Navajo and Tibetan Sacred Wisdom: The Circle of the Spirit

by Peter Gold

The similarity between the Navajo and Tibetan spiritual traditions has often been remarked upon by scholars chiefly because of the mandala sand paintings common to both cultures, their ideas about matter and spirit, and their uncanny physical resemblance to one another. Author Peter Gold substantiates the shared knowledge of these seemingly disparate people by drawing extensive parallels among many aspects of both creation myths, cosmology, geomancy, psychology, visionary arts, and healing and initiation rituals. Through his sensitive comparison of Navajo and Tibetan sacred ways, the author encourages us to reconsider our own cultural paradigms and shows us how we might begin to recover a sense of the sacred.

Genres: Mythology, Buddhism, Indigenous

350 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1994

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book that shows many parallels between Navajo and Tibetan wisdom and ritual. It's helpful to be familiar with one of the cultures, in order to map the similarities.