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| Third Eye | 
 enlarge | Author: T. Lobsang Rampa
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Category: Book
Buy New: $6.99 (16.46 RON)
Avg. Customer Rating:  56 reviews
Sales Rank: 27910
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.7
ISBN: 0345340388
Dewey Decimal Number: 291
EAN: 9780345340382
ASIN: 0345340388
Publication Date: June 12, 1986
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
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Product Description
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-powerful, the all-knowing . . . .
"Fascinates the reader!" -- Miami Herald
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| Customer Reviews: Read 51 more reviews...
 Third Eye Or Just Another Hole In The Head May 24, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I thought the story of Lobsand becoming a Tibetan lama and healer was a very entertaining read. i've actually read the book a few times now and thoroughly enjoyed it every time. It is a classic. Whether or not it is true is irrelevant if the spiritual concepts come through. The test is how it makes you FEEL. Don't miss out.
 Fun escapism, but little else April 23, 2008
I read this book first when I was in my late teens, and I thought it was lots of fun. At no point could I take it seriously though, but it was almost as enjoyable as an Indiana Jones movie. The bottom-line is: Read it as an adventure novel, and it is fun. If, on the other hand, you are tempted to take it seriously, you might like to start devoting some time and effort to developing your critical thinking.
An initiation journey April 13, 2008
First book of 24 written by author, The third eye is the autobiography until 16 years of age, when he is sent by the Dalai Lama of that time to go in the West and spread ancient Tibetan teachings. Later (that is, not in this book), Rampa claims having been through Japanese and communist Chinese prisons, tortured, and then later, with the approval of the owner, he entered the body of a British and started writing books. I personally consider the story authentic, but nevertheless almost everyone would agree it is an interesting read, although the writing style is a bit strange, as if English was not the first language (e.g. you see many times the verb at the end, as is "and from there down we went").
The third eye presents elements of Tibetan daily life of early 20th century and the preparations and trainings to become a lama. In this review I'll mostly put aside the monastic training and focus on the lay people's life - but I recommend reading the book to get parts I'm missing.
Well, I can say that people are people everywhere and live mostly the same - a lot of strange and useless traditions just to show off your wealth and social rank, such as decorations throughout a house, or, for a hostess, have attendants wear her cloths to show her guests how many beautiful clothing she had, or wear HUGE earrings that actually required using a thread, lest the ear lobe gets torn apart. Obviously, women are focusing on issues that make little sense to women (and I guess the other way around), like in every country's society.
And yet, the life in Tibet was very different, especially because of the harsh climate. They had little wood, and what they had was very hard, so it was imported from India. Yak dug was used as a fuel, even though it had an acrid smell. Everyone had to do their job... or else.
Life was hard, and to spare the new born of later difficulties - both for them and for their families - they were taken to an ice cold water stream and put inside, except the face, until they turned violet. If they didn't survive, Tibetans considered that's best for such a weakling, for Tibet has no mercy for anyone. Death was part of life. For example, if there was a sudden violent wind storm or bursts, if you didn't get into a shelter you have been blown away and crushed on the rocks or hills. When someone died, they held services, held the body for 3 days, then - for masters - embalmed the body, cover it with gold and put it in underground hallways dedicated for storing honored ancestors. However, for most of the people, the story of their body was different. In Tibetan religion - a branch of Buddhism - body is just a vehicle for the soul, former gets worn and then latter reincarnates in a new body. Burying was difficult - fertile land is limited and otherwise ground is rocky. Similarly, as mentioned, wood was a limited resource mostly imported from India with great efforts to carry it in the mountains. Hence, the bodies were taken away outside the fields, torn and cut apart and fed to vultures and other like birds, including the bones which were crushed into a powder.
In Tibet, people preferred the traditional life, with a slower pace, so that they have time for feeding the soul (praying, meditating, resting). Wheels and wheeled devices were banned - their prophecies which foretold of the Chinese invasions, also stated that wheels are to bring wars and conquest of Tibet.
