(lively riff)
(bright, hopeful music)
- The Dista, on the other side we climb the Kalimpong,
the maharajah is waiting.
What's your decision?
- We'll try the climb.
(exclaims with worry)
(Donkey neighs)
- Woah, woah. (grunts)
(chuckling)
- Your turn. - Mm-mmm.
(Woman exclaims)
(Man gasps)
I'm alright, nothing's wrong.
- Keep going, you're almost across.
All the same, you gave us a good scare, Madame David-Neel.
(chuckling)
(exclaiming in wonderment)
- Thank you.
- Ah, Madame David-Neel, I've heard so much about you.
Welcome, I am Prince Kumar.
Delighted that you are here in Sikkir.
You are interested in our traditions, I understand?
From the 17th century, all of our rulers
have been exclusively of Tibetan origin.
That is also the origin of our Buddhism.
- I would like to know more of your culture,
all of your ways, especially philosophy.
- In Tibet only, will you find true understanding.
But right now, you cannot go.
Unfortunately, war is raging there.
However, on our border in the north,
there is a monastery that is most interesting.
The Dalai Lama in Tibet is highly respected.
- Could I go and see him?
- Naturally, I'll go with you.
- This land is magnificent.
- There's the monastery.
Each year, the Lama spends most of the year
at his hermitage and won't see anyone.
He almost never comes down from the mountain.
We are fortunate.
Oh, they are mainly to remind us
that good cannot exist without evil.
Enlightened one, a saintly woman from Europe.
She has chosen to follow the path of knowledge.
She has already studied and learned a very great deal.
- Do you observe anything here, that is genuine?
- What good are appearances?
It is impossible to judge by any of them.
- Yes, all of this is just illusion.
Good for those who would not understand,
illumination's within, where all knowledge is.
- Even as night and day, death and life.
Opposites are as one, only words.
- You have seen the ultimate light,
beyond, there is nothingness.
I believe in this, your present life,
you're going to achieve your karma.
Surely, this has brought us together.
Continue your journey and one day return.
- The white scarf, he means to honor you
a benediction, he's really pleased.
Here, your escort will leave you,
and I, too, must return.
However, I've taken the liberty of
choosing someone to accompany you.
He will assist you, and I have full confidence in him.
He is Aphur Yongden.
- How do you do?
How wise that Tibetan is,
if only I might find some way into Tibet.
- Don't worry, children, despite all of
the difficulty, she is going to make it.
Nothing was going to stand in the way of that,
that iron will she's had since childhood.
- Yes, choose a way of life, then hold to it,
whether alone or with others.
- At the beginning of the 20th century,
there was increasing interest in Buddhism
and far eastern cultures, Alexandra more than anyone.
Back at the age of 20, she had learned Sanskrit and Chinese.
And so, prevented from going to Tibet,
she traveled thousands of kilometers and
accomplished what no westerner had ever done before.
Arriving in Nepal, she went to the exact spot
where Buddha had received his illumination.
(roars)
- I am about to die.
Does it matter?
Anyway, this life is no more than a dream.
Oh.
This is a pleasant place, here we will stop.
Everybody is hungry and tired. - Mhm.
- Foreigners, it's traditional that we should welcome them.
We welcome you honored visitors.
(tense music)
- Men, I don't see them.
Tell me, where are the men?
- Traveling, oh honored visitor.
They will trade what we produce for some things we need.
- (Gasps) All of them?
- Here remain only the women and children,
old men and notables of course.
- Will you please arrange for some woodcutters?
We are going to be needing some big logs.
Tell them I'll be willing to pay very well.
Go ahead, I'll need a stack this high.
For you.
- For your information, we share and share alike.
Only the council can assign jobs and distribute work.
Well, it doesn't matter, in any case.
All salaries go directly to our community.
It's all for the banquets. (chuckles)
- Yes, some potatoes, we'll need 30 sacks, no?
- Yes, but only large ones, they are easier to peel.
(laughter)
- Eh eh, come on, nobody is to be favored.
Maybe a potato is small or medium or large.
Only everybody must eat them all, no matter what size.
- That's right, nobody here is favored.
That means you can't- - Ask some for potatoes.
Ask all the village people for them.
Small, medium and large.
- Anyway, we confiscate all the money,
it goes to the community.
It's all for the banquets. (chuckles)
- I suppose at the banquets, everyone has a good time.
- The banquets are for men only, not for us.
Here it's like that it's our tradition.
- Oh is it? Well then, I'll hold a banquet
for women only, with no men.
Go and tell the others.
- To hold a banquet for women is a violation
of proper standards and tradition.
Naturally, this cannot be.
But for honored visitor, the council has decided
to make one exception to the rule.
That is, invite everybody to the banquet
and just this once, we will allow the women to partake,
well, why not? Tee hee.
- Hmm.
(dog growling)
Oh no, again, it's him.
- Eh, you bought a dog from the Tendupes.
- We got him because we need a guard dog.
And the best dogs, you buy from the tendupe.
