What do you think?
Rate this book
Circling the Sacred Mountain: A Spiritual Adventure Through the Himalayas
In the tradition of The Snow Leopard , Circling the Sacred Mountain is a remarkable account of spiritual adventure through the magical and forbidding landscape of remote western Tibet. A promise of spiritual transformation inspired Robert Thurman-renowned Buddhist scholar, teacher, and close friend of the Dalai Lama-to take a group of trekkers to Mount Kailash, the holiest of Himalayan mountains, and teach them an accelerated path of Tibetan Buddhism. Among the group was a former student and longtime friend, Tad Wise, who struggles with Thurman's teachings as much as with the rigors of high altitude. Together, they take us through an ominous border crossing to sites few Westerners have sacred graveyards, majestic monasteries, and the meditation caves of ancient masters. Chronicling the inner as well as the outer journey, confrontations both physical and metaphysical, Circling the Sacred Mountain is an exciting account of a challenging journey towards enlightenment.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
14 people are currently reading
183 people want to read
About the author
Robert A.F. Thurman
72 books188 followersTenzin Robert Thurman is the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University, holding the first endowed chair of Buddhist Studies in the United States. He is the author of the bestseller Inner Revolution, as well as Anger, Infinite Life, and other popular books. He is also a translator of Tibetan texts. He serves as co-founder and president of Tibet House US, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the endangered culture of Tibet.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 11, 2012
This is a book of two natures. One is that it is a travelogue, describing the sights, sounds, and smells of the journey, with a small group of men, to one of the holiest mountains on the earth. The other is that it is an autohagiography of sorts; documenting one man's own spiritual triumphs as he approaches the mountain which he has sought after for years. The first author, Tad Wise, paints himself as a simple man, of artisanal pursuits, who vacillates between great spirituality and great vice. The second author, Robert Thurman, paints himself as an authority, a scholar, and a true believer. He denies being any sort of holy man or paragon of his kind, although he does not ever engage in any sort of self-effacement or self-critique.
Thurman, who is actually a scholar (and believer) of Tibetan Buddhism, prefers to go by his Tibetan initiatory name of Tenzin. Some of his detractors refer to him pejoratively as "Buddha Bob." Thurman is remarkable, though, in his own way, claiming to be the first westerner to be initiated as a monk into Tibetan Buddhism, along with being, as he says, a close, personal friend of the Dalai Lama. One cannot dispute his accomplishments; but alas, humility is not among his virtues. He reminded me, throughout the book, of one of many who turned to Buddhism, and eastern spirituality more generally, through the Beat generation. Indeed, Wise makes several clouded references to the Beats throughout the book, even referring to himself at one point as a "dharma bum."
But it also means that he carries some of the less fortunate baggage of the Beats along with him, through all this time. Namely, the sort of vulgar chauvinism that alienated many women from the movement. The traveling party to and around the mountain consists entirely of men. Both authors refer to the women in their lives as being the most important people to them, but this special attribute does not apparently extend to women outside of their domains. Wise even considers, near the end, whether he should buy a 15 year old girl as a sex slave and leave his wife, or whether he could just pay the girl's family off to have one night alone with her before he left, since she was going to be "ruined" by a polyandrous marriage anyway. He determines it would be too much of a hassle either way. And this is not the only moment in the book when he describes a strongly pedophiliac urge.
The imagery is also rather off-putting at times, hearkening to the sort of early 1970s neo-Freudianism that plagued a lot of social and religious theory. Many things are described variously as penises or phalluses, leaking semen, or as breasts oozing milk. At one point the mountain is described as being almost ready to "fuck the sky" in language actually that vulgar. The book frequently falls into vulgarity, both sexual and otherwise, and it is not limited to only one of the authors. They will interrupt a relatively reasonable passage with startlingly course language, and it does not seem to have any rhyme or reason about it.
There are subtler prejudices at work throughout the book as well. Both authors are extremely dismissive and flat-out prejudiced against the Chinese, hardly ever referring to them as anything else but "Chinese Oppressors." They demonize, but also simultaneously try to dismiss and emasculate all of the Chinese people who appear in the book. Without exception, the Chinese officials at all points are compared to children or little boys, wielding their false sense of power and superiority over the tall white men. They are described as seeming to just want to "play soldier," and that they would not actually be able to do anything if the Americans actually didn't want to play along. The Tibetans themselves are often compared to, or related with, imagery of animals; one man near the end, in Nepal, is described as being almost "half animal."
