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LOBSANG RAMPA NEw AGE TRAILBLAZER An alleged Tibetan high lama who claimed to have transmigrated into the body of a Devonshire man, Rampa provided through his writings a legacy of secret knowledge that has challenged even his most strident Critics. Part 1 of 2 n January 1981, two prominent Tibetan identities died in exile. Amala, or "Mother of the Nation", died after a long illness in Dharamsala, India. She had given birth to 16 children—including her most famous son: His Holiness, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. Her two other sons had been recognised as tulkus, or reincarnations of high lamas. She was beloved by the whole Tibetan nation in exile, who mourned her passing. In an emergency ward of the Foothills Hospital in Calgary, Canada, the famous author and mystic known as Tuesday Lobsang Rampa also breathed his last after decades of ill health. His 19 books about Tibet and the occult arts had sold in the millions and his admirers could be found on six continents. Despite his fame, however, there were no accolades or eulogies from the Tibetan community. He died unrecognised and unclaimed by the people of Tibet whom he had tried to help. Lobsang Rampa was an Englishman with a Devonshire accent who insisted that he was a Tibetan high lama. He claimed that in 1949 he had transmigrated into the willing body of Cyril Hoskin (born c. 1911) to perform his mission in life. Hoskin had already changed his name in 1948 by deed poll to Dr Carl KuanSuo, on the lama's telepathic suggestion, and this surname was later shortened to Kuan. Rampa's detailed recollections of Tibet and China, his wealth of knowledge about the occult arts and his disarming sincerity led many readers to believe in his authenticity. Rampa's critics claimed that he was a Cornish plumber's son named Cyril Hoskin, and they were vociferous in their condemnation of the author—so much so that his first book about Tibet, The Third Eye, came to be considered one of the greatest literary hoaxes of all time. The critics included Tibetan and oriental scholars, many media representatives and members of the Tibetan community in exile, including many famous personalities. Published in 1956, The Third Eye is the autobiography of a young Tibetan noble, Tuesday Lobsang Rampa, who was sent to a medical lamasery at the age of seven. At Chakpori he was taught medicine, religion, the martial arts and the innermost secrets of Tibetan esoteric science. His awesome psychic powers were facilitated by an operation called "the opening of the third eye", which stimulated the psychic centre of the brain. His patron was the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. Rampa witnessed many marvels such as extraterrestrial mummies and yetis. Despite the critics, Rampa clung on tenaciously, writing his books and continually pro- claiming his innocence and authenticity. After his death, his books were relegated to the New Age fringe and were shamelessly plagiarised by other authors. By the 1990s, Lobsang Rampa occupied a full page of The Guinness Book of Fakes, Frauds & Forgeries (Newnham, 1991) and most of his books were out of print. The Internet has brought together many of Rampa's loyal readers who had benefited from his teachings on the mystical arts and affirmations of the afterlife. The new millen- nium has revealed Rampa's silent influence in such esoteric fields as ufology, astral pro- jection, aura photography, alternative history and the immortality of the human spirit. His positive image of Tibet has been instrumental in garnering support for this beleaguered land and introducing Buddhism to Westerners. Ironically, The Third Eye remains the most popular book about Tibet ever written. Lobsang Rampa's personal motto was "I lit a candle". In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of The Third Eye, it is time to rekindle the flame of knowledge that Rampa first lit in 1955 when he started his writing. Overall, Rampa's true identity is irrelevant, as it is his knowledge that lives on. It is time to recognise Lobsang Rampa for what he was: a true mystic and trailblazer of the New Age. by Karen Mutton © 2005 Email: karenmutton@optusnet.com.au Website: http:/www.tuesdaylobsangrampa.com Extracted from her 2005 e-book, T. Lobsang Rampa: New Age Trailblazer NEXUS + 47 by Karen Mutton © 2005 FEBRUARY — MARCH 2006 www.nexusmagazine.com