Alexandra David-Neel, Explorer at the Roof of the World, book review

"To believe that one knows is the greatest of the barriers which prevent knowledge... The attitude which these teachings advocate is one of a strong will to know all that is possible to know, never halt on the road to investigation which extends infinitely far before the feet of the explorer." Alexandra David-Neel

Although I want to give continuity to the two main issues on which I have written here—environment and Buddhism, and the Sacred Feminine and Buddhism, given the many commitments I made to a project of a photo essay book on the life of His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche and to creating a manual/program for the environment for H Holiness Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche’s monasteries and centers, I will have to postpone further research on my favorite themes. However having some more time at home I decided to spend some of this time with a few book reviews. Despite all the travel, I was able to read and study many books last year.

I am going to start with the last one that just reached my chair, a short biography of my favorite heroine, the French explorer, Alexandra David-Neel (1868-1869).
Her writings gave me the first glimpse into Tibetan Buddhism and the difference and mystery it offered to all orientalists. For many years I have practiced yoga and studied many books on the subject, and read accounts of last century explorers into the oriental mind and philosophy, but did not get much about Tibet before Alexandra David-Neel books entered my life in the mid 70s.

Her newly published biography is part of the Women Explorers collection for youth by Chelsea House Publishers: “Alexandra David-Neel, Explorer at the Roof of the World.” 2004. Her biography stands together with other, previously barely known giant women explorers, great adventurers, writers and highly accomplished intellectually and academically: Annie Montague Alexander, naturalist and fossil hunter; Gertrude Bell, explorer of the Middle-East; Sylvia-Early, deep-sea explorer; Sue Hendrickson, explorer of Land and Sea, and Mary Kingsley, explorer of the Congo.

This collection is written for students of middle and high school, a sensible time when young girls are looking for models and heroines. When I was a voracious reader teenager the only books available for girls were “Little Women” and a collection of Pollyannaish books for young women, all oriented towards the education of home makers and young ladies. Where I found most satisfaction was reading the series Tarzan and other adventure collections for boys, but the book that was imprinted by fire on my imagination was an account of the Great Explorers of the Twenty Century, all men. With them, I travelled in my rich imagination to the poles and to the Everest, discovered new lands, rivers and people. It is with great joy that I welcome such a collection about women explorers as brave, determined, accomplished, resilient and resourceful such as this bunch.

Alexandra was a determined young girl living in France with her parents who has shown a passion for exploration of the unknown since a very young age. In a century when women were expected to get married to achieve any status in their society and not encouraged to acquire high education, she traveled alone through Europe to study comparative religion by nontraditional means, but still was able to acquire artistic high education becoming an accomplished opera singer, a linguist, and writer for magazines and papers.

The language of the book written by Early Rice Jr. has a manner of fact approach of a text book, a scholar prose with all the appropriate references, yet it gives a taste of this larger than life woman, who has gone where no women or westerners of any gender has gone before. To get a taste of her passion and wit, a sarcastic sense of humor and prolific writer's mind, better read her own books. Still this book is a good entrance door to Alexandra’s world. Young and older women have much to gain from this reading. Here, you get all the facts about her life and adventures, and even discoveries--she listed river, mountains, towns and villages, which were never mentioned before in western geography, with recognition by the French National Geographic. The narrative of this biography gives a taste of her driven and lucid personality and the lengths she was willing to go to pursue the knowledge she was after. To be able to accomplish what she did, she was willing to spend many hours of her early youth reading and studying in libraries, and learning several languages strange to hers. The description of her efforts and dedication to learning makes of her a great role model for youngsters of both sexes Through this reading you can gain a glimpse into her inquisitive mind, and how she carefully studied the religions that intrigued her mind and heart, following the path of comparative religion rare for her time, and how she applied herself to the study of languages to further these studies.

By developing an early habit of writing about her studies and taking profuse notes and writing letters during her journeys, she learned the craft of writing and became a prolific writer later in life. Above all she had an inquisitive mind not afraid to think her own ideas and explore other ideas which appealed to her. She learned to trust herself by thinking through and analyzing/contemplating and comparing world views, cultures and religions, ideas she pursued not as an activist but a student, a thinker. She lived an intense life as an opera singer through Europe and Asia, a wife who barely saw her husband, a tantric practitioner, a Vajrayana practitioner, an ordained lama and an accomplished writer, she was a true Renascence woman.

Her biography is also an account of how she faced and overcome difficulties on her path, such as harsh government officials standing on her way, or spying on her and hunger on high mountains caped with eternal snows; how she sacrificed everything towards her goals, engaging in one year and two years retreat in mountain caves, and how she developed a ferocious strength practicing tumo (a tantric practice to awaken heat in the body) to survive on the mountains, which gave her a centenary longevity.
The book quotes a lot from Alexandra letting her speak for herself. To see her being acknowledged and recognized as one of the greatest beings of our times is a great joy.

The edition has many pictures of herself and her companion taken through Alexandra’s travel to Tibet and other places. Her works have been translated and published into all major languages and read by millions.

This is a book worth reading and a great gift for girls of all ages.

Much more about her and her life can be found on Alexandra David-Neel's  web site, dedicated to her life and adventures. Her house in France has been transformed into a Museum, which was visited by the 14th  Dalai Lama twice. One of the most important events of her journey was her meetings with the 13th Dalai Lama, who told her to learn Tibetan!
Alexandra David-Neel: Explorer at the Roof of the World (Women Explorers)

Forbidden Journey: The Life of Alexandra David-NeelAlexandra David-Neel: De Paris a Lhassa, de l'aventure a la sagesse (Collection "Les pionniers") (French Edition)
Forbidden Journey: The Life of Alexandra David-Neel
My Journey to Lhasa: The Classic Story of the Only Western Woman Who Succeeded in Entering the Forbidden CityMagic and Mystery in Tibet
Magic and Mystery in Tibet
The Secret Lives of Alexandra David-Neel: A Biography of the Explorer of Tibet and Its Forbidden Practices
Immortality and Reincarnation: Wisdom from the Forbidden JourneyAlexandra David-Neel: Portait of an Adventurer
The Secret Oral Teachings in Tibetan Buddhist Sects
Buddhism: Its Doctrines & Its Methods
Tibet: Journey to the Forbidden City : Retracing the Steps of Alexandra David-Neel
POWER OF NOTHINGNESS
Initiations And Initiates In Tibet
Alexandra David-Neel: De Paris a Lhassa, de l'aventure a la sagesse (Collection "Les pionniers") (French Edition)

Tibet: Land of Gentlemen Brigands - Retracing the Steps of Alexandra David-Neel
Alexandra David-Neel
Alexandra David-NeelLe lumineux destin d'Alexandra David-Neel (French Edition)
The Superhuman Life of Gesar of LingTibetan 
Tale of Love and MagicMagic and Mystery in TibetMy Journey to Lhasa
My Journey to Lhasa
Voyage d'une Parisienne à Lhassa
WITH MYSTICS AND MAGICIANS IN TIBET
The Secret Oral Teachings in Tibetan Buddhist Sects
Inmortalidad y Reencarnacion: Doctrinas y Practicas China - Tibet - India
Magic and Mystery in TibetVoyages et aventures de l'esprit
Le Bouddhisme du Bouddha
My Journey to Lhasa
Immortalite et reincarnation: Doctrines et pratiques, 
Chine, Tibet, Inde (Gnose) (French Edition)
The Secret Oral Teachings in Tebetan Buddhist Sects
Le Féminisme rationnel