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The Thirteenth Candle
The dying man jerked and then collapsed. His body twitched, and then lay still.
The Lama nodded again to the acolyte, who touched flame to the third stick of incense. "Spirit now released from the suffering body," said the Lama, "pay attention before setting out on your journey; pay attention for I shall detail to you the steps you must take, and the path you must follow..."
The fourth stick of incense was lit, and the smoke trailed upwards, as if it had been drawn in blue-gray chalk, straight as a pillar in the almost airless room...
The Lama nodded again to the acolyte, who touched flame to the third stick of incense. "Spirit now released from the suffering body," said the Lama, "pay attention before setting out on your journey; pay attention for I shall detail to you the steps you must take, and the path you must follow..."
The fourth stick of incense was lit, and the smoke trailed upwards, as if it had been drawn in blue-gray chalk, straight as a pillar in the almost airless room...
172 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 15, 2017
Here Lobsang Rampa takes the Amnesty International concept, of it being better to light a candle than to curse the dark, as the reason for his thirteenth volume.
He expands upon the theme of homosexual relationships by including a letter from a reader. This is a curious departure from all his other books, where words of readers are limited to questions or paraphrases. It does much in the way of normalising behaviour which is obviously prevalent throughout society for the amount of attention it gains in so many different arenas. Very practically handled, rather than debated.
Once again there are relaxation exercises and breathing techniques.
Readers continue their questions at the rate of around 70 letters a day, so some responses are made here.
One reader has taken up the task asked of by others, and provided an index to topics across the Rampa works. It is another means of cross-marketing perhaps a little more subtle than the occasional references by the writer to his other volumes for more depth on storylines that he does not want to repeat in every volume.
Some might also conclude that the Thirteenth Candle in some way refers back to the Thirteenth Dalai Lama who the writer presents as the last of the line of reincarnations. This is a clever device to thwart any attempt by the Fourteenth and current Dalai Lama to repudiate the experience of Lobsang Rampa. It also suggests something more about the influence of the English within Tibet that is hidden behind the constant reminders of the Russian and Chinese interests in that area.
There is no shortage of espionage intrigue throughout some of these volumes. The trick of course being that nothing direct is explored along these lines of hint and suggestion.
He expands upon the theme of homosexual relationships by including a letter from a reader. This is a curious departure from all his other books, where words of readers are limited to questions or paraphrases. It does much in the way of normalising behaviour which is obviously prevalent throughout society for the amount of attention it gains in so many different arenas. Very practically handled, rather than debated.
Once again there are relaxation exercises and breathing techniques.
Readers continue their questions at the rate of around 70 letters a day, so some responses are made here.
One reader has taken up the task asked of by others, and provided an index to topics across the Rampa works. It is another means of cross-marketing perhaps a little more subtle than the occasional references by the writer to his other volumes for more depth on storylines that he does not want to repeat in every volume.
Some might also conclude that the Thirteenth Candle in some way refers back to the Thirteenth Dalai Lama who the writer presents as the last of the line of reincarnations. This is a clever device to thwart any attempt by the Fourteenth and current Dalai Lama to repudiate the experience of Lobsang Rampa. It also suggests something more about the influence of the English within Tibet that is hidden behind the constant reminders of the Russian and Chinese interests in that area.
There is no shortage of espionage intrigue throughout some of these volumes. The trick of course being that nothing direct is explored along these lines of hint and suggestion.
January 18, 2016
By the time I picked up “The Thirteenth Candle” I had already read and enjoyed three other books by Lobsang Rampa. But had I read “The Thirteenth Candle” first, I probably wouldn’t have checked out any of the author’s other work. While there ARE some good bits in this book, the disjointed way it is put together made it tough for me to stick with it.
Most of the chapters have the author responding to questions about philosophy Tibetan Buddhism, supposedly mailed to him by readers. He also takes multiple opportunites to gripe about the press and his disdain for reporters. Mixed in with the first-person stuff are short stories that seem to be about young Tuesday Lobsang and Lama Mingyar Dondup (characters that appear in his other books) although they are only named here as “young acolyte” and “Lama.” As best I can tell, the short stories bear no direct relation to the adjacent Q&A chapters, but instead read like “out-takes” that did not make it into his novels. Further, several of the chapters are framed by vignettes involving numerous one-dimensional characters with corny, joke-y names. (Think “Seymour Butts” but less amusing.)
On the positive side, I enjoyed the commentary on the topics of Overself and astral travel. With the right editing, this could have been a good multi-part Q&A article or a solid pamphlet. But as it stands, this book is marred by so much off-putting filler.
Most of the chapters have the author responding to questions about philosophy Tibetan Buddhism, supposedly mailed to him by readers. He also takes multiple opportunites to gripe about the press and his disdain for reporters. Mixed in with the first-person stuff are short stories that seem to be about young Tuesday Lobsang and Lama Mingyar Dondup (characters that appear in his other books) although they are only named here as “young acolyte” and “Lama.” As best I can tell, the short stories bear no direct relation to the adjacent Q&A chapters, but instead read like “out-takes” that did not make it into his novels. Further, several of the chapters are framed by vignettes involving numerous one-dimensional characters with corny, joke-y names. (Think “Seymour Butts” but less amusing.)
On the positive side, I enjoyed the commentary on the topics of Overself and astral travel. With the right editing, this could have been a good multi-part Q&A article or a solid pamphlet. But as it stands, this book is marred by so much off-putting filler.
August 4, 2012
Something unique and one of a kind. Makes me think if indeed it really is a fact or a mere fiction.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews