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 | | The Heart of the World: A Journey to the Last Secret Place by Ian Baker ISBN-10: 9781594200274 ISBN-10: 1-59420-027-0 ISBN-13: 9781594200274 ISBN-13: 978-1-59420-027-4 Hardcover 2004-11-04 Penguin Press HC, The Find Lowest Price |
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Product Description The myth of Shangri-la originates in Tibetan Buddhist beliefs in beyul, or hidden lands, sacred sanctuaries that reveal themselves to devout pilgrims and in times of crisis. The more remote and inaccessible the beyul, the vaster its reputed qualities. Ancient Tibetan prophecies declare that the greatest of all hidden lands lies at the heart of the forbidding Tsangpo Gorge, deep in the Himalayas and veiled by a colossal waterfall. Nineteenth-century accounts of this fabled waterfall inspired a series of ill-fated European expeditions that ended prematurely in 1925 when the intrepid British plant collector Frank Kingdon-Ward penetrated all but a five-mile section of the Tsangpo's innermost gorge and declared that the falls were no more than a "religious myth" and a "romance of geography." The heart of the Tsangpo Gorge remained a blank spot on the map of world exploration until world-class climber and Buddhist scholar Ian Baker delved into the legends. Whatever cryptic Tibetan scrolls or past explorers had said about the Tsangpo's innermost gorge, Baker determined, could be verified only by exploring the uncharted five-mile gap. After several years of encountering sheer cliffs, maelstroms of impassable white water, and dense leech-infested jungles, on the last of a series of extraordinary expeditions, Baker and his National Geographic-sponsored team reached the depths of the Tsangpo Gorge. They made news worldwide by finding there a 108-foot-high waterfall, the legendary grail of Western explorers and Tibetan seekers alike. The Heart of the World is one of the most captivating stories of exploration and discovery in recent memory-an extraordinary journey to one of the wildest and most inaccessible places on earth and a pilgrimage to the heart of the Tibetan Buddhist faith. | ||
Reviews | ||
The Meaning of Landscape in a Man's Personal Quest In this beautiful and gripping travelogue Ian Baker seamlessly ties together the story of his life-long obsession with the Tsangpo Gorge, the landscape history of the almost completely unknown Pemako region of Tibet (China) and that part of Tibetan Buddhism pertaining to the Tantra discipline and the Dorje Pagmo cult. Ian Baker is a well known photographer and explorer that has lived in Katmandu (Nepal) for over two decades, an inquisitive mind with a great culture and, from what seeps out from his writings, a sincere and well meditated Buddhist faith or at least a convinced respect for the beliefs of the populations among which he has chosen to pass his life. Recently he has been having some problems with the Nepalese government for a collection of artifacts and wildlife trophies but the story is still pending. However, in 2004, when the book was originally published, he was an inspired prophet of Buddhism, ecology and ancient Tibetan traditions. To understand the format chosen by the Author to narrate this engrossing ecological/adventurous/religious experience of his travels and discovery it is wise to refer to Simon Schama's "Landscape and Memory" that extensively explains man's relation to landscape during the ages and through different civilizations. Tibetans have always had a particular and deep bondage to their mountains, lakes and wild-life. Bon religion antecedent and integrated into the more modern Indian imported Buddhism (VII-VIII century A.D.) was a highly animistic religion. The Pemako region of Tibet, now divided between China and India, has always represented the body of the goddess Dorje Pagmo, with the mountains incarnating the breasts and the rivers the chakras of the deity and was believed by many to harbor the land of Shangrila. The concept of trekking on the landscape or as the Tibetans put it making a pilgrimage to particular power or magical points or beyuls (secret places) is actually an act of prayer. According to ancient beliefs "beyuls" have been established or discovered by Padmasambhava, who introduced Buddhism to Tibet, but continue to be revealed by scripts hidden in caverns by the Guru Rinpoche. In this way the landscape is an autonomous revealing source of religiosity. Only a precise knowledge and a longtime practice of this discipline at last consents the discovery or a better documentation of the unmapped part and the waterfalls of the Tsangpo Gorge, always known to the inhabitants of the Pemako. The geographical riddle of the hidden waterfalls of the Gorge had been longstanding. From the explorations of the pundits and the adventurous lords and scholars of the Raj looking for the possible passes into India (remember Kipling's Great Game), an unmapped tract of the Tsangpo River shows an unexplained difference of altitude from the down stream river Brahamaputra in Assam. Baker reviews the entire history of exploration of this tract of the main river of the Tibetan plateau, describing the personal history of all the explorers and their achievements. Particularly fascinating is the story of the Kingdom Ward - Crawford expedition that lead to the discovery of many unknown plants. Literature and science have questioned the existence of the waterfalls, but only Baker has give the definitive reply. Actually he has been eight times in the region, but the book extensively describes only three important trips from 1993 to 1998. Another interesting aspect is the marvelous and extensive review of the botanical and zoological diversity of the region, that is a real treat for those interested. The book has over 200 bibliographical references and many notes at the end of each chapter, more than 100 historical photographs and many by the Author and an ample glossary of Tibetan terms. The narrative style is discontinuous because it skips through many years. The day by day journal parts relative to the expeditions are a little repetitive and slow going but in certain points this represents an advantage because it consents the reader to get into the mood for example of the terrible meteorological conditions and the terrifying leeches and moreover the repetition of the sometimes puzzling Buddhist traditions, texts and phraseology allows a better comprehension. The final impression of this long book is that of summary of the achievement of a lifetime and as such it should be enjoyed and respected. Definitely recommended for those interested in geography, Buddhist traditions, adventure, and travels. | ||
