Jennie Pascua
Humanities 3
Instructor, Christine Vona
May 22 2014
My Journey to Lhasa by Alexandra David-Neel
Alexandra David-Néel (October 24, 1868 - September 8, 1969) was a French explorer, anarchist, spiritualist, Buddhist and writer. Her real name was Louise Eugenie Alexandrine Marie David. During her childhood she had a strong desire for freedom and spirituality. At the age of 18, she had already visited England, Switzerland and Spain on her own, and she was studying in Madame Blavatsky's Theosophical Society.
In 1890 and 1891, she traveled through India, returning only when running out of money. In Tunis she met the railroad engineer Philippe Néel, whom she married in 1904.
In the period 1914-1916 she lived in a cave in Sikkim, near the Tibetan border, learning spirituality, together with the Tibetan monk Aphur Yongden, who became her lifelong traveling companion, and whom she would adopt later. From there they trespassed into Tibetan territory, meeting the Panchen Lama in Shigatse.
In 1928 Alexandra separated from Philippe. Later they would reconcile, and Philippe kept supporting her till his death in 1941. Alexandra settled in Digne, and during the next 10 years she wrote books. Her most famous work was her personal recount of her journey to Lhasa, Tibet’s forbidden city.
I chose this book because Professor Vona was effective enough to describe how interesting the book was. The title and short description of the book, My Journey to Lhasa: The Classic Story of the Only Western Woman Who Succeeded in Entering the Forbidden City, was striking for me.
"My Journey to Lhasa" is divided into nine sections, a preface and eight chapters. The preface provides background information by David-Neel briefly explaining her previ...
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... is moving toward the border, she no longer assumes the disguise of a beggar, but that of a middle-class woman. David-Neel closes the book as she drifts off to sleep in the British fort, triumphant in her victory as the first western woman to cross Tibet and visit Lhasa.
The spiritual and physical determination of Alexandra David-Néel to reach Lhasa becomes an inspiration for many that nothing is impossible. She exemplifies strong-spirited woman to live life to the fullest. Buddhism teaches that determination can completely fulfill the other mental perfections. Its characteristic is an unwavering decision, its function is to overcome
hesitation, and its manifestation is unfaltering persistence in this task. I recommend this book for everyone to experience through reading the unusual journey of the author in a place not so familiar but is worth writing about.
The last Noble Truth is the way to overcome desire is to follow the Eightfold Path. Siddhartha followed the Eightfold Path by when he was down by the river. When he was by the river he could live the life he wanted to by getting rid of all his sorrow and pain. The Eightfold Path consisted of right views, right aspirations, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right contemplation.
Buddhism’s approach to ethics and practices are centred upon the principal beliefs of; the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path and the Five Precepts. By adhering to these guidelines, Buddhists are ensured that they are taking a step closer to escaping Samsara, and attaining the revered state of Nirvana,
She was to die twenty–one years later in 1879 after a prolonged and painful illness. She remained hidden in a convent about 300 miles from home, a refuge from the interrogations and the pilgrims that never ceased seeking her. At thirty–five, her strong–willed manner gave way to her frail body, and she finally entered into her eternal happiness.
making herself the best painter she could be. She started as a student, became a teacher and continued her life as a renowned artist. O’Keeffe started her journey in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.
At nineteen she married Charles-Guillaume Le Normant d'Etoiles. It was an arranged marriage, and did not last for very long, despite the fact that he adored her. She had two children with d'Etoiles, a boy who died in childbirth, and a daughter nicknamed 'fan fan'. She founded her own salon at her husband's estate, and was joined by many renowned intellectuals, such as Voltaire. She rose in society at an alarming rate, due to those she associated with, and her friends. After all, that is a fantastic strategy, to befriend the highest class and earn their acquaintances respect.
University of Paris). The only problem now was that she had no money to get
She was born in St. Louis, Missouri, USA on February 8, 1850 (KateChopin.org, n.d.). Her name Catherine O’Flaherty and she was the second child. She was both bilingual and bicultural. “ From 1855 to 1868 Kate attended the St. Louis Academy of the Sacred Heart, with one year at the Academy of the Visitation” (KateChopin.org, n.d.). Her father then died when she was only five years old. In 1855, he was killed in a railroad accident. Stated by Amber, “Her great grandmother, Madame Charlesville, took a special interest in Kate and taught her French and how to play the piano. She also taught her about the lives of the women, about how ‘women are torn between duty and desire’ (Toth 13). She also taught Kate ‘not to judge people rashly, but to face truths fearlessly’ (Toth 14). The greatest lesson she taught Kate was that a women had to be independent (Toth15).” In 1863 her great grandmother died when Kate was just 12 years old. Soon after that her half-brother died of Typhoid Fever. Kate married Oscar in 1870. ““I am going to be married,” Kate confided in her commonplace book, “married to the right man. It does not seem strange as I had thought it would–I feel perfectly calm, perfectly collected. And how surprised everyone was, for I had kept it so secret!” (KateChopin.org, n.d.).
