A Journey in Ladakh: Encounters with Buddhism

The author vividly describes his adventures in Ladakh, the threats to the way of life there, and the spiritual internal journey that changed him deeply. Truly an adventure that could not happen in current times

This is a book that is true to its title. The author does indeed experience encounters with Buddhism during his time in Ladakh and those encounters provide some profound insights into the nature of mankind and our journey here on our planet. My only quibble with the book is that I would have preferred more of the author's Buddhist encounters and less of his reflections on the topography of Ladakh. But this is a book I highly recommend.

This is the most well-written book I have ever read. He not only captured my attention so much that I stayed up nights losing sleep to finish the book.; but he is a master at subtly weaving in information about Buddhism so that you are informed while being entertained. The visual descriptions were so vivid that I wanted to experience what he experienced and I am planning a pilgrimage to Ladakh this year. I later saw the author interviewed on Gaiam TV and greatly respect him as a spiritual teacher and spiritual activist to all seekers of any faith or belief and have bought another of his books.

I liked the book because it was a very engaging description of a landscape and culture unique in the world. Vivid descriptions and encounters with fellow eccentric travelers made for a fascinating read.

I enjoyed the book. Andrew Harvey keeps the reader's attention by not jamming it with too much detailed information.By expressing his feeling regarding the light, the space, the majesty of the mountains, I was able to absorb what he was conveying and it was as if I were there...

This book was well written. It was a bit slow, but it did offer a good insight into the lives of the people of Ladakh. I was hoping for a little more in depth teachings of the Buddha belief system, and that's why I didn't give it 5 stars.

I HAD A CLIENT WHO WAS GOING TO LADAHK AND I WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE DESTINATION. I FOUND TH BOOKK VERY INFORMATIVE AND WOULD RECCOMEND IT TO ANY ONE WHO WANTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RELIGION OF INDIA

This book is more about the author's spiritual growth than a description of the flora and fauna of Ladakh. It only gives a cursory description of the culture but it is a great foundation for Buddhist studies.

A Journey in Ladakh is a magical adventure of body and spirit taking the reader on an arduous physical journey to a remote part of the world, the highest most sparsely populated region in India, cut off by snow for six months of the year. It is in the mountains of Ladakh that one of the purest forms of Tibetan Buddhism could be found. On his journey the author witnesses and participates in the ancient rite, the vivid hypnotic Tantric initiation ceremony. Later he meets the great Tibetan spiritual leader Thuksey Rinpoche. He discovers silence and faces his inner struggles as Tibetan Buddhism is revealed to him through his dialogue with the Rinpoche.I have the 1983 hardback first American edition of this insightful book with endpaper maps and there is a photograph of the author on the rear dustjacket flap. I have mentioned in reviews before, the delights of owning and handling hardback copies of books.

This is an interesting travelogue by a writer who is very well versed in his subject matter. His approach is very down to earth, and he takes the reader by the hand through his journey. One does get a detailed experience from reading this book, not quite as good as being there but close. At times the book is captivating.On the down side, I found the narrative a bit convoluted. His English is quite rich and very articulate but somehow fails to excite the reader. At times, it was down right boring. I had to put the book down a few times and pick it up again before I got through with it.Also, his analyses, where he attempts to propose any, are a bit superficial. Besides providing an account of his travels, Harvey tries to propose to the reader a discussion of Buddhism as he learns it from the rimpoches he meets. Here he inevitably becomes anecdotal.

Really good to find such a lovely copy of this book ... the delivery took ages, and ages, and ages ... perhaps corona held it up! Worth it, when it came.

Possibly the best book ever written. I got to the last page and started again at the first. For a dyslexic that’s quite some dedication...

I found the writing in this book to be a delight to read, not only stylish but informative and with attention to detail. The topographical sketches were as illuminating as the deepening awareness of Tibetan Buddhism, and the character sketches too were absorbing. I'm not sure why other reviewers didn't give five stars as in many ways I found this to be a model of how spirituality can form the basis for an artistic exploration of place. Ladakh and the Buddhist spirit become closely knit together during the journey of discovery, and both linger in the mind long after the book is finished.