Simultaneously, Tibetan people and Tibetan culture are also idealized, with Thurman holding up the simple life of spirituality that the Tibetans manage to maintain even while crushed under the boot of Chinese oppression, as an example of an "antidote" to modernity and commercialism; the Tibetans live with the earth, and not against it. The fact that almost all places they visit are described as being littered with trash does not bother him; obviously the pollution is due to the Chinese influence.
Throughout the book Thurman is variously zealous, pedantic, dismissive, brilliant, and insightful. His lectures occasionally veer into the realm of the remarkable, and to a student of Buddhism, especially Tibetan Buddhism or Tantra, he does have some great things to say. Tad Wise plays his part, variously, of being the bumbling acolyte, apostate, and aspirant, wrapped up into one. The book ends on a cliffhanger of sorts; you know that Thurman will continue on much as he always has as "Buddha Bob," but you wonder if Tad Wise actually does learn his lesson on this painful spiritual journey, or if he slips back in to old patterns of vice as soon as he returns to the States.
To a reader wishing to experience this book as a travelogue, an exciting journey through some of the most exotic and difficult terrain on earth to a location drenched in mystery, one might walk away a bit disappointed. There is not much thorough description of anything to really experience the immersion of good travel writing. To anyone interested in Tibetan Buddhism, this book does not provide much "introductory" information; it's very specifically focused on one Buddhist scripture (which Thurman himself has translated) which Thurman has chosen specifically to match the harsh adventure the men are undertaking by discussing equally hard truths. At the end, it still ends up being an interesting book, but I could hardly recommend it to anyone but the most interested.
Thurman, who is actually a scholar (and believer) of Tibetan Buddhism, prefers to go by his Tibetan initiatory name of Tenzin. Some of his detractors refer to him pejoratively as "Buddha Bob." Thurman is remarkable, though, in his own way, claiming to be the first westerner to be initiated as a monk into Tibetan Buddhism, along with being, as he says, a close, personal friend of the Dalai Lama. One cannot dispute his accomplishments; but alas, humility is not among his virtues. He reminded me, throughout the book, of one of many who turned to Buddhism, and eastern spirituality more generally, through the Beat generation. Indeed, Wise makes several clouded references to the Beats throughout the book, even referring to himself at one point as a "dharma bum."
But it also means that he carries some of the less fortunate baggage of the Beats along with him, through all this time. Namely, the sort of vulgar chauvinism that alienated many women from the movement. The traveling party to and around the mountain consists entirely of men. Both authors refer to the women in their lives as being the most important people to them, but this special attribute does not apparently extend to women outside of their domains. Wise even considers, near the end, whether he should buy a 15 year old girl as a sex slave and leave his wife, or whether he could just pay the girl's family off to have one night alone with her before he left, since she was going to be "ruined" by a polyandrous marriage anyway. He determines it would be too much of a hassle either way. And this is not the only moment in the book when he describes a strongly pedophiliac urge.
The imagery is also rather off-putting at times, hearkening to the sort of early 1970s neo-Freudianism that plagued a lot of social and religious theory. Many things are described variously as penises or phalluses, leaking semen, or as breasts oozing milk. At one point the mountain is described as being almost ready to "fuck the sky" in language actually that vulgar. The book frequently falls into vulgarity, both sexual and otherwise, and it is not limited to only one of the authors. They will interrupt a relatively reasonable passage with startlingly course language, and it does not seem to have any rhyme or reason about it.
There are subtler prejudices at work throughout the book as well. Both authors are extremely dismissive and flat-out prejudiced against the Chinese, hardly ever referring to them as anything else but "Chinese Oppressors." They demonize, but also simultaneously try to dismiss and emasculate all of the Chinese people who appear in the book. Without exception, the Chinese officials at all points are compared to children or little boys, wielding their false sense of power and superiority over the tall white men. They are described as seeming to just want to "play soldier," and that they would not actually be able to do anything if the Americans actually didn't want to play along. The Tibetans themselves are often compared to, or related with, imagery of animals; one man near the end, in Nepal, is described as being almost "half animal."
