Nexus - 1302 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

and years to come, it was to cast this spell with an equal potency the opinion that the book was "a fake built from published works over millions of readers." (Warburg, p. 222) and embellished by a fertile imagination". (Lopez, p. 96) Before meeting the mysterious Dr Kuan, Warburg received the Other contacts in America were ambivalent in their criticism. rather discouraging news that the manuscript had been rejected by While they recognised many inaccuracies in the manuscript, one other firms such as Gollancz, Robert Hale and William Collins. believed that the author may have come from one of the outlying Mark Bonham-Carter of Collins showed an "unimaginative scep- provinces of Tibet. Another, orientalist John Morris, wrote: ticism for the author's credentials". (Warburg, p. 223) However, "This is a curious mixture of fact and fancy. The descriptions of the American publishing house E. P. Dutton accepted the manu- Lhasa and of Tibetan family life are completely authentic...there script and signed an agreement for it with a big advance. is not the slightest doubt that he was brought up in Tibet from an Secker and Warburg also signed a contract with Dr Kuan and __ early age... I think there is, however, an element of truth about paid an advance of 800 pounds, divided into increments. the author's life in a lamasery, but I feel he has embroidered it..." Warburg then arranged to meet the enigmatic doctor. His staff However, his review took a curious and disturbing turn when he were in a flurry of excitement as they tried to spruce themselves reported: "My own opinion is that the author is some sort of psy- up for the occasion! Warburg was impressed with the author. "I chopath living in a private neurotic world of his own. It is even took a real fancy to him. Short, slim, dark likely that he has persuaded himself that all hair cut into a tonsure, penetrating eyes, this occult nonsense is true..." (Warburg, p. aquiline nose, simply dressed in a lounge 235) suit, he was a most unusual figure..." Years British oriental scholars David Snellgrove later, his description included "...a long nose and Marco Pallis, a practising Buddhist, and full mouth, a swarthy face with were also critical. Snellgrove's language prominent ears. Nothing remarkable, The Third Eye was was highly emotive. "This fellow is a mini rieantacanons bx | Published in November |S" i ooh pencirating, under heavy hd and heavy | hopes And, after a Slow | ante ps D3) The word "dangerous bus y eyebrows Between the eyes, slightiy start, sales snowballed. was echoed by critic Chen Chi Chang, who mark could be seen, almost thesize of «| equa vata, | University. Iisa suprising and disquieting collar button, the scar no doubt of that Edition followed edition adjective, hinting that perhaps Rampa had remarkable incision." (Warburg, p. rapidly. It was quickly divulged secret knowledge taught only 225) . to initiates and adepts. How else could Eventually The Third Eye was translated into German, The Third Eye be considered as French and Norwegian. finished and Eliott Macrae of E. P. dangerous? Dutton sent the manuscript to 20 2 . Warburg's doubts became over- In the first year it sold over 60,000 copies. critics, some with reputations as "Far whelming and he sent for Dr Kuan, Eastern experts". Their reviews were accusing him of being a fake. The doc- puzzling and contradictory: what one tor adamantly denied being a fraud, claimed was impossible was accepted even when Warburg offered to publish by another. Agehananda Bharati, a the book as fiction. "Playing the role German anthropologist (a.k.a. Leopold of cross-examining counsel with a dif- Fischer) who had converted to ficult witness, I gave the reasons why I Hinduism, wrote scathingly: "I was did not believe he could speak or write suspicious before I opened the wrapper; Tibetan. The reasons were irrefutable. The Third Eye smacked of Blavatskyan Dr Kuan admitted this. 'When I was hogwash." ("The Persistence of Rampaism", Tibet Society captured by the Japanese,’ he said, 'they tortured me for secret Bulletin, vol. 7, 1974) information about my country. I put a hypnotic block on my Warburg sent the galleys to Heinrich Harrer, an Austrian knowledge of Tibetan and have never fully recovered my native Tibetologist, to read and informed him that the author was proba- tongue." bly a fraud. Harrer had lived in Tibet during and after World War Warburg was in a quandary. The criticisms were so contradic- II and had been the current Dalai Lama's personal tutor in Lhasa. tory. A few weeks later he cancelled the contract and demanded His book Seven Years in Tibet had been published in 1953 and the advance from Dr Kuan, receiving a sad response: "I am leav- was a bestseller. In 1997 it was turned into a movie, with Brad ing England today—a very sick man indeed. What any of you Pitt playing the Austrian mountaineer who had been captured by think of the book does not matter to me now. I wrote the the British in India before escaping to Tibet with fellow moun- TRUTH." (Warburg, p. 235) On the other hand, The Third Eye taineer Peter Aufschnaiter. was so plausible and "so full of information which many experts Macrae also sent the manuscript to Hugh Richardson, who had confirmed". And there was the company's reputation at stake. He served in the British mission in Lhasa during the 1930s and reconsidered his decision and decided to publish and be damned, 1940s. Richardson was fluent in both written and oral Tibetan covering himself with a publisher's foreword. and had lectured at many academic institutions. He reviewed the The Third Eye was published in November 1956, and, after a manuscript and returned it with some minor corrections which slow start, sales snowballed. Edition followed edition rapidly. It were eventually incorporated into the final version. These con- was quickly translated into German, French and Norwegian. In cerned the number of earrings worn by Tibetan nobles and the the first year it sold over 60,000 copies, netting the author over improbability of Rampa's father being an ecclesiastic. He offered £20,000 in royalties. The Third Eye was published in November 1956, and, after a slow start, sales snowballed. French and Norwegian. In the first year it sold over 60,000 copies. NEXUS = 49 FEBRUARY — MARCH 2006 www.nexusmagazine.com