Last Forbidden Kingdom Mustang Land Of Tibetan Buddhism

Tibetan culture is threatened with extinction at the hands of the Chinese, but there is one relatively intact outpost: the tiny mountain desert kingdom of Mustang. Nearly unchanged by time or politics, Mustang juts up into western Tibet, stark, grand, and, until very recently, sealed off from the rest of the world. Marullo surveys Mustang history, both natural and human, describing the land, the culture, and the spectacular monasteries filled with masterpieces of Tibetan religious art. Here, as Marullo explains, "Buddhism is less a faith than a metaphysic, and as such underlies every aspect of life." To survive in a place as remote as this, where the mountains are so immense and close to heaven they are unquestionably sacred, a society must achieve balance and harmony with nature, and indeed the people of Mustang are resourceful and strong. But now that Mustang's borders have been partially opened by China, Mustang's hold on what is left of Tibetan culture has become even more tenuous. Perhaps this book, with its luminous, dramatic, and richly detailed photographs, will help outsiders understand Mustang's plight. Donna Seaman