Contents: Introduction. 1. Celebration. 2. Vocation. 3. Return. References.

 

"Rhythms of a Himalayan Village fuses splendid photographs and text to capture the life of the Buddhist Sherpa community of Gompa Zhung in northeastern Nepal, revealing a world where the sacred and secular coexist in harmony. The opening section of the book, "Celebration", recreates a festival called Mani Rimdu. At its heart is a mystery play in which every event corresponds to a different aspect of an individual's spiritual awakening as he moves beyond greed, anger, and negligence to illumination.

 

The second section of Rhythms of a Himalayan Village, "Vocation", focuses on monastery-trained artisans, who make books, woodblock prints, and paintings. The daily life of one painter, a hermit monk, is examined in detail. The book reaches its climax in the final section, "Return'.This intimate account of a funeral is the only published photographic record of rituals described in the Tibetan Book of the Dead.

 

It reveals the Sherpa view of the alternating currents of life and death, which compose the whole rhythm of being. Rhythms of a Himalayan Village is an unparalleled portrait of one of the last remaining cultures where art and religion are integrated in daily life. Underlying all of the book's rich and varied aspects is the graceful spirit of a remarkable people, adroitly captured and movingly shared with the reader in both word and pictures."