The Third Eye

By: Lobsang T. Rampa

Narrated by: Clay Lomakayu

Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's Summary

T. Lobsang Rampa was preordained to be a Tibetan priest, a sign from the stars that could not be ignored. When he left his wealthy home to enter the monastery, his heart was filled with trepidation, with only a slight knowledge of the rigorous spiritual training and physical ordeal that awaited him.

This is his story, a hauntingly beautiful and deeply inspiring journey of awakening within Chakpori Lamasery, the temple of Tibetan medicine. It is a moving tale of passage through the mystic arts of astral projection, crystal gazing, aura deciphering, meditation, and more - a spiritual guide of enlightenment and discovery through the opening of the all-knowing "Third Eye".

This is the first a series of groundbreaking books written by T. Lobsang Rampa, which catapulted him to international fame in the 1960s and '70s. Rampa's stories touched the hearts of the millions and put them in touch with Eastern philosophy for the very first time. Whatever one might say about him, there is no doubt that Rampa played an important role in bringing Buddhism to the West. His continuing popularity is a result of his deep knowledge of the human psyche and spirit, and his true understanding of the eight-fold path of the Buddha.

©1968 Saucerian Press (P)2016 New Saucerian Press

Gripping story, wonderfully detailed descriptions,

mindful, autobiographical, mystical, and adventuresome. A tale told better than many award winning books I've read . . .

It's the little details throughout that captured and held my interest and gave gravity to this book. And the story unfolds in a way that I wanted to know what would happen next.

I see that these audio versions have come out rapidly since last year, but I wish the third book written . . . the one that explains how the transition into the British body happened was already narrated. I have finished the first book - The Third Eye - and am well into the second book - Doctor From Lhasa - but at this time the third book is not yet available on Audible, although there are some other books narrated out of order.

I found a listing of 19 books, in the order of the years published, at a website dedicated to the author . . . lobsangrampa dot org. That should be helpful in deciding which books to listen to first, second, third . . .

I hope the other books will be narrated soon - it's exciting and very interesting listening - it's one of the books where if something interrupted my attention I made sure to go back and catch every word.

The narrator is fantastic and does voices, like the first person voice of the author, and those of wizened old monks who were his teachers, very well. The humorous undercurrent at times is delightful, although there were some shockingly harsh experiences related too. Life in Tibet was not easy, or safe.

There are a few small editing/production glitches where someone should have been paying attention and not let a few words get repeated as the narrator corrected himself and quickly reread a portion. But the fascinating story and excellent writing far outweigh these tiny errors and the book is well worth the credit. I think I want the hard copies too since there was reference to an illustration.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

So much to think about

The book is excellent. There is so much wisdom to ponder. I wish I heard it before I had to make major life decisions. It takes you on a journey of awakening and test your frameworks and world views. Brilliant.

Read the book years ago. Listened to it recently.

I highly recommend this book. It was a whole different experience from when I read the book in the 80’s. This book encourages much personal reflection and I found this book was a springboard to connections in some personal way to the honeycomb of experiences, feelings, strengths, weaknesses, successes and failures in my own life relating to spiritual and emotional growth.

Fantastic

Although some pieces may be fiction, I believe this books was thoroughly enjoyable. It is probably not historically accurate, and some of the claims made by the author were outlandish. The narrator in particular was exceptional at setting the atmosphere for the read. The book has such a great ending and showcases the author's great storytelling abilities.

Thought provoking and delightful.

I enjoyed the story very much and, it has to be said, the narrator's voice and style certainly contributed to that enjoyment, therefore I will most certainly listen to The Third Eye again. The story of a very young Tibetan monks' childhood journey and experiences are both fascinating and endearing. I often found myself emotionally involved with the young monk and frequently found my self smiling at his antics one moment then becoming full of empathy the next. I soon became absorbed in the narrative and came away with, what I hope, is a better understanding of the Buddhist way. There are many surprises waiting in store for the reader and I think I gained a respectful insight into an ancient tradition; this book gave me much to think about. I would certainly recommend and I will definitely be listening, or least reading, some of the authors other books. My one criticism is that I wish they would change the picture on this author's books to something a but more reflective of the contents, they make him look menacing and evil. The content of the book is very far removed from that image.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Wonderfully written

It's hard to imagine a West Country non-initiate knowing so much detail. The story he painted is so vivid that it begs further research.