This is not worthy to read I just started to read this book but found that this guy is getting involved in smuglling rare animals in Nepal. Read all the follwing news about this writer. And lets boycot his book!! 1) Police recover illegal treasure trove from house of National Geographic writer KATHMANDU, May 23 - The Metropolitan Police Crime Division Hanumandhoka Friday said that a police investigation unearthed a large number of wildlife items and artefacts of archaeological significance at a house rented by an American national at Baluwatar in the capital. Working on a special tip-off, a police team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Sher Bahadur Basnet on May 17 raided the house of Rajesh Maharjan which was rented by US citizen Ian Baker and recovered the items from the house. A police statement released during a press conference in the capital today said that the police team recovered the illegal items from Maharjan's house at Kathmandu Metropolitan-4 in Baluwatar. The statement added that after the recovery Maharjan informed the police that Baker had also stored more items at a rented house owned by one Khewang Norbu in Naxal. The police have also sealed off Norbu's house. Police informed that Baker, who has been living in Nepal for the last 24 years, had stored statues of archaeological importance, vestiges of various wild animals including skin, skeleton and statues in the Baluwater residence. The police have arrested Maharjan, while Baker is still at large. Reportedly, Baker was a features writer for the National Geographic and News Week magazines. 2) Illegal items hoarded by American seized KATHMANDU, May 23 - Metropolitan Police Crime Division, Hanumandhoka confiscated dozens of illegally possessed artifacts, idols, wood craft and huge materials of endangered wildlife from the rented apartments of US citizen and legendary writer Ian Baker, who is also a contributor to National Geographic and several other magazines. Ian Baker, who has been reportedly staying in the country for over 24 years, was found to illegally possess a huge collection of archeologically important materials, including skeletons, statues and skins of wildlife in his two rented apartments located at Naxal and Baluwatar in the capital. Acting on a special tip-off, a police team raided a house of Rajesh Maharjan at Baluwatar where police recovered a huge cache of such materials. Police said they arrested house owner Maharjan, who told them that Baker also possessed illegal materials in another rented house at Naxal. Following the information from Maharjan, who is said to be an aide of Baker, police sealed the house. With the help of experts from Department of Archaeology and Kathmandu District Forest office, it was revealed that those materials were archeologically important, some even dated back to prehistoric times. On Thursday, police also seized dozens of artifacts, statues, skeletons, skins of wildlife, among other things. Senior Superintendent of Police Upendra Kant Aryal, chief of Metropolitan Police Crime Division, said the recovered materials were one of the largest collections ever confiscated by the police in the country. However, police said they were yet to ascertain the intention behind collecting those materials. During interrogation, Maharjan told that Baker had gone to Thailand after storing those materials in the house. Police said Baker has been absconding since police raided his two apartments. The country's law has banned people from possessing, buying and selling archeologically important materials. On the other hand, the CITES (Convention on international trade in endangered species of wild flora and fauna), to which Nepal is a signatory, also terms buying and selling wildlife body parts illegal. | ||
High Adventure and Impeccable Scholarship Ian Baker, explorer and Buddhist scholar, narrates a sequence of incredible journeys to the Tsango Gorge in Tibet, the hidden and inaccessible Beyul Pemako. The book can be read on many levels: as an engrossing adventure; the depiction of a man's passion, determination and endurance to achieve a goal in the face of incredible hardships; rarely described Tibetan customs; and the contrast between the spirituality of the Tibetans and the materialism of the Chinese who were penetrating the area at the same time as the author. The thread that weaves the narrative together is the inner journey that unfolds as Baker traverses the sacred geography of the area as revealed by Buddhist texts, Tibetan lamas and the experiences of the author and his team. Backed by historical textural references and oral traditions, the author encounters the living, pulsing presence of this landscape in the form of the body of the dakini goddess Dorje Pagmo and her energy centers or chakras. He and his team successfully access the throat of the goddess, the hidden gorge with its long-sought waterfall. After his arrival at the waterfall, his journey culminates in a visit to the sacred site of Gompe Ne on the banks of the Tsampo River where he enacted, as countless pilgrims before him have, a birth-death-resurrection using the sacred geography of the site. I was constantly reminded of experiences in the Andes, especially Peru and the Andean Path, where the exchange of energies between man and the natural world and its sacred landscapes create spiritual alchemy and inner spiritual transformation. | ||
The non-fiction and Eastern version of the da Vinci Code A fantastic book for readers who are interested in learning about Tibetan Buddhism, the Tibetan culture and the Tibetan way of living, and readers who enjoy visiting and / or reading about exotic places on earth. I picked up this book right after a trip to Tibet with my 4-year old son and truly enjoyed reading it. It took me deeper into the land that I had just visited by illuminating a bit about its history, its incredible natural beauty, its people's belief system and, most importantly, the interconnectedness of all. It is a well written book and Ian Baker has done an outstanding job of getting the reader very close to the actual experience. Connecting with nature is certainly a powerful way to get connected in life and, once connected, the ultimate discoveries are often of the hidden secrets in one's soul. If you are not convinced about reading this book, I highly recommend viewing the related photos on hollot's site (find the site by doing a search on "hollot + sardar" since amazon does not allow posting URL's). | ||
Great reading >The Heart of the World: A Journey to Tibet's Lost Paradise The Heart of the World: A Journey to Tibet's Lost Paradise takes you on a journey into canyons when no one as recorded before...breath taking.. | ||