A Hermit in the Himalayas: The Journal of a Lonely Exile

189 Pages·1974·51.119 MB·English

by  Paul Bronton

A HERMIT IN THE HIMALAYAS
The workosf D r Brunton
In chronologicaolr der
A SEARCH IX SECRET INDIA
THE SECRET PATH
A SEARCH IN SECRET EGYPT
A MESSAGE FROM ARUNACHALA
A HER:o.fIT IN THE HIMALAYAS
THE Q.UEST OF THE OVERSELF
THE INNER REALITY
INDIAN PHILOSOPHY AND MODERN CULTURE
THE HIDDEN TEACHING BEYOND YOGA
THE 'NISDOM OF THE OVERSELF
THE SPIRITUAL CRISIS OF MAN
PAUL BRUNTON
A HERMIT IN
THE HIMALAYAS
TheJ ournoafa l L onely Exile
CBD
B. I. PUBLICATIONS
Bombay CalcuttaD elhiMadras
- - -
B. I. PUBLICATIONS
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First Pub1lis9hed3 7
1st Indian Edition 1971
�..!I!rin!1ed924 .
!his
editihoans bepeunb lisihnIed n dibay arrangement
wIth MessersC oR.3i,,d eFrr i&t zroy Squ",a"r.eI, London,
PRINTED IN INOlA
Publisbhye dK . P. ChuraPumbalniica tfi5oo4rnJ, san B,p. a tNLhe .w Delhi-\ and
printed by K. L. PSarcihndt1ee!vr3asS.I.5 d ,-S GkyRalohaa rdkN, e w Delhi·55
CONTENTS
u,\U
Foreword
7
PrefatcoFe irs tB ritEidsiht ion 10
r. The Philosop,hyF roifen dship-OPno ny-bina cthke Rima -
" la.�MyB ungalow ona Mountain-top 13
n.Pr�jecEtxpeeddi tion toM ounKta ilasT iibent -Magnifi.-
", ·ceru:e ottShn�owy MquntSaceinne ry-DIisc ove"rTh e
. "
Sanctuary" 22
m. A Medittaiono nB ritRiulseh inI ndiaa ndo nP olitical
Strife-NeceossfSi ptiyr ituaPlizoilintgi cs-TChoen trol
ofTh oughts-AS ecroefCot n centration 3::1
IV. My Quesotf InneSrtil lntss-ThReem �mbranocfeF ormer
Births-A Bud dhist Method of TappingP re-natal
Memory-:Nature's,:purpose with'� d-On Unity
with Nature 40
v. UnexpectedV isit by TYwogoi s--Pilgrl)nsan d Shrines in
dieHimal ayas-Powero ut Sotilfln es" s , 49
VI. A Cross-sectionThr ough My Mail-AW.o uld-beS uicide
andM y Answer-Telepathitco S Aitudde nts 59
vn. ReflectionsU ponth e Futureo fT ibet-SirF rancisY oung­
husbandExperi'esn ces-Destiny ofOri eT',� and Occident 67
vm. A Correspondent Decries My Retreoma thte W f.o.r ld-The
Virtueso fIdesise naSnodl itude-MReliygi on-The New
Testament-Jesausn d His Critics 76
rL Storm-Precursorso fth eM onsoon-My Animal Visitors-
TheQ uestiono fC lothes 88
x. AnotherV isit ab Yyo gi-HiAsd venturJoousu rnefroym
Kashmir to� lounKatilas- His Wanderinigsn W estern
Tibet-Hohis' ",M asterL iveNdak ed Amid theS now-
Exp
lanations ofth e Feat 97
XI. On Philosophayn dF un-Reflectionso n Mr. Charles
Chaplin-His Silent Art anGedni us-The Necessiotyf
Modernizing Yoga-The InadvisaboifliAsce ttiycism -
Some Truths aboutS ex andY oga I I 1
D. A Sacred Influx in Stthileesls- nMountain-climbing
ExpeditianodnsTh eirS ignificance 123
XIII. An Encountwierth aP anther-ProThbel em of Nature's
Cruelty 131
5
CONTEl'OTS
P4Ga
XlV. A Visiotf a NepalPeser ince-QAu eerExperi ence wiath
Fakir and Spai rit-WEexp lorea BeautifulRi ver
Valley-An Adventurwei th a Mad Elephant-
Buddhism Nienp al-Krishnaan dB uddhCao mpared 137
xv. My Nightilnthy e OVpiengi-lsR eflectoino nsth e Stars-
TheT ruth aAsbtrooulto gy-TheM ysteryo fS irius-Are
the aPnlets Peopled?-ThSeym bolismo ft heS un-The
Deodar TreSepeaks- Farewell toM y Bungalow 152
XVI. I Set AgaiOnu to nH orseback-GorgeousP anoramai n
TehriS't ate-MJyo urneyAl ong the Ridge-Topasn d
MountaiTnr aiIs-ThroutghheF orests iDna rtheskesn .-
I Arriatv Per atapnagar 162
XVII. TheS no,,",1'G iants Hoifm alaya-AAnt tackb ya Bear 171
xvm. TheD eligohftsT ea-drinking-Howt heM onsooSnt orms
BreakO ut 179
Epilegue 186
FOREWORD
By
PRINCEM USSOOREES HU.H SHERE
JUNeB AHADUR RANA
of
!<"EPAL
Ita ffomer mdsu cph leastou rwriett hee isnet roduwocrtdso tryot hist,he
latestlm yfof ri end PauBlru ntonb'oso ks.s ceneT heis saetm itdhel ong
and famous rangemo uojnta ins whicshe paraItndeiasf roCme ntAsriaal.
