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So Close to Heaven by Barbara Crossette
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So Close to Heaven

The Vanishing Buddhist Kingdoms of the Himalayas

The Vanishing Buddhist Kingdoms of the Himalayas

By Barbara Crossette

By Barbara Crossette

By Barbara Crossette

By Barbara Crossette

Best Seller

Part of Vintage Departures

Part of Vintage Departures

Paperback $16.95

Jun 25, 1996 | ISBN 9780679743637

Ebook $12.99

Aug 03, 2011 | ISBN 9780307801906

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    So Close to Heaven by Barbara Crossette
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    Aug 03, 2011 | ISBN 9780307801906

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    • Paperback $16.95

      Jun 25, 1996 | ISBN 9780679743637

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      Aug 03, 2011 | ISBN 9780307801906

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    About So Close to Heaven

    A travelogue of Bhutan and its neighbors in the Himalayas that introduces readers to a world that has emerged from the middle ages only to find itself peering into the abyss of modernity. “For anyone with a serious interest in Buddhism, it’s essential reading” (Washington Post Book World).

    For more than a thousand years Tibet, Sikkim, Ladakh, and Bhutan were the santuaries of Tantric Buddhism. But in the last half of this century, geopolitics has scoured the landscape of the Himalayas, and only the reclusive kingdom of Bhutan remains true to Tantric Buddhism.

    About So Close to Heaven

    A travelogue of Bhutan and its neighbors in the Himalayas that introduces readers to a world that has emerged from the middle ages only to find itself peering into the abyss of modernity. “For anyone with a serious interest in Buddhism, it’s essential reading” (Washington Post Book World).

    For more than a thousand years Tibet, Sikkim, Ladakh, and Bhutan were the santuaries of Tantric Buddhism. But in the last half of this century, geopolitics has scoured the landscape of the Himalayas, and only the reclusive kingdom of Bhutan remains true to Tantric Buddhism.

    About Barbara Crossette

    Barbara Crossette, who joined the New York Times in 1973, spent seven years as a correspondent in Asia, and is now UN bureau chief. She was a Fulbright Professor of Journalism in India and has taught at the Columbia University… More about Barbara Crossette

    About Barbara Crossette

    Barbara Crossette, who joined the New York Times in 1973, spent seven years as a correspondent in Asia, and is now UN bureau chief. She was a Fulbright Professor of Journalism in India and has taught at the Columbia University… More about Barbara Crossette

    Product Details

    Category: Religion | Asian World History | World Politics

    Paperback | $16.95
    Published by Vintage
    Jun 25, 1996 | 320 Pages | 5-3/16 x 8 | ISBN 9780679743637

    Category: Religion | Asian World History | World Politics

    Ebook | $12.99
    Published by Vintage
    Aug 03, 2011 | 320 Pages | ISBN 9780307801906

    Praise

    “There is no other full-length contemporary American account of this likable and largely unvisited kingdom…. Crosette unravels the intricacies of Buddhism with considerable clarity.” —The New York Times Book Review

    “Any traveler, actual or armchair, would have a significantly richer experience after reading this book. And for anyone with a serious interest in Buddhism, it’s essential reading.” —Washington Post Book World

    Table Of Contents

    1. And Then There Was One
    2. The Druk Gyalpo
    3. Becoming Buddha
    4. Before Tibet, There Was Bon
    5. The Road from Lumbini
    6. Ladakh: Eclipsed by Other Gods
    7. Sikkim: “No One Heard Us Cry”
    8. Buddhist Nepal
    9. Buddha and the Bhutanese State
    10. The Dragon People
    11. All Sentient Beings
    12. Aum Rinzi’s World
    13. Two Capitals, Two Eras
    14. To Tashigang
    15. One Sunday in Bumthang

    An Afterthought
    A Glossary of Common Words

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