Tragedy struck her in December of 1882, when her husband became ill from swamp fever and passed away (Inge, 3). Shortly after his death, Chopin became involved with a man by the name of Albert Sampite, a married man (Anderson, 1). A lot of inspiration is thought to have come from this relationship because so many of the characters in her stories are married individuals who become sexually involved with a single partner resulting in a relationship that ethically could never survive. She left Cloutierville in 1884, partly because of her relationship with Sampite, and moved back to St. Louis to be close to her mother (Inge, 3).
today as a great journalist and activist. Her organizations that she formed long ago such
Over twenty-five hundred years ago, Buddha Guatama practiced meditation and came to what is known as “The Four Noble Truth,” an important principle in Buddhism (Elder, 2010). This principle informs the reader of what suffering is and how affect is. This is a great example of how valuable meditation is- on the very first session ever recorded, the awareness that came from it would later be the foundation of a new religion. This proves how powerful meditation can be. Furthermore, some form of meditation can be found in various religions. Although the styles, techniques, and ideology behind the meditation can vary per religion, personal transformation is the key goal (Modi, Singh, 2012). Today, in Western society, mindful meditation (a form of meditation) has grown in popularity, used for relaxation and to help treat those who suffer from mental illness’ and mood disorders. Viewed as alternative medicine for the mind and soul, it is beneficial for our emotional and mental
Nanda, Serena. Neither Man nor Woman: The Hijras of India. 2nd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub., 1990. Print.
Later she found another husband name Warren Smith, no relation to the other Warren. They moved to Nauvoo and had three more children. She saw the Nauvoo temple be finished and received her endowments.
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky was born August 12, 1831 in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. Her father was Colonel Peter von Hahn and her mother was Helena Andreyevna von Hahn. Colonel von Hahn was a military man fighting in Poland when Helena was born. Her mother, often hurt by her husband’s absence and wrote about the turmoil of being a woman in her time. She published 8 novels by the time she faced an untimely death at the age of 27 as a highly regarded novelist. Helena’s mother knew from the time she was born that she was no average child. (3, 4, 5, 6)
Ayn Rand was born on February 2nd, 1905 as Alisa Zinov’yevna Rosenbaum to a Russian Jewish family in St. Petersburg, Russia (http://aynrandlexicon.com/about-ayn-rand/bio.html). As a child, Rand was always a person of character (http://aynrandlexicon.com/about-ayn-rand/bio.html). When she was two, she taught herself how to read, and by the time she was nine, she decided that she wanted to become a fictional writer (Hall 450-455). Even though she had aspiring dreams, Rand’s life was not so great. At twelve, she witnessed the Russian Revolution and the rise of the Bolsheviks (http://aynrandlexicon.com/about-ayn-rand/bio.html). She and her family were forced to get rid of her their pharmacy and sought refuge in the Crimea Peninsula (http://aynrandlexicon.com/about-ayn-rand/bio.html). However, through all of the turmoil that happened in her life, Rand was able to find love. On April 15th, 1929 she married actor Frank O’Connor (http://aynrandlexicon.com/about-ayn-rand/bio.html). The following year Rand became a citizen of the United States of America (http://aynrandlexicon.com/about-ayn-rand/bio.html). While Rand was in America, she faced lung cancer in 1974 because she smoked heavily (http://aynrandlexicon.com/about-ayn-rand/bio.html). Sadly, Ayn Rand died on March 6th, 1982 in New York City, New York at 77 years old due to heart failure (http://aynrandlexicon.com/about-ayn-rand/bio.html). Rand lived through some terrible times, but that does not mean that she did not live her life to the fullest in any way she possibly could.
A determination is a driving force that helps people through rough times in their lives. Without determination, people would no longer strive for their goals. Throughout the short story, ‘Then Later, His Ghost,’ Sarah Hall shows how strength and determination can get you through these tough times. This theme is made clear through the severe setting the characters are faced with and her use of symbolism.