- This link is critical of Lobsang Rampa: www.serendipity.li/baba/rampa.html
- This link is pro Lobsang Rampa: http://www.lobsangrampa.org/
Which one is right? Well, it could well be: both, and neither.
Which is wrong? Well, it could well be: both, and neither.
My experience of "official" Buddhism and Tibet is along the lines of what is on the serendipity site (i.e. the one critical of Lobsang Rampa), but that doesn't mean other does not necessarily exist. If other does exist, does not detract from official teachings - is still valid, important.
After all, the explanations given by Rampa could, of course, be correct - e.g., transmigration (if you want another view on that, see Ruth Montgomery's "Strangers Among Us"). After all, some of Rampa's predictions have come true - e.g., climate warming (Chapters of Life, p. 25), China emerging as a world power, large underground reservoir of fresh water in Australia.
Mind you, there are a few which appear to have been missed, too - such as NEW World Leader doing, in the year 2005, "much to confound godless people who do not believe in Gods, Saviors [sic], etc., etc." (Chapters of Life, p. 23).
(The pro site also includes some rubbish re gays and lesbians (medical extracts?!), and a hypothesis which many will find challenging: that Lobsang Rampa was, at this death, 270 - 300 years old. This is at http://www.lobsangrampa.org/hypothesis.html.)
Actually, this - having just allied myself to a conspiracy theory type stance! - would be a good place for me to have a little rant against conspiracy theories.
One of my former friends loved conspiracy theories - she loved the idea that the landings on the Moon were all faked (my view is that I was glad when an astronaut punched one idiot who was stupid enough to try challenging him face to face about it), she loved the X Files (I liked them too for a while, but it got a bit over-long for me). I know there is even a Flat Earth Society!
Some of this is just harmless, or even entertaining. Other conspiracy theories are not: there are some very vicious, nasty and evil theories on the basis of race, religion or sexuality, for instance. Those conspiracy theories are far from harmless.
Personally, I simply don't have time to engage in rubbish, and so I won't when it comes to conspiracy theories. In fact, my tendency to dislike conspiracy theories is one of the reasons I didn't like the Matrix series of films when they came out: my friend loved them because they played into her love of conspiracy theories, and I reacted against that. Well, to continue a recent theme, I actually wound up watching the series again: I still dislike the conspiracy-theory-like aspects of the film (I feel like conspiracy theories are a device of the week minded which detracts from the serious purpose of those of us who know our stuff isn't a conspiracy theory - it's real! [Joke, Joyce!]), but there are some interesting links I have come across as a result of that, including here and here.
Keep in mind that, as I evolve, my views on anything are liable to change - that was one of the reasons I started posts like this one, and this one, to show some of those changes I have made as I matured. I'm currently revisiting Rampa, and still find his views on women misogynistic, but a lot of the other information remains useful.
As a final example on change, one the things that attracted me to Buddhism was a perception that it was a more peaceful religion than others. Well, it may be more peaceful than, say, Christianity, but it cannot be considered a peaceful, problem free religion. An ABC Radio National programme I heard about the history of Sri Lanka made the lack of peace of some parts of Buddhism very apparent ... and the Dalai Lama has been embroiled in controversy over his treatment of one Tibetan Buddhist sect.
And that is now one of my past draft posts completed ... :)
Love, light, hugs and blessings
Gnwmythr
This post's photo is yet to be posted.
Tags: Buddhism, change, evolution, Lobsang Rampa, conspiracy theory, Buddhism, Dalai Lama, controversy,
First published: Friday 26th November, 2010
Last edited: Friday 26th November, 2010
