Only serious scholars of Buddhism can comment on the authenticity of all that Matthiessen says about the various forms of Buddhism. He gives copious notes on most of what he says with citations at the end of the book that mentions the sources of what he says.

Like 'awakening'. You see it when you stop trying. So near, imminent and so elusive. Like the present moment. Like what 'is'. I started this book a few times in my twenties. It won the National Book Award in 1978, when I was first teaching, and I was not yet ready to read it. Or maybe, if I had gone “on the road” as Kerouac got a generation to do, one way or the other, I might have taken it with me then and actually read it. I tried on a few other occasions to get into it, and I couldn’t do it, for one reason or the other, but for some reason I always knew at some point it would be important for me to experience. Something like Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, it was a book for a time, highly influential, but this book is in my opinion a much better and richer book. But even then, having slow-read it over the month of my trip, it has still taken me months to get to writing about it. I warn you, this could go on for a while. I’m mostly writing it for myself, but you are welcome to come along for my (reading) journey.

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Although the story is light and entertaining yet when it is a story christened Snow Leopard Adventure just an off-hand mention of the animal might leave the reader asking for more. The author can be lauded for having an excellent story line and a gift for a superb dabbing in description. This book is a true accounting of a wildlife research trek into the Himalayas. In many ways it reads like a novel. It is rich with sensory detail – capturing the sights, tastes, smells, sounds and textures of the author’s journey, along with his observations and feelings of his experience. Theroux, Paul (2011). The Tao of Travel: Enlightenments from Lives on the Road. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p.144. ISBN 978-0547549194 . Retrieved 21 June 2014. Matthiessen was introduced to zen Buddhism by his wife, during the process of her death he had several experiences that he understood as being near Enlightenment experiences and in pursuit of these he went with Schaller imagining that the mountain environment and difficulties of the journey might push him into a permanent state of Enlightenment. From another point of view, he is attempting to cope with his grief. The leopard’s tale—which is the longest of any cat—is used like a scarf to keep warm during the cold winter snows, as well as, helping the leopard keep its balance when jumping and running. Its paws, which are enormous, allow the weight of the cat to be spread out so it can walk through deep snow and never sink.

We observe Matthiessen and how he relates to Schaller. We observe also Matthiessen’s relationship with Tukten, a man he comes to respect and rely on thoroughly. He was originally employed to bear provisions. A bond of kinship develops between the two. This is interesting to note, given that Tukten was frowned upon, viewed by some as an unreliable drunk. I admire Tukten for his ability to stay calm. He became a role model for not only Matthiessen but also for me. Each reader must judge for himself. I'm a little embarrassed to say I hadn't paid attention to much of Matthiessen's work before he died. I had Shadow Country on my shelf and every intention of getting to it soon, but didn't realize he had this whole other nonfiction output. I read the Snow Leopard after I read his obit three weeks ago and discovered he was the only person (?) to win the National Book Award for BOTH fiction and nonfiction. OK, so, maybe it was time to throw off my veil of ignorance and start reading some Matthiessen. I figured 'The Snow Leopard' was a good place to start.Subchapter 16.2: Argali Sheep (Ovis ammon) and Siberian Ibex (Capra sibirica) Trophy Hunting in Mongolia Subchapter 24.1: Rescue, Rehabilitation, Translocation, Reintroduction, and Captive Rearing: Lessons From Handling the Other Big Cats