Magic and Mystery in Tibet
Product ID: 196865
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For centuries Tibet has been known as the last home of mystery, the hidden, sealed land, where ancient mysteries still survive that have perished in the rest of the Orient. Many men have written about Tibet and its secret lore, but few have actually penetrated it to learn its ancient wisdom. Among those few was Madame Alexandra David-Neel, a French orientalist. A practicing Buddhist, a profound historian of religion, and linguist, she actually lived in Tibet for more than 14 years. She had the great honor of being received by the Dalai Lama; she studied philosophical Buddhism and Tibetan Tantra at the great centers; she meditated in lonely caves and on wind-swept winter mountains with yogi hermits; and she even witnessed forbidden corpse-magic in the forests. Her experiences have been unique. Magic and Mystery in Tibet tells the story of her experiences in Tibet, among lamas and magicians. It is neither a travel book nor an autobiography but a study of psychic discovery, a description of the occult and mystical theories and psychic training practices of Tibet. She tells of great sages and sorcerers that she met; of the system of monastic education; the great teachers and their disciples; Tibetan folklore about their spiritual athletes; reincarnation and memory from previous lives; elaborate magical rites to obtain siddhis; the horrible necromantic magic of the pre-Buddhist Bonpa shamas; mental visualization exercises to create disembodied thought forms (tulpas); visions; phenomena of physical yoga, control of the body heat mechanism; breathing exercises; sending “messages on the wind”; and much similar material. An unusual aspect of Madame David-Neel’s book is that she herself experienced many of the phenomena she describes, yet she describes them with precision and in a matter-of-fact manner, permitting the reader to draw his own conclusions about validity, interpretation in terms of psychology, and value. Particularly interesting for the modern experiencer are her detailed instructions for tumo (the yoga of heat control) and creation of thought projections. Review: Fantastic read exactly what I had hoped it would be. - This is such an excellent book for those interested in mysticism, lamas, Bon, shamanism and Tibetan Buddhism. Alexandra David Neel writes about her own experiences in and around Tibet in great detail but she also includes legends and stories and descriptions of ritual practices that are scarcely touched upon in other books on similar subjects. And this was originally published in 1929! The author is incredibly intelligent and you can tell there is both genuine fascination in her research and studies as well as a skeptical and logical approach to the subjects she explores. Fascinating read. Review: Fascinating, remarkable, dry-witty - A most remarkable book relating mystical events the author personally witnessed during her years living in Tibet as a woman lama. She is always careful not to over-assert or over-interpret. These events are certainly un-explainable, from a Western perspective, but what I enjoy is the observation that from the Tibetan perspective, there is nothing miraculous or magical about it. It's just the working of an universal law, a law in which the trained mind can tap into power that are inaccessible to the rest of us. Some of these events, such as the Tumo practitioner's ability to dry wet rags sitting in the snow at 18,000 feet, has been later documented and proven scientifically. What it does leave me is there is a lot we don't know about ourselves.
| Best Sellers Rank | #194,460 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #5 in Tibet Travel Guides #538 in Psychic Phenomena #554 in Other Eastern Religions & Sacred Texts (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 178 Reviews |
A**G
Fantastic read exactly what I had hoped it would be.
This is such an excellent book for those interested in mysticism, lamas, Bon, shamanism and Tibetan Buddhism. Alexandra David Neel writes about her own experiences in and around Tibet in great detail but she also includes legends and stories and descriptions of ritual practices that are scarcely touched upon in other books on similar subjects. And this was originally published in 1929! The author is incredibly intelligent and you can tell there is both genuine fascination in her research and studies as well as a skeptical and logical approach to the subjects she explores. Fascinating read.
D**E
Fascinating, remarkable, dry-witty
A most remarkable book relating mystical events the author personally witnessed during her years living in Tibet as a woman lama. She is always careful not to over-assert or over-interpret. These events are certainly un-explainable, from a Western perspective, but what I enjoy is the observation that from the Tibetan perspective, there is nothing miraculous or magical about it. It's just the working of an universal law, a law in which the trained mind can tap into power that are inaccessible to the rest of us. Some of these events, such as the Tumo practitioner's ability to dry wet rags sitting in the snow at 18,000 feet, has been later documented and proven scientifically. What it does leave me is there is a lot we don't know about ourselves.
B**B
Interesting
A fun, bizarre, and rare read. Looking for her other books too.
S**E
Craving a visit
Absolutely love this book! Definitely plenty of reread material as well. All the accounts of the Author paint a vivid picture that one can taste with the senses. My appreciation to Alexandra David-Néel for having taken such a beautiful path into spirituality. Om Namo Buddhaya! 😌🙏🏽
E**A
Great book, poorly printed
The subject and content is great but the quality of this book/printing is not. It’s been done with poor attention with extra spaces in between words, missing parenthetical references and bad formatting in superscripts and footnotes.
R**A
A good read although a little out of date as far ...
A good read although a little out of date as far as Buddhist information.. The journey of a single woman trying to get into Tibet was very interesting
K**A
A MUST Read for Tibetophiles & Seekers.
This account of Alexandra David-Neel's travels through Northern India and Tibet is absolutely fascinating and I plan on reading it again, soon. Her encounters with HH the XIII Dalai Lama are insightful and provide an insider view of the apparent territorial status of the time. The title is fitting, Magic and Mystery! The book arrived quickly and in great shape, thanks to an excellent seller!
R**.
A truly unique and amazing book
This book presents a direct, highly personal account of one woman's prolonged and significant experience with Tibetan buddhism. It digs deeply into the nuts and bolts of the practice on a first person basis, unmasking the glorified myths but also highlighting many remarkable actualities of this practice. I highly recommend this book for those interested in the realities of Tibetan buddhism.
H**.
Five Stars
good
C**N
Un très grand classique
Bien qu'initialement rédigé en langue française, ce très grand classique mérite d'être étudié en anglais, avec cette excellente traduction : de cette manière, l'exposé n'est pas soumis au filtre de notre langue natale, et permet ainsi un meilleur accès à la "vision du cœur". Le lecteur passionné de voyages et d'élargissement culturel y trouvera beaucoup plus que son compte. Alexandra David-Neel mériterait d'être beaucoup plus étudiée, notamment à notre époque sur-empreinte de matérialisme... Le lecteur ne regrettera jamais le temps passé à dévorer cet ouvrage remarquable...
M**N
In depth
I devoured this book, and some sections I read over and over. For in depth insights into Tibetan Buddhism and the practices and rituals, the aquiring of siddhis, magic and ways of spirituality around 1900+, I would highly recommend reading this wonderful book.
V**L
Great find
Glad to find this title here, thanks!
D**E
Inner peace
Best spiritual practice book
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