Goodbye Forever: Miscellaneous Memoirs of an English Lama

by Ngakpa Chögyam

A three-year-old boy has lucid dreams and visions - but no linear idea of what they mean. He tests his visions against the mysteries of: the Vikings; Norse legends; poetry; painting; Chicago Blues; girlfriends as inspirational other-worldly beings; and, through delving the vivid panorama of the 1960s’ hippie epoch: a strange brew - but one from which a transformational perspective is distilled. At eight years of age, Vajrayana Buddhism replaces Norse legends, on finding picture books on Tibetan Art in the school library. Drölma and Chenrézigs replace Frig and Thor, his curious imagination captured by the poetry of their vibrant imagery. He learns silent-sitting meditation, goes to Farnham Art School and thence to the Himalayas. There he finds Kyabjé Düd’jom Rinpoche, who gives him transmission into the world of vision in which he discovers the nature of reality. At the age of nineteen, he looks to the future and wonders how he will fulfil the predictions that have been made for his life.

383 pages, Paperback

Published March 16, 2020

Reviews

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book an absolute pleasure to read and consider as one of my all-time favourites.I think this book will be of interest to anyone who is interested in Tibetan Buddhism as it offers a unique perspective in being written by a westerner who was not born into a Buddhist culture, but nevertheless became a fully dedicated buddhist practioner at a very young age. It is written in contemporary english from the perspective of someone who grew up in the west and who had to deal with growing up in the 60s in Britain whilst also being deeply involved with the Arts and following his interest in Vajrayana Buddhism from a young age. By pursuing his inspiration and travelling to India and Nepal, he discoveres his profound connection to this tradition from previous lifes through meeting his extraordinary tibetan teacher Dud’jom Rinpoche who helps him to make sense of his visions of a mysterious white lady, which had occurred since early childhood. Dudjom Rinpoche shows interest in the author’s early life and his autodidactic explorations of Buddhism, like his experience of silent sitting and his interest in the Norse gods. These informal teaching situations, and Dud’jom Rinpoche’s transmission, come delightfully alive through the dialog between student and teacher. It offers the reader an inspiring example of the student-teacher relationship in Vajrayana Buddhism.

[Caroline Sherwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This multi volume spiritual memoir forms a welcome sequel (or parallel reading) to an odd boy by Doc Togden (the author's secular name).
Volume One spans the 1950s to 1970s and offers a colourful and richly-languaged picture of the 1960s and 1970s; a homage to art as life and vice versa; a fascinating chronicle of a reborn Mississippi Delta and Chicago Bluesman, poet, artist and incarnation of Aro Yeshé - a Tibetan lama who died in an avalanche in Tibet in 1951 (see the online encyclopaedia of Aro Buddhism).
This book is a treasure for lovers of memoir and autobiography.
A unique and valuable contribution to the annals of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism in the west: every library should have a copy.