The ridges andp eakwsh icthh aeu thodre scrias bheess ,a w,thienTm e hri
Statea,r ebu ta continuarift miyoo nwn belovNeedp aHliemaslaey aBso.rn
as Iwas int hese mount1a ihru'nsea, strong faofftrheeH citmiaolnq yaasnd ,
themo mmts spernetad inagb outth eimn B runtoonr'isg ianandl a ttractive
proshaDee behaenp pyo nes.
Onlyt hosweho haveb eerena raet!mo ngt he forestr-acnglaeondst hed
snow-clhade iogfhHi tsma laywai klnlo tw hathe has noto ver-prtahiseemd
budto ntehem simpjlue sticmeus.tr emaiTnh e;tmo'hes t stuspieginnh dto us
all Asia, naayl tlihe nll: orld.
Priorto leavithengm ountatihnsae u thovri simet efdo r fewa dayasnd
duringh iss tasyh oweme dt hmae nuscriopf"tA H ermitt hHiein ma layas".
Itw as then0 11.t0'ha tI discovertehdere ianf ewp agedse vottoe mdy o wn
sudden visitot h isr etrewahetn, I crosseridd gesto hen h orsebtachkr ough
friendship foorne whom rIe gaasr das piriptruoaplho efot ur time. Had I
known thath isr etenmetmoi,:v'1ew1 as ma kign sileanntds ecrnoetets aofltha lt
1s aiIdm ,i ghhatv eb eena litmotrleec arefiunlm yu tteraFncoeIsr ! d id not
know thathe was keepijngo uari nnaw lh ihcerh e corsdoemedo f t hteh oughts,
events and conversatioodnsd ati nFtervoratlusnatI.ec a bn trusth ids iscretion
not puto blismatht ersw hicahrnoe t t hepu blicc'osnc ern.
This new bookb,ei ngb uta j ournalis, tome morien teretshtiaan ng
studiocusobmp osweodr k,ijotner c essryab rieaarns a irof intimacy andfrank­
ness whichtIJTI usually bejo undi nd iariaensdj ournaallson Ieta. d mitone s
into the mosste erettho ughts ofg iftthewriedt er.H e oltdme thatw henhe
looktehdr outgheph a gebsefo re showinthemg to me he foundt ILPmt obe
I nu.was writteinn1 936.
7
FOREWORD
"horergiobtilys taincJdae ll"t, inctliocne odns igtnh etomb u ritianld etrh e
mountawihnse re u:tehreywe r ittBeunt.I assurheidm tehgaott iiss amn
essenptairaotjl e vemryem oiarn,d t hatth esmee moiorsjh isl ife int he
Himala)c'aasn enostc afrpoe ma qualwhiirycg hi vaeddse idn teraensdt
attrtaoc tliitoeenvT eatntho uuTgihet , mabyer epz;lisnis voec iery.
Duringt hes joournu 'hisi tchsheu bojjte hcibtso oPka,u Blr untwoasn, 1
belithee voe,n wryh imatne li.'ing in ltihtet le-Sktnoawoftne TeCherrita.i nry
few Europcearateonsg o nUJadoi suolltdaht emse elamvidew sil adnd rugged
mountfaiaJnsrr o tmh hea unotjcs i visloic.t.aieseh deryh a,sd oneN.e vertheless
Ife eslur et halietg aInheidrt!s U 'arJao,re v end urings hotprheter iwohedn I
was hics ompaIn muisostna yt hatth dea ry seemamrveeall ousO:TU WIlS
u:afieadUi qy.fr omal lt hea u/urlea litesi ofh umdlulifem toa wordl of
dleapms,! oacndse p irituali!}'.
