Theos-Talk Archives (February 2002 Message tt00131)

Mic wrote, "I have just finished reading "The Third Eye" and was impressed
with its seeming honesty. Apart from the dubious integrity of the author,
would it be a fairly accurate account of the life of a Tibetan monk?"

I don't know. I read that book, and considered it reasonable and very
interesting. A part I'll never forget was his coming to the monastery, age
6, I think. He had been dropped off at the gate, and there was another kid
whose father was a butcher. The monks screamed at this kid, called him a
murderer, and chased him away.

I once read a brief editorial by someone who had been to Tibet, and said
Rampa was a clever fraud who must have read a lot of Theosophy. As I
recall, though, this critic didn't have anything specific against Rampa, and
was just voicing his opinion. In my mind, I file Rampa as "Gee, that's
interesting. I wonder if it's true?" There is nothing so flagrant that
would make me say it's false.

As I recall, in his later life, he was obsessed with inventing a device
by which people could see things on the higher planes, and he regarded this
as his life's purpose.