Simultaneously, Tibetan people and Tibetan culture are also idealized, with Thurman holding up the simple life of spirituality that the Tibetans manage to maintain even while crushed under the boot of Chinese oppression, as an example of an "antidote" to modernity and commercialism; the Tibetans live with the earth, and not against it. The fact that almost all places they visit are described as being littered with trash does not bother him; obviously the pollution is due to the Chinese influence.
Throughout the book Thurman is variously zealous, pedantic, dismissive, brilliant, and insightful. His lectures occasionally veer into the realm of the remarkable, and to a student of Buddhism, especially Tibetan Buddhism or Tantra, he does have some great things to say. Tad Wise plays his part, variously, of being the bumbling acolyte, apostate, and aspirant, wrapped up into one. The book ends on a cliffhanger of sorts; you know that Thurman will continue on much as he always has as "Buddha Bob," but you wonder if Tad Wise actually does learn his lesson on this painful spiritual journey, or if he slips back in to old patterns of vice as soon as he returns to the States.
To a reader wishing to experience this book as a travelogue, an exciting journey through some of the most exotic and difficult terrain on earth to a location drenched in mystery, one might walk away a bit disappointed. There is not much thorough description of anything to really experience the immersion of good travel writing. To anyone interested in Tibetan Buddhism, this book does not provide much "introductory" information; it's very specifically focused on one Buddhist scripture (which Thurman himself has translated) which Thurman has chosen specifically to match the harsh adventure the men are undertaking by discussing equally hard truths. At the end, it still ends up being an interesting book, but I could hardly recommend it to anyone but the most interested.
January 3, 2020
bought this book on a whim, in a mountainous mood as well as just signed up for a meditation class, so it seemed apt. Robert Thurman is father of Uma and the first Westerner ordained as a Tibetan monk, Tad Wise is a former student/long-time friend/disciple-of-sorts who joins him and a small group on a pilgrimage to the most sacred mountain in Tibet, Kailash. The book alternates between lessons-on-the-trail from Thurman, which are DENSE and intense and I had a hard time wrestling with; the rest of the book is narration from Wise. I enjoyed the basic travelogue but got increasingly annoyed with Wise and his self-obsessive ruminations on struggling with his previous tendencies to drink too much & womanize -- rather than defeating his ego, the book seemed to inflate it somewhat. Still, an interesting excursion, but I was left feeling a bit puzzled as to what had been gained or learned at the end of the journey. (1/03)
October 4, 2015
This was supposed to be very profound as it was written by a former Buddhist monk who returned to being a layperson, but because of all the sexuality within it mostly just was extraordinarily uncomfortable. There were parts that were very beautiful and were, in fact, profound, but mostly it stuck out in my mind as being embarrassing to read. Similarly, many of the arguments weren't very well written as easily contradicted and as such, it wasn't a good book was for someone looking to learn about Buddhism.
November 13, 2019
A life changing book... Circling the mountain one step at a time... Om mani padme om...
November 28, 2025
paired narrations of a trip to tibet in the 1990s, one by an annoying fuckup of a guy whose experience is very skippable and another by 'Tenzin' Robert Thurman, leading tibetan buddhist scholar and monk and also Uma Thurman's dad. I felt the blade wheel of mind reform.
Some amazing phrase translations: Buddha Paramasukha Chakrasamvara aka Superblis-Machine Embrace.
"Now recall the three roots, finding the points that make the most sense to you: that death is a certainty; that the time of death is completely unpredictable; and that nothing of this life will translate into the next except what enlightened qualities you have attained. Give up all of your mental and physical possessions, the body that you identify with as your self. Your soul will proceed into new forms, guided by imprints of generosity and morality, tolerance, enterprise, concentration, and intelligence — the opposite of stinginess and fear and paranoia. Forget about the peripheral things. You will go forth with your luminous soul, your sea of infinite bliss, your buddha-nature, so build up that subtle deepest part of yourself."
unclear how this goes with
Some amazing phrase translations: Buddha Paramasukha Chakrasamvara aka Superblis-Machine Embrace.
