Ancient Futures

Learning From Ladakh

Helena Norberg Hodge Hodge, Peter Matthiessen, Dalai Lama XIV

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English

Rider
15 April 2000

History; Asian history; Mysticism; Cultural studies; The environment

Revised edition of the inspirational Rider classic about the culture and religion of Ladakh and what its westernisation teaches us about the effects of capitalism and globalisation

Ladakh, or 'Little Tibet', is a wildly beautiful desert land up in the Western Himalayas.

It is a place of few resources and an extreme climate.

Yet for more than a thousand years, it has been home to a thriving culture.

Traditions of frugality and cooperation, coupled with an intimate and location-specific knowledge of the environment, enabled the Ladakhis not only to survive, but to prosper.

Everyone had enough to eat; families and communities were strong; the status of women was high.

Then came 'development'.

Now in the modern sector one finds pollution and divisiveness, inflation and unemployment, intolerance and greed.

Centuries of ecological balance and social harmony are under threat from pressures of Western consumerism.

Ancient Futures is much more than a book about Ladakh.

Passionately argued, it raises important questions about the whole notion of progress, and explores the root causes of the malaise of industrial society.

At the same time, the story of Ladakh serves as a source of inspiration for our own future.

It shows us that another way is possible, and points to some of the first steps towards kinder, gentler patterns of living.

By: Helena Norberg Hodge Hodge
Preface by: Dalai Lama XIV
Introduction by: Peter Matthiessen
Imprint: Rider
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: New edition
Dimensions: Height: 215mm, Width: 135mm, Spine: 18mm
Weight: 241g
ISBN: 9780712606561
ISBN 10: 0712606564
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 15 April 2000
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Other merchandise
Publisher's Status: Active

Reviews for Ancient Futures: Learning From Ladakh

Helena Norberg-Hodge is Director of the International Society for Ecology and Culture. For the last 16 years she has worked in Ladakh, a region in Himalayan Kashmir. A Tibetan dialect is spoken, and for a thousand years Ladakh has been an enclave of Tibetan Buddhism. The generous humanism of the Ladakh way of life, the universal co-operation, the ingenious and respectful use of the resources of the difficult terrain, are being eroded as Western technology and attitudes take hold. This intelligent and moving book asks us to learn from the peaceful and impressively organized Ladakh people, while accepting that they are entitled to the fruits of the world's progress. (Kirkus UK)