(dog barking)
- I already told you, no favorites, here equality,
you should get your dogs in the village.
- And we get a dog from each family?
- No, some families don't have any dogs,
no no no, 20 or so at most.
- If we hadn't managed to leave,
we'd have 20 dogs now, the custom.
- [Voiceover] Sometime later, back at Lachen.
- It's extraordinary, last night I dreamt of Gomchen.
Now he wants me to go visit him.
- Sending you a letter saying he wants to see you
is a very great honor, as you know.
Gomchen's hermitage.
It's at 4000 meters altitude.
You will need a good horse for that trip.
- You want a good horse for the mountain?
- Yes. - Come with me.
This is my gentlest horse.
- Well, we'll soon see.
(exclaims)
- Oh, he never did that before.
He's usually as gentle as a spring lamb.
Let me try, I'll show you- (groans)
Gentle as a lamb. (chuckles nervously)
- He's right.
I know that horse, he's always very gentle.
- Yes, it's all that woman's fault.
She may dress Buddhist, only she's
a Christian missionary, wants to convert us.
- Now she's going to seek Gomchen at the hermitage.
- It's on account of the hermit,
there are demons around him.
The horse won't go there.
- You the lady Lama, ma'am?
The Gomchen of Lachen sends this mare.
She knows the way, just let her take you.
- We don't want you here, foreigner.
You go back to your home.
- Yeah, and turn around and go back home.
- Brute force is all this bunch understands,
do I fight them?
- If we don't begin to fight, they will.
Hit them hard, hard and fast.
(grunts)
Keep away, we'll shoot next time.
- Look who's come.
- Ah welcome, how nice it is you've come back.
On the way, there was a problem, not unusual,
but now happily peace is restored
and we are very near, we shall go up.
We are here, madame.
This is where you will be staying.
- I will ask the village people to help me build a cabin.
Is it possible, here I am,
the owner of a house in the Himalayas?
And now we'll see our hermit.
- Come in and sit down, it's such a long time.
To think I've lived here for the past 20 years,
far and away from the world, here alone.
Crowds do not favor meditation,
only alone, high in the mountains,
lying on an open rock, does one feel
fearless and free, equal to any god.
I hope you understand in Tibet,
I will teach you the language and many other things.
See here, the signs aren't the same.
- But the meaning stays the same.
- Proper deep breathing, you must learn it.
You know, the only thing about demons,
our thoughts weak are noted.
Only constant vigilance keeps us
from falling into this illusion.
- Yes, your words are true.
Yes, because Buddha has spoken about this,
even religious ceremonies are a barrier to salvation.
(speaks ancient language)
- Your initiation's complete.
The light within you must be used now
to guide other people who are in darkness.
You will be their beacon of wisdom.
As for Yongden, he will be your companion.
It is time you discovered Tibet.
- Alexandra David-Neel, we're here to inform you,
you must leave the area, there's a war on.
The governor, in the name of the crown,
forbids any unauthorized person to stay in this region.
- Our informants tell us that you want to go to Tibet.
You know it's not allowed.
- Yeah, well it was a bit of bad luck for Alexandra
after getting so close, but
that wouldn't stop our Alexandra.
So that the British authorities would forget her,
she set off on a long voyage that took her to Calcutta.
- Alexandra, your adventures
are truly astonishing, hard to fathom,
oh, look at that holy man, my dear.
What spiritual strength is required to renounce all things.
- Go do it.
Only, we must not trust appearances.
Now we'll see if this man's renounced the world
and it's riches.
- Hey come back here, what the heck,
give me back my, stop thief.
(laughter)
- She went from Calcutta to Burma,
then to Malaysia, beyond Japan,
to Korea, China, finally Mongolia,
and then secretly she crossed over into Tibet at last.
- I think we would do well to begin with a visit
to the monastery, at Kumbum, I'm told
there are libraries with very ancient text.
- There are many monks there as well.
3500, it's a whole city.
- Let's go.
- Look there, it's (indistinct) master of Kumbum.
(indistinct)
But he's still to young to reign over the Mongols,
and he is the pleasant reigning master (indistinct).
- [Voiceover] Alexandra would spend 18 months at Kumbum,
studying in the library with the
many wise monks of the monastery.
She would spend hours studying the old manuscripts.
And then finally, at the end of her stay,
she is proclaimed a Grand Lama.
- I hope to be worthy of the honor bestowed upon me,
and all is to propagate the knowledge
thy have extended to me.
And now I would like to visit Lhasa.
- The capital? Oh, there is no way.
We aren't allowed in the city, oh, these youngsters.
- You would have to cross battlefields,
and regions of pestilence, cholera and worse.
- I have got this far, I can go the rest of the way.
- But all the same, take an escort,
you don't want to take any chances.
- I did not say what our destination is,
superstitious lot, all of them.
They would think some god is going to create a catastrophe,
and stop us ever getting to Lhasa.
(exclaims)
- Back it up.
- You back it up.
- Back all the way up.
- Well it's impossible, we have more than 100 camels
but you've got a couple of donkeys and that's all.