However, the life of the country was presented mostly as a context, as a background, the emphasis is on the life and trainings of the author. Everything was done according to astrology, and in his case he was told he must go to a lamasery and become a doctor priest.
The focus of the book is on the training and preparations of the 7 year old boy sent to monastery, but I would do the book a disservice trying to mention them, just they were many and hard.
Particularly, the title refers to an surgery being done at the age of 8, when a circular piece of bone was removed at the base of the nose, a small circular wooden piece put there and then the boy was kept for three weeks in darkness on very little food. After that, the wood is removed and wound is healed. The purpose of this procedure was to open the third eye, mentioned in both Eastern and Western esoteric literature to allow clairvoyance.
This is a book I recommend to all truth seekers; one has a lot to learn from it, even if one disagrees with some parts of "The third eye".
A generation's stepping stone March 16, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
T. Lobsang Rampa's (aka Cyril Hoskins') book is indeed a wonderfully charming and compelling story even when considered as only mere fantasy literature. Like many reviewers here and elsewhere, I found The Third Eye along with the author's other books early in this lifetime and was profoundly affected. For me, personally, it does not matter one wit if it's "True" or not. (Just who is the arbiter of what is Truth for another anyway?)
The most important ability I have yet discovered in my lifelong spiritual quest is the ability to hold a space of non-judgment. The way I see it, this book is like the old Zen story about how "the finger pointing to the moon is not the moon" or the similar English language cliche that "the map is not the territory." The Third Eye might not be the moon or the territory itself, but it was (is?) undeniably a very important stepping stone for many seekers of at least one entire generation on their way to finding the Dharma.
Anyone who is Buddhist or familiar with Buddhist teachings will recognize the importance and preciousness of ANY resource that helps one find and connect with the Dharma, especially in this lifetime. Tricycle the Buddhist magazine (Tricycle) in issue #30, Winter, 1998, had a very interesting article about just this controversy; it's been almost a decade since I read it, but I believe their conclusion was much the same as mine (non-judgment, recognition of the importance of this book in connecting so many to the path to the Dharma....)
I am deeply grateful for the stepping stone for myself and others as well as for the entertainment provided by the wonderful tales. (om gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha)
Actually, we all know the truth. November 27, 2007
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
Some reviewers are lamenting if Rampa was genuine, or if it was just a giant hoax. I submit that we all know the truth when we see it, hear it, or read it. The truth excites us, we feel it somewhere in our chests, somewhere in our minds it creates a spark (usually of interest, but sometimes of panic or denial). This can also be called "inspiration", and inspire is what Rampa books do. I say just buy the used book for $5 and see how you react to it. Before my conscious mind allowed the truth in, I was considered the arrogant skeptic who always demanded some ridiculous level of "scientific proof" for anything outside my narrow belief system. Slowly though, my conscious mind started to wake up and I realized my Western scientific mind set was largely fantasy and supported by corporate and political agendas far more than the Truth. Could Rampa be telling 100% of the truth as he saw it? Why not? Do you believe that monks can levitate? I didn't until I saw it myself. Did you know that "astral travelling" has been verified in a number of high quality scientific studies? Did you know that equipment has been developed to image the human "chakra energy system", but it has been supressed many times due to its enormous threat to conventional medicine? Did you know the Nazis believed in and extensively studied every "strange" phenomina Rampa mentions in his books? The Russians have used a variety of what Rampa discusses for spying and militaristic advantage. The NSA and CIA are also heavily involved for obvious reasons. Many weapon systems have been developed based on vibrational frequencies known as ELF waves (haarp, gwen, and others). His discussions on Yetis, Atlantis, flying craft, underground cities / bases, and World politics are clear and plausible and well ahead of his time. What Rampa reports (and don't forget this was in the mid 1950s for pete's sake) might be much more "real" than we would rather know. Although, you already know the truth somewhere within you, but you just need something to "jog your memory" and this book might just do that.
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