A devoted Buddhist and a spokesman for Tibetan culture, Lama Anagarika Govinda was one of the last foreigners to journey through Tibet before the Chinese invasion of 1950. Govinda's luminous and candid account is a spectacular and gloriously poetic story of exploration and discovery, and a sensitive and lucid interpretation of Tibetan traditions. Comprised of elements from several genres - spiritual journeys, adventure narratives, anthropological field reports, and philosophical commentaries, The Way of the White Clouds is one of the twentieth century's classic spiritual biographies and an invaluable document about a place and a way of thinking that are virtually defined by their mysteries.
Robert Thurman's perceptive new introduction to the volume places Govinda's writings in historical context and expands understanding of Tibet, Buddhism, and the life of a remarkable man who, as Thurman remarks, is undoubtedly one of the West's greatest minds of the twentieth century.
Way of the White Clouds, Lama Anagarika Govinda, Overlook Press, Paperback, 1966 / 2005, 400 Pages, $19.95
Lama Anagarika Govinda (1898-1985) was born Ernst Lothar Hoffman in Waldheim, Germany, the son of a German father and a Bolivian mother. In his twenties and thirties he became increasingly interested in Buddhism, first studying in Ceylon and then in India, making several visits to Tibet in the 1930s and 40s. He spent his final years living in the Bay Area of Northern California.
Introduction 11 Foreword 21 PART ONE: THREE VISIONS The Poet's Vision 29 The Guru's Vision 34 The Monastery of Yi-Gah Cho-Ling 40 Kachenla, the Fatherly Friend and Mentor 46 Religious Practice and Ritual Symbolism 51 The Guru Appears 58 Tibetan Sacred Music 62 Meeting with the Guru 66 Initiation 71 On the Way of the White Clouds 77 The Rock Monastery 82 The Chela's Vision 86 An Awakening and a Glimpse into the Future 93 PART TWO: PILGRIM LIFE The Nature of the Highlands 99 The Living Language of Colours 104 Dreams and Reminiscences in the Land of the 109 Blue Lake Moving Slopes and the Riddle of the Horses' 119 Hoofs Trance Walking and Lung-gom Training 127 Nyang-to Kyi-phug: the Monastery of Immured 132 Recluses Physical Exercises 138 Healing Powers 143 The Hermit Abbot of Lachen 150 Miraculous Escape and Floating Lights 157 PART THREE: DEATH AND REBIRTH The Guru's Passing Away 165 Tulku 170 Rebirth 176 U Khanti, the Seer of Mandalay Hill 183 Maung Tun Kyaing 190 The Mind that Conquers Death 198 The Case of Shanti Devi 203 A Message from the Past 210 PART FOUR: SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL TIBET New Beginnings: Ajo Rimpoche 219 Interlude at Dungkar Gompa 225 The Two Siddhas of Tse Choling 229 Lengthening Shadows 235 Mystery-plays 242 The State Oracle of Nachung 249 The Oracle of Dungkar Gompa 255 The Life Story of an Oracle-Priest 260 Magic as Method and Practical Knowledge 265 PART FIVE: RETURN TO WESTERN TIBET The Sacred Mountain 271 The Land of the Gods 280 The Last Trial 289 A Bon Monastery 299 The Valley of the Moon Castle 309 Arrival at Tsaparang 319 Critical Days 327 The Lama of Phiyang 336 A Race against Time and Obstacles 339 The Discovery of the Secret Path and the 343 Temple of the Great Mandala Trek over the Frozen River 352 The Happy Valley 358 Final Initiations 366 The Magic Smith 372 Farewell to Tibet 377 EPILOGUE Guru and Chela and the Journey into the 380 Light APPENDICES 1 The Kings of Lhasa 387 2 The Rise and Fall of the Kings of Guge 390 Index 395
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