"Now recall the three roots, finding the points that make the most sense to you: that death is a certainty; that the time of death is completely unpredictable; and that nothing of this life will translate into the next except what enlightened qualities you have attained. Give up all of your mental and physical possessions, the body that you identify with as your self. Your soul will proceed into new forms, guided by imprints of generosity and morality, tolerance, enterprise, concentration, and intelligence — the opposite of stinginess and fear and paranoia. Forget about the peripheral things. You will go forth with your luminous soul, your sea of infinite bliss, your buddha-nature, so build up that subtle deepest part of yourself."
unclear how this goes with
September 1, 2025
Bello, bellissimo. Letto pochi giorni prima di aver fatto in prima persona la Kora del Kailash, mi ha fatto sognare ad occhi aperti e mi ha dato la giusta motivazione per affrontare un trekking in alta quota tostissimo, dandogli il giusto valore spirituale. Un'opera intima e potente, capace di coniugare una narrazione di viaggio con una ricerca spirituale profonda.
July 25, 2017
It was just alright for me. I very much enjoyed Tad Wise's sections, but Bob Thurman was way over my head.
December 20, 2023
culturally sick
March 30, 2020
The author's journey to Tibet.
January 10, 2010
Robert/Tenzin Thurman and a former student of his, Tad, lead us on a month-long pilgrimage to circumnambulate Mt. Kailash, the cosmic center of the Tibetan Buddhist universe. Tad writes a disarmingly honest account of his frustrations and strivings with the spiritual aspect of the journey; Thurman's parts are primarily transcripts of his nightly dharma talks on the Blade Wheel of Mind Reform, an ancient sermon of defeating the demons of self-addiction. The interplay of their accounts works beautifully.
It must be hard to write a journey like this, negotiating the interaction between the forbidding and wonderful landscape with the transformations following from "internal" meditative practice. It is hard enough simply to write well about landscape and travel in the wild. Matthiessen's Snow Leopard is the unsurpassed modern work in this genre.
It must be hard to write a journey like this, negotiating the interaction between the forbidding and wonderful landscape with the transformations following from "internal" meditative practice. It is hard enough simply to write well about landscape and travel in the wild. Matthiessen's Snow Leopard is the unsurpassed modern work in this genre.
Read
October 19, 2016At first I found the chosen style of this book, chopping between the insights of Robert Thurman and his friend Tad, a bit annoying. But as I settled in to the book I came to really enjoy their different perspectives. I found the Blade Wheel teachings revealed on their journey to be really helpful to me in practice and in life. A very enjoyable book although the last chapter or two seemed a bit like unnecessary padding. I would thoroughly recommend this to any readers who have a good basic understanding of Tibetan Buddhism.
October 14, 2008
This is written in a very fun way. Tad Wise is a cynical, womanizing jerk kind of a guy and he is describing the spiritual journey he took around Mt. Kailash in Tibet with Robert Thurman, who is meanwhile writing all of the Dharma talks he gave during the trip. Tad's descriptions are more fun to read, but without the Dharma and his slow transformation the book would be hard to take. (Since he's a cynical womanizing jerk)
August 25, 2013
I absolutely loved this book. Both Robert and Tad are brilliant writers, painting a clear picture of Tibet in the 1970s when they traveled to Mount Kailash. Furthering my research for my own novel, this book inspired me in so many ways. In fact, I intend on meeting "Tenzin", Mr. Thurman soon in a workshop I plan on attending. There I will tell him personally how much his book meant to me.
June 7, 2014
If you are interested in the self-obsessed musings of American Buddhist males as they lecture one another on Tibetan religion, then you're welcome to this book. If you're interested in learning about Kailash and walking the kora, then you'd be better served by another book.
August 15, 2007
Sometimes "Buddha Bob" is a little too over the top for me.I am a sucker for travel narratives, tho, so I stuck it out to the end.
December 1, 2007
spiritual pilgrimage from Buddhist/American perspective.
Read
April 25, 2009This book is still on my bookshelf even though I read it two years ago. Not only a sacred mountain but also a most amazing pilgrimage
Read
April 20, 2011Been there, both in reality and in this amazing book.
May 11, 2012
That fact that Robert Thurman is the father of one of my favorite actresses (yes this is Uma's dad) only adds to the layers of why I like him as an author. This is a great book and a great read.
September 7, 2012
Made we want to go Tibet and walk around the mountain. But if I can't do that I would like to go to one of Robert Thurman's retreats. Menla Mountain Retreat
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews