| ashu |
Posted
on 29-Jul-01 04:38 AM
What follows is a review by Rajendra Khadka, and published
recently in The Kathmandu Post Review of Books.
Enjoy,
oohi
ashu
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BOOK: "Touching My Father's Soul: In the Footsteps of Sherpa Tenzing"
By Jamling Tenzing Norgay with Broughton Coburn
Ebury Press (a division of Random House, UK)
316 pages; NRs. 1400.00
"Everest: Mountain of Magic and Mystery"
by Rajendra Khadka
Most books about conquering mountain peaks have often left me in the cold. But as someone who was born in the 'lap of the Himalayas,'I have felt it my duty to read such books. In my case, I have discovered that I must have a comprehensive dictionary at hand while reading such books so that I can comprehend-and visualize-words such as 'cwm,' 'couloir,' 'serac,' 'glissade,' etc. Soon, I confess abjectly, I am lost in the technicalities of the arduous ascent, and often feel belittled by masochistic machismo of the mountaineer.
And all I can do is shiver in my snug bed (where
I am reading) on behalf of the intrepid mountaineers
as they battle blizzards and life-draining cold while trying to pitch a tent (wearing three gloves and several layers of very bulky clothing, I'm sure) in an area the size of my door mat.
Their ordeal leaves me paralyzed withterror-and I soon abandon the book and burrow deeper into my blankets.
I am, therefore, happy to report that Jamling Norgay's book
about his success on Mt. Everest is free of such mountaineering jargon. He was a member of the IMAX Everest film team during that fateful spring season of 1996 when at least a dozen people were killed, mostly because of an almost appalling lack of common sense, inexperience, and, the author hints, even arrogance.
Even a monk meditating in his Himalayan cave must know by now that in 1953 Tenzing Norgay [Sherpa] and Edmund Hillary were the first human beings to reach the top of Mt. Everest, known as "Chomolungma" to the Sherpas and Tibetans, and abode of the goddess Miyolangsangma. Jamling is one of the three sons of Tenzing, and, like his father, also wanted to climb Mt.
Everest, even though his father initially discouraged him. Tenzing said, "I climbed Everest so that you wouldn't have to."
Whereas some, such as the Sherpas, climb because it's a means of
livelihood, and others, especially Westerners, because it's "ego
gratification and trophy hunting," Jamling aims at Everest because "I was drawn primarily by a need for understanding. I felt that only by following my father up the mountain, by standing where he had stood, by climbing where he had climbed, could I truly learn about him." But even as he honestly probes his motives for climbing, he is even more concerned
about how one should approach a mountain as sacred as Chomolonguma.
Indeed, as the Dalai Lama states in his "Foreword," Jamling takes a very "Tibetan view of the enterprise-he regards it as a pilgrimage because of the traditional Tibetan sense that such mountains are the abode of divine beings." And since one is going to visit the abode the gods, Jamling repeatedly stresses throughout the book that it is not enough to be physically trained and mentally prepared, but that one must approach
the mountain with devotion, humility and respect.
Compared to other mountaineering books, what makes Jamling's book so unique and engrossing is that the book is less about the daily, mundane technicalities of an expedition set to reach the highest point on earth and a lot more about his own developing Buddhist faith and how it shaped his attitude towards climbing Everest. Thus, while other mountaineering books may preamble with weather conditions or frantic activity expended to liberate expensive equipment held hostage by the customs department
of the host nation, Jamling's book begins with a Rimpoche conducting a divination to determine whether or not it was a favorable time to climb Everest.
The Rimpoche is not encouraging, for the divination suggests "There is something malevolent about the mountain this coming season." Discouraged, he seeks a second opinion from another Rimpoche, who is cautiously optimistic. Yes, there would be "difficulties" but the season was "not entirely unfavorable." The Rimpoche suggests that Jamling conduct obstacle-removal rituals, make offerings, and cultivate perseverance and
patience.
Thus, in May of 1996, there were more than 400 people at the base
camp, and while every group was eager to get to the top as soon as the weather allowed, Jamling's IMAX expedition was the only one that actually descended and temporarily abandoned summit attempt because they sensed that the route would be overcrowded, thus hampering the filming. It was a choice that probably saved not only their own lives, but also of some others who
were trapped in the horrendous weather as they attempted to either go up or come down the mountain. And Jamling's team played a most vital role in the rescue efforts.
Jamling's personal family history, Tibetan Buddhism, observances of cultural differences and clashes between the East and West, pros and cons of tourism in Nepal, and magic, mystery and mysticism are sprinkled throughout the book. As far as this reviewer is concerned, the one drawback in the book is a certain 'evangelical' tone regarding Tibetan Buddhism-and
I am not sure whether this is because of Jamling's personal approach, the co-author's or the marketing department of the publisher.
I got the uncomfortable sense that Tibetan Buddhists have a better 'spiritual' grip on life than others; that climbers who have embraced Buddhism and show proper humility will be more successful on the mountain than others, especially those Westerners who are 'arrogant' or disdainful of the divinity of the mountains. I wonder what the author(s) make of Ed Hillary's
"not specially prepared for public consumption" remark after the
conquest of Everest: "Well, we knocked the bastard off!" This is not mere arrogance but heresy!
There is also a lot of talk about the materialism of the Westerners. Jamling is appalled that one of his American college mates has 30 shirts, while all his belongings fit in two suitcases when he left America after ten years. However, the author also points out that the disparity in wealth in Khumbu-and Kathmandu, naturally-among the Sherpas has sown seeds
of jealousy and resentment.
Jamling also writes, "I have been with Hindus from Nepal and India when they visit a metropolis such as New York City for
the first time, and they are awed by the technology-the airplanes, bridges, and skyscrapers-to the point of being overwhelmed But because of our teachings in impermanence,
Himalayan Buddhists are only fleetingly impressed by such man-made
creations. We can peer up at all of it and know that before long " it will all crumble."
Jamling spent ten years in America studying and working; Broughton Coburn, the co-author, spent 25 years in Nepal, thus we expect a more subtle analysis when it comes the East-West conundrum, not holier-than-thou observations of a zealous convert or a neophyte. Of course, given the increasing number of Buddhists in the West, such statements may be simply regarded as preaching to the converted. But if one ignores this evangelical
undercurrent, and digs deeper into this book, the reader will be
richly rewarded.
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