In the footsteps of the Snow Leopard

"In the Footsteps of the Snow Leopard" By Tim Easton About the Book The Snow Leopard is Peter Matthiessen's famous account of an unforgettable spiritual journey. Peter, a student of Buddhism and grieving the death of his wife, charted his deepening understanding of reality, suffering, impermanence, and beauty as he trekked through the Himalayas in search of the elusive snow leopard back in 1973. More than forty years later Tim Easton retraced Peter's footsteps following the ancient trails on his own spiritual journey. Tim explores his samsara - the cycle of death and rebirth - his suffering, and his need for healing in this very special part of the world. In the footsteps of the Snow Leopard, Tim follows his adventure in Dolpo region, remote northwest Himalaya in Nepal, facing sub-zero temperatures and high altitude in the hope of spotting the illusive snow leopard and finally hearing for himself the 'silent heartbeat' of the Earth.

About the Author :
About the Author Tim Easton was born in Stanthorpe, south-east Queensland on 9 October 1961 to British migrants John and Diana Easton. Stanthorpe is a very beautiful part of the world, an imposing granite landscape rich in vineyards and fruit orchards. For his mother, an Englishwoman arriving there in 1960, Stanthorpe was a hot and dry place with thousands of black flies that manage to fossick for moisture in nearly every orifice of the human body given the chance. Stanthorpe can be an unforgiving place to live especially as Tim's father was away most of the week selling Caltex fuel and oil to prosperous farming communities. Tim had two older sisters, Helen Coromel and Heather Jan Easton. At the tender age of thirteen a terrible tragedy struck the Easton family when Tim witnessed his sister Heather, fall to her death from Lost World on Lamington National Park's western plateau. In trying to understand this tragedy Tim has searched for answers. In his late thirties he sought professional help to understand the depth of his depression. It was no surprise that it was directly related to Heather's accident but it was also living for the better part of twenty years with Tim's parents' grief. So why did he do this trip - alone? Tim can quickly say for the deep love and respect he has for his very British parents and their sense of adventure. And because of the family motto; Esto Quod Audes - be what you dare - Tim even had this Latin inscription tattooed onto his left shoulder when he was aged 46. By 2009 Tim's world came crashing down with mental illness that in 2012 was diagnosed as bipolar disorder. With the help of a very good doctor he has got his life back on track but it's been a long, almost ten-year journey that one can never really 'get over' - one simply learns to manage the illness - and with the correct professional help it can be managed. There is hope! In 2000 while renovating two homes, Tim graduated with a Communication degree from Griffith University, Brisbane. He somehow always knew he would study journalism but he didn't think he would wait until he was thirty-six years old to study full time; but Tim flourished at university and discovered that his gift was more for radio than writing. Tim ran Men's and Women's Stories on Radio 4EB in Brisbane from January 2014 for almost five years during which time he was the carer for his now ninety-two-year-old mother. A mutually beneficial arrangement during a time, Tim was building his strength. Today Tim is a proud father of three young adult children. He wants them to always know their mother and father loves them dearly and may they travel to the Himalayan mountains one day to discover the richness and beauty of the Tibetan/Nepalese culture. Thank you, and Namaste!