light at the edge of the world

a few weeks ago my dad drew my attention to an extraordinary series of what are nominally travelogues but which actually posit deeper questions than travelogues are commonly associated with. this video is the opening segment. the series entitled light at the edge of the world follows some of the travels of an extraordinary person named wade davis.

light at the edge of the world is based on the simple premise that change happens but that it is not always necessary or healthy.

in author and narrator wade davis’ own words: “You know, the year that I was born, there were six thousand languages spoken on earth,“and of the six thousand languages spoken on earth, fully half aren’t being taught to children, which means, that effectively, unless something changes, they’re dead. half of humanity’s repertoire will be lost in a generation or two…an unprecedented pace of change. I don’t think this has to happen.”

this is the first show of the series in which davis makes a spiritual trek to nepal to look at the roots of buddhism. buddhism asks the question: what is life and what is the point of existence? davis takes an anthropological and spiritual journey into the himalayas of nepal to learn and share the deepest lessons of buddhist practice. he opens by asking the burning question: how do you take a spiritual journey in buddhism. where do you begin? who do you follow?

i’m not sure that practical answers are found in this documentary which is appropriate as those answers should come from your own work and commitment. but the film does provide an attractive, thought-provoking, and clarifying perspective on buddhism.

light at the edge of the world episode one


to learn more about this series and about wade davis himself then visit here.

wade davis . . . light at the edge of the world is available as a book, and as a downloadable (but strangely commercially unavailable video),
from national geographic.