- Of course, the man is quite right,
but we can't afford to be dishonored and lose face,
we can't give in to them.
You can never give in to Mongols,
if we did, we'd lose the respect of the men.
- In that case, out of the way!
- Out of our way, you're wasting our time.
- Okay now, we've got rifles too.
- Go on. - Out of our way!
- Of course she's friends with the Lama,
could be they're (indistinct).
- All right, we let them go through the passage.
- Here, we'll pitch camp for the night.
Miguel, go to the river and get some water, please.
- Stay hidden imbecile, don't give us away.
- Up there ma'am, there are robbers on deep.
- Don't look at them.
Pretend everything is alright.
We'll order everybody to load our things,
and you'll bring me the gun I put in
the saddle bag, over on my mule.
Oh, why didn't you bring the biscuits too?
We could invite them for tea then. (laughs)
- Eh, they're laughing, chief.
We're not scaring them.
- That's how they want it.
They've got a big lesson coming.
All right, attack, attack!
Let's go, you guys.
(men shouting)
Hey, come back.
Hey, nobody can laugh at us.
No, nobody can do that. (groans)
- Quick, make for the rocks.
- Coming through.
- Maybe we can stay here for the night.
- Madame, this lady is a Grand Lama.
We seek refuge, just for one night.
- Ah, travelers, our home is yours, naturally.
- May we serve you some Yak butter tea?
- It would be our pleasure.
- Now, if you would please come and sit down,
I will arrange for the tea.
- Drink it.
- Mm, smells good.
- If you're a Grand Lama, then you
will have power to cure illnesses.
And so tomorrow, village people
will surely come for your blessing.
- Yes, indeed, with great pleasure, naturally.
- We will leave you now, I'm sure you're tired.
We hope you sleep well.
- Are you hungry?
- Yum, a real feast today.
- Our mistress's giving everyone her blessing,
most of them brought food today,
and so, we have a feast, go on,
take another piece of mutton, it's delicious.
- Now I'm going away on a long voyage,
I know it will be dangerous, have you a charm
that will protect me from accidents?
- Come, young, here is a songdu,
it will protect you on the way,
you must wear it at all times.
- Every day, I have so much work to do
with my children and my husband, but lately,
I have a demon inside, right in my head, and
it hurts all the time.
- Serene Rimbo, these are pills for long life,
these pills will chase that awful demon out of your head.
He won't hurt you anymore.
- My husband died recently,
can you tell me what his fate was?
Did he have a good reincarnation?
- Go away, come back in a little while and I'll tell you.
(baby crying)
Your husband has already been born into our world,
the son of a rich merchant.
Don't be so worried, he's much loved in his new family.
He'll have a life of forgiveness.
- Halt, where you going?
- The venerable Lama, bright and shining lamp of wisdom,
and I are on a pilgrimage to the city of Lhasa.
- Impossible, there's a war going on it that area.
You will go directly to Takiendo.
We will send an escort with you.
- We have spent the whole winter here,
and now it's about time we got out.
- Yes, but precisely how? The Tibetans refuse categorically
to allow us any passage to China,
but the Chinese don't allow us in Tibet, either.
- They won't let us come in because
we are thought to be important.
But if we two were simple beggars,
no one would give a hoot.
- There is one detail.
Even dressed in the robes of a Lama, you're European.
- Won't be a problem, I'll get out of the habit.
And we'll leave everything here, our clothes, our mules.
And we'll leave Alexandra here, too.
Now I'm just like the Bucus you see,
like those beggar nuns.
They won't recognize me now,
I'll be your dear old mother.
Well, my son, ready for finishing the journey?
- I'll go with you anywhere.
- Alexandra would give it a second try,
but the danger was greater, she took a very
roundabout route by way of Chinese Yunnan.
Then she crossed the Mekong,
and completely disappeared for four months.
- Yongden, look over there.
- Lhasa.
- All of these children, there are too many.
- And now, what are you going to do?
- Nothing, I have already met
the most prestigious Lamas in Tibet.
The only reason to go to Lhasa
was because they told me I mustn't go.
Never forget, Yongden, follow your heart's desire
and go wherever your eyes lead you.
Now I'll go home, want to go to Europe now with me?
I consider you my own son.
- My heart tells me to follow you,
whole life, a total mystery.
- I thought I was leaving for just a year or two,
but it's been how long?
More than 14 years I've been gone.
And now Yongden, I'm 60 years old.
I would need a century or more
to tell all that I have lived.
- And how right she was.
Alexandra David-Neel wrote novels based on her adventures,
and translated sacred texts that she'd brought back.
This happened quietly for many long years,
and then in 1937, she went back to Asia
where she remained nine years,
blocked by the second world war, and there she was.
Eventually she returned home, and before she died,
she wrote 11 books about the land of Tibet.
It's philosophies, magic, mysteries.
This incredibly gifted woman
even applied for a new passport.
At the age of 100, no doubt,
she was planning to go off on another trip.
(credits music)