Customer Reviews

The Third Eye

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This author wrote a total of 19 affordable paperbacks on the topics of Tibet and the forgotten mystic abilities of mankind. You may have heard the stories about the author, that he was a "hoax", not who he claimed to be. Read the books! He openly discusses all of these accusations, and often states that because his story is so unusual, he is often disbelieved. Then, once you tire of the whole controversy regarding the author, you will still be left with a wealth of down-to-earth information about topics considered "out of this world". If you are seriously interested in the possibilites of reincarnation, astral travel, meditation, etc. but you don't want to read a bunch of New Age jibber-jabber, read The Third Eye and any other book by T. Lobsang Rampa. The author's writing style is warm and humourous, interweaving the lessons with stories from his facinating life experience. I have read and re-read all 19 of his books so I am obviously a fan...but I was skeptical at first. You will be too, because the story is unlike any you've ever heard. Never mind, whether you consider his work fact or fiction, Rampa's books are page-turners one and all. (Note: those who mentioned their wish to contact the author...unfortunately, this is not possible because he passed away in 1981.)

Was this book a universal coming of age for many of us who are now in our 40's and 50's? Many have commented that they read this when they were 10-15 yrs old, and it made an incredible impression on them. This experience is mentioned on many of the websites dealing with Rampa, to include skeptic blogs, etc. Even if it is fantasy, isn't it interesting that it made such an impression on so many of us at such an early age? I was probably 12 yrs old when I read his books, as my older brother and Mom were very into the occult, and it seemed very natural to me. I remember after reading the books, seeing auras, which I accepted as normal at that age. I'm no longer seeing auras, and I am not into new age subjects, but I must give cudos to a book that could/can continue to affect me 40 yrs later. Hoax? Spiritual hijack? Who cares...it made me a more spiritual person, made me respect the souls of others more, and continues to stay with me MANY years later. I'd say it's a classic.

This is a very short review. I read "Third Eye", "The Saffron Robe", and a number of other Rampa books when I was 11-12 (35 years ago.) I've been a Buddhist ever since: I read his explanation of the Four Great Truths* and right then and there knew.

Yes, Cyril Hoskin never went to Tibet; read the parts about Tibet as Victorian theosophist fantasy, like reading "Lost Horizon". Yes, his stories about the spiritual practices of Lamaist/Tantric Buddhism are mostly fantasy: read them as such, like reading "Lord of the Rings".

Doesn't matter. The stories are fun, and the heart of Buddhism is in them.

* Four Great Truths: (1) Our day to day life is full of suffering and frustration; (2) suffering and frustration arises because we try to cling to a fixed universe that suits us, rather than accepting the transitory nature of things; (3) by learning not to cling, we overcome this suffering; (4) the Buddha's collection of skillful practices is a way to learn not to cling.

Some have said that this book and its author are a complete hoax, because it seems to be that he was actually an English man called Cyril Hoskins, and that he never even went to Tibet and so forth... I think this is a very profound book which compels the reader to think about the spiritual aspect of self, a most important, yet often-neglected part of every human being, and I think this is the bottom line here, to take what you believe in and put away what you don't, after all nobody can make you believe in something your heart doesn't accept as true, so don't be afraid to give it a try and just enjoy the beautiful scenes and experiences it portrays.

I first read this book in 1973, (which made the best seller list in 1957) and could not put it down. Dr, Rampa, (who I am told died in 1983) was a Tibetan "Lama", a recongnized incarnation, according to the Buddist religion. After being educated as a medical lama at the Chakpori Lamasery in Lhasa, he traveled to China in the 30's to complete his medical education. While serving with the Chinese army during W.W.II, he was captured by the Japanese. He escaped, and traveled the world for the next decade, including the U.S. Eventually his body, broken from years of torture at the hands of the Japanese and Russians, wore out. He returned to Tibet in the 50's and "died". With the help of the secret Tibetan metaphysical master lamas, he underwent a "transmigration", in which his astral body took over the body of an englishman, who was about to commit suicide (this person worked for the local waterworks, hence the derisive term "plumber", which was used by the British tabloid press in an attempt to ridicule him). Read about this in "The Third Eye"," Doctor From Lhasa", and The Rampa Story". I corresponded with Dr. Rampa several times in the '70's, and I can tell you he was a real person. I loved all his twenty odd books, and also the two books written by his wife. Read them , and learn about the real occult world. He is passing on the true ancient wisdom held within the land of Tibet for eons, the true story of human evolution and potential.

Lama Cyril Hoskins does not sound as good as Lobsang Rampa, isn't it? That's what was his real name. Having travelled to and studied on Tibet for two decades now, I had always refused to read this book since I knew it distorted the image of Tibet unlike any other book "about" Tibet. Now I finally found myself reading "The Third Eye", and since I can easily distinguish what is fiction and what is the rendering of given knowledge in the West at the time of its being written, I found it quite entertaining and amusing. I was even somehow surprised about the author's insight into (part of) the Tibetan culture: this author, a British who had never been even near to Tibet, had an idea of Tibet - similar to German Karl May's description of the north American Indian world - which sometimes is closer to the reality than what many Westerners nowadays believe was or is Tibet! He is, however, partially responsible for wrong images of Tibet. So my advice is: read it as fiction, but don't take it too serious, especially in those parts which tend to fascinate us Westerners! Then you may enjoy it.

Fact? Fiction? Real author or pen name? Rampa Cult Alert?? What else matters but the CONTENT and how well it was written. A few reviewers on this site are so enamored with discrediting the author, they never once mention the VALUE of the writing. Relax! Lay down your arms. Go ask doc for a calm-downer perscription. Then go back and read the STORY this time, OK?

