Magic and Mystery in Tibet: Discovering the Spiritual Beliefs, Traditions and Customs of the Tibetan Buddhist Lamas - An Autobiography : Pantianos Classics : 9781789871500 : 1789871506 : 01 Jan 1931 : Alexandra David-Neel was among the first Westerners to extensively explore Tibet. In these memoirs she tells of her encounters there; the people and their culture, and fervently Buddhist society. The author's early years, wherein her enthusiasm for travel and curiosity of faraway cultures grew, are excluded from these pages. Rather we begin with David-Neel's first trip to Tibet, and her initial impressions of the country. The friends she makes, and the various officials and Buddhist priests of varying rank and station, are recounted vividly. As a Western woman, David-Neel did not always encounter friendliness or tranquility in those she met: many were less than welcoming, or even hostile, to her presence. As she was a pioneer in Tibet, it is for these explorations that David-Neel is mos