Ont hilsas tt heimt es umsm e ttoh ahtis i deiasn g enerale,x pars essed
here aontdh beoiron k arse,s p ecifiatlte�dvfo rt hgeu idaojnc eW esteprne ople
ando ft hoisnpc reasinnumgeryr ouOs rienwthaolh sa vtea ketnto h emiord e of
lit'intgh iankndiJ np ger. sonalerya sfiitneourd n deirlsmat al!Jln di ntricate
subtletoiuerosw n Aoj sipahtiilocs oapnhdsi peisr itteucahln iiqnucelsu,d ing
Togaw,h enex plaibnyeB dru ntoinn h issc iernattifiiocmon,da elm, and
unsec/amarnineatrnh au:nll ene xpounidnet dh atnc ienwta ysw,h icahre so
remoftroem t wentcieetrynh ut nuderstanding.
Onec omesac rosmas1! Vp assaignte hssec ripotjum roesrste ligwihoensr e
mentioinsm adeo jt hSep isrpiftak iindn igffi rewnatsy ,t hrough different
tonguaensd dmiif17ze. rIa emn cton vinctehadtB runtoinso Tleof thec hosen
inslrutmor len-tisnt thheea rlf-lporwriets td oomft heE astto t hocsaegu ht up
inI he mecnlaifeon iftche a l,-j:es ta,nd thuss erHviesc a USt.
A boloiktk heiis si ntendetdhfoorwsh eo h avee itsyhmpeartho ryy earning
fort kien nlerife thoje S pirIi tca.n g augteh pe rofoiugnnodr aonjct ehe
Tiviewwehro ,i na certaEiunr opean-mannaegwesdp apoefrC alcutta,
denounctehdae u thoera'rsl wioerrk " A SearicnSn e cret Iasn fdailsa,e"
denilehdee x istoejnca en ys pirituianIl ndii#Ja and, finalryr idicutlehde
authocro'ms pettotnc)l condurtcste arcthAhelle tsshee. b esIntd ianj ouTTUlls
and leaiofm o pihnaivoneenv, e r.thelm,h igigvheens tttoth heapb tor oaki, se
thereby boruitin n,c s;oinntgrt ashtle a cofk understaanndd eixngp erience
bttrbyqy tfhWede stern-rboernv ioje twhceeO rl mlir.),nw hosmeids th e lived.
Hiso piniwoas n as muchUJ ortahcc epasti ntgha otf a n uneducated
pugiloinas p tr iceClhesisnev asse oeft hMei ngd ynas€y.
1 canp ersonally tthesatterify e at rheno t onlyt her ogisi nI ndiaas
descriibneB dru ntonb'oso kt,h aits men, of supnormaer l attainments,
marvelloupso wearnsdl osfptyi ritubaulti €JIo,et qhuearlsly unwushuoamhel
has notm entiorneedt. atvhee raEgue r{)apnde Wane stern-eduIcnadteida n
look iwnitdhif fsecrorne ncandc oen,t uemppohtni s sta tementsp-rtohvuisn g
that htahtney'o ebt e mi nitiianttoe dwt ohrel dmo'sstv aluaknobwlle edangde
Asiam'oss t trrasured Stcret tradition.
S
FOREWORD
Asa Nepalheesleot,noa g pienopgwl lwe haveri gimadilYn taimtdhei r
l4nd ian bsoilnutletpee anndmcdpe r o1eJxdc lusivImes cs.a n altshaot testify
theasnce itenrtad itaim oysnst wiiofcs dom bhaeveprene seirvnte hdmoeu ntain
fastnessesb eottfteha rneN vene pianl IinftdasiBrdau J. t tolwsnewlY ho
seeask eaT7Usast tlYh auet hocra nh optoe penetriantteo stoJrn.eae n!d'1
secreojts t hetru e SagoefAs s iHais .C alccurtittiac would nobtei cbeenea th
were it not etqhaut aulnflYap irre jucdoinsctaenmastn lYif etshemste lves.
Thus I havhee aErudr opdeeascrinsb e Eg;h'Pis tiraeseanrc heasn Gdr eat
Pyramsipdi rit-expaseri e"ncaemere jourTUllsitsutntiO"cnc! e a gazn they
betray Eiigthnothereyr ah nacnetve'er.e m etP auBlru ntonO,T if tizey haIJ/!,
theyw ere nopte rmitttose hadr heis inlmifTase I h asvhaer eidt . Twhohos e
reaklnolYhw i m-ad ijJiclllmta ttIem ru,s adtm it-knotu! hahti ssi nceirs ilY
unquestiaonntdah bahltie ms atersiaaclr ifictehse fojsoak red iscovering the
elusi!tru'teh blehifei ndh bauvgner eFaetw. rknoewa lhlYim ,m iasndu nder­
standsieenmsg to be ohrisd aianendda ccepted lot.
Ia mg latdo ha:uo ptphoer toufTn einlYd emryif ngr itehndle i tsetrvliece
oj writthiisn gi ntroductthmieuoc nh.- mMemqyde esds awgheo se linneri ght
flictkherrosthu fego hl lowibneagtrhe h plaesgsesi nhgi ddoSefan g ojte thshee
Holy HimallJ)'lJS!
9