I read the whole series of books 30 years ago and even today, clearly remember the impact they had on me. I never really knew - or cared - if it was all fact or fiction. The Rampa tales are among the most compelling and memorable books I, and millions of others, have ever read.

So there!

Look, I don't know if Rampa is a lama, his reincarnation or a plumber. And I couldn't care less. I love this book. I bought it in Italy when I was probably 15 and I have been reading it every few years ever since. When I came in the US at 38, I bought the English version. It is clean, it is romantic, it tells about a world we can only dream about nowadays. I study Tai Chi and Chi Gung, aside of my Aikido core-studies, and never find that my knowledge detracts anything from the beauty of this book.

You are reading this and you read the other reviews but this will suffice your curiosity. Neither the reviewers that support Lobsang's message (and here is a first hint: HIS message NOT him is what counts) such as I or the ones that fully reject him AND his message have tried to do, search, explore, sense and perceive what his books TALK ABOUT.
Most people that have been to Tibet believe the average Lama is capable of performing the things talked about in the book. WRONG! WRONG! AND WRONG!

You will need to read another 'hoax' author that interestingly enough, clearly states that very, very, very few humans are able to perform such things. Carlos Castañeda is his name and he finds his 'Lobsang', his personal guru in the middle of the desert, just a poor indian on a dusty bus stop... but this was not ordinary native indian (read: no ordinary human being). Only difference between Castañeda and Lobsang? The first comes from native-american tradition and the second comes from asian, eastern tradition but remarkably, both say the same things which is the following: there is a way for average people to 'disconnect' from the physical world/reality at will, this in turn will allow such being (remember, disconnected mind of the body is no longer a human being but just a being) to EXPERIENCE 'impossible' things in other 'realities'.

After reading two 'hoaxes' such as Rampa and Castañeda, I read a third author, this one has not been called a 'hoax' because unlike the other two authors, he understands that our way of life is intrinsically linked to science, meaning, we must provide an EMPIRICAL way to experience what those books talk about. This author, much like Lobsang, explains about his 'Out of Body Experiences' (what Lobsang calls Astral Traveling) while in the second attention (what Castañeda calls it). Robert Monroe, founder of the Monroe Institute goes on to try to prove what Castañeda and Lobsang talked about under the eyes of science. They are 'scouts' or 'recons' moving ahead of the pack to provide us, average people, with IDEAS AND CONCEPTS to absorb for once a person is inspired by a concept/idea (seen the movie Inception lately?), that person will go on trying to achieve whatever concept was 'implanted' in his mind, what he believes in he will achieve. In other words, pointless to talk to a native indian back in 1492 about helicopters when such machines were not developed but 500 years later... the mind of that time could not GRASP the concept of a machine, let alone a flying one.

You will also know the three authors talk about their different different concepts but they all have something in common: very few 'normal' human beings are able to experience it DURING CONSCIOUS, AWAKENED LIFE (here is a big hint) and ALL of them agree that such capabilities are experienced during... what's the term? oh yes, Deeper Levels of Consciousness or Altered States of Conciseness (if you are a true seeker you'd then ask HOW you enter such states and you will find out that Lobsang suggest Meditation, that Castañeda suggests at first organic hallucinogen plants but then retracts and offer Tansegrity or 'magical passes', a yoga-like set of movements, and finally Mr Monroe suggests SOUNDS as a way for the brain to enter deeper states of consciousness). They all offer OPTIONS and tools but it is up to the person to search what's best suited for him/her.

While Castañeda does not talk about UFOs, both Rampa and Monroe not only talk about UFOs, they actually have conversations with the 'drivers' of such things and both state exactly the same thing: a- we are technological superior, b- we have been here before your civilization showed up in this planet and c- no, we DID not want OPEN contact until this point BUT that's about to change (again, ask yourself what variables have changed in our world for another Pattern of Life to be willing to REVEAL itself to us)...

Last but not least, noticed I said that the overwhelming majority humans are not able to do this while conscious or awake... Mr Monroe states that EVERY human being is able to do such things as telepathy, astral traveling, etc while they are ASLEEP!!! meaning while there is no consciousness or when the intellectual side of the brain is NOT operating.

You'd have to search and dig really deep to confirm this but one man already told the world: Edgar Cayce, the 'Sleeping Prophet', when asked about telepathy and clairvoyance during one of his 'readings' had this to say: YOU ARE SLEEPING ON IT (and here you find the reason why tribes that were not in contact with western civilization, at their first encounter called them 'dreamwalkers' or 'sleepwalkers' or 'lostman')... the average man of the world had no idea it lost the ability to stay awake while asleep (why or WHO/WHAT made it happen?), much like a drug addict or alcoholic is not aware of his problem, he must become aware first and then move over to a solution to the problem... and this my friends is what the three authors (and many other) are trying to convey... I hope this suffices.

I read this and several other Lobsang Rampa books 30 years ago when around ten years of age and never revisited them. I found them absolutely the most absorbing experience, breathtakingly outclassing my very thorough traditional Christian education and sowing the seeds (little did I know it then) of my adoption of Buddhism a decade and a half later (Rampa then not playing any role of which I was conscious). Reading some of these reviews, I dare not take another dip: it may be that there is much that is not conventional in Rampa's stories. That they so exquisitely, so powerfully lead an otherwise rutted mind into a state more ready to receive Buddha's Truth is more than enough for me - and, I hope, you. There is pure joy here.