The search for physical immortality is one of the principal themes of universal thought and literature, observed in some of the earliest recorded writings, including
The Epic of Gilgamesh
.
Sherpa
is a philosophical and existential approach to this age-old human quest. The book synthesizes the different paths that various cultures—the Chinese, the Tibetan, the Indian, and others—attempted to pave toward immortality, examining the consequences of adopting a philosophy and behavior that revolve around it. The author argues that incorporating the concept of immortality into everyday life can drastically change an individual’s perception of sexuality, mysticism, the use of technology, social obligation—in short, the building blocks of life. The essay discusses individuals who, though they did not achieve physical immortality, left an enduring legacy, including scalers of the Himalayas’ eight-thousanders and the Sherpa community.