Seven Years In Tibet by Heinrich Harrer

Although I said earlier that I would post on a book that I was reading about Chinese philosophy, I will not post on that book. That is to say, my post will not exceed the following sentence: do not read “A Short History Of Chinese Philosophy” by Fung Yu-Lan for it is boring and useless in terms of understanding Chinese philosophy. I will, however, post on the book that I just finished yesterday evening: Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer. In Seven Years in Tibet, Harrer tells the true story of his escape from a British internment camp in India and his ensuing journey to the Tibetan capital, Lhasa.

One thing to keep in mind is that Harrer is a badass in every sense of the word. For starters, in his younger days, Harrer ascended a peak in the Austrian Alps so dangerous every attempted climb prior to Harrer’s had resulted either in the deaths of the climbers or mere incompletion. Harrer’s own conquering of the mountain would not go overlooked; it was described in, according to the author himself, not one, but “several books”. Harrer also happened to be a world-class skier as he was a member of the Austrian Olympic skiing team and winner of the World University Slalom Championship. Mind you, this all takes place during the preface.

Harrer’s tale continues to amaze as it moves into the first chapter and beyond. Harrer’s successful completion of the climb in the Alps granted him a spot in a German climbing expedition set for the Himalayas. Unfortunately for the group of climbers, World War II broke out soon after their arrival in the Himalayan region. British forces, which occupied India at the time, apprehended the group of German mountain climbers and sent them to an internment camp where they were, nonetheless, treated well. After several unsuccessful escape attempts, Harrer and a few others were finally made it across the Indian-Tibetan border where they were somewhat safe from British troops, as Britain had no jurisdiction in Tibet.

During his time in the camp, Harrer somehow managed to become relatively proficient in Tibetan. He and one of his hiking partners used their language skills to attempt to befriend the Tibetan people as they made their way through the Tibetan mountains and into Lhasa. Their journey was, of course, fraught with obstacles. A constant source of fear for Harrer and his partner was the fact that they were illegal immigrants in Tibet and if discovered would be returned to India, and thus to the British authorities. Amongst the other dangers they encountered during their travels were leopards, bears, bandits that roamed the countryside mercilessly killing anyone they came across for their possessions, 20,000 foot passes, and temperatures far below zero. They had no defenses, only some tattered clothing, a few possessions, and some money that they ran out of just before arriving in Lhasa.

After arriving in Lhasa, Harrer and his friend were both taken in by a Tibetan noble and gradually increased their status as they found work and assimilated into the life of Lhasa. Being essentially the first Europeans to come to Lhasa peacefully, Harrer was eventually sought out by the young and inquisitive Dalai Lama. Harrer served as his tutor for a couple years before Harrer and the Tibetan nobles were compelled to evacuate Lhasa when the Chinese invaded in 1950. Perhaps not badass, but nonetheless a cool thing to be able to say you were the tutor to a boy who was believed to be a living god by the more than 3 million people of Tibet at that time. After Harrer’s evacuation from Tibet in 1950, the book closes with a few remarks made by the author about the changes he saw in Tibet pre and post 1950 and his own feelings on the matter.

The book moves at a rapid clip, which is further aided by the author’s barebones, yet eloquent, writing style. Not only is it a highly enjoyable read, it also provides a fascinating insight into the life and customs of the Tibetan people before the Chinese invasion and subsequent overhaul of the country. Lucky for the reader, Harrer refrains from ranting about Tibetan independence or China’s actions in Tibet. Instead, Harrer maintains an objective view as he describes his observations of the habits, lifestyle, and general demeanor of the people.

Whether or not you are interested in Tibet, I would highly recommend this book. The story alone is reason enough to take the relatively short amount of time one needs to read it. When you add in the cultural and historical insight that Harrer’s experiences provide, the book simply becomes a must-read. If, however, you wish not to read the book, perhaps you should watch the movie, which features Brad Pitt, with whom I want to slow dance.