Lobsang Rampa

I've been planning to do a post about Lobsang  Rampa for some time, but I put that on the back burner as I found Karen Mutton's book on Rampa FAR better than anything I could ever do (for a start, Ms Mutton had access to people that I didn't, and never would). However, I had done some work on that post, and I need a convenient point of reference to get information from time to time, which is part of what this blog is about, so below is an incomplete, mostly unedited post. 

PS 

Since publishing this, I have also come across the following interesting posts: 

• https://davidmichie.com/a-few-words-about-lobsang-rampa/; 
• https://davidmichie.com/the-enduring-fascination-with-lobsang-rampa/; and 
• https://davidmichie.com/unseen-photographs-of-lobsang-rampa-the-final-chapter/.
  

DRAFT POST

As an overall assessment, I consider Rampa a good source of metaphysical knowledge, but some of his specific attitudes I strongly disagree with - for instance, his view of women I consider to be misogynistic and even sexist. However, I thought I would do some reviewing of Rampa from the point of view of nearly four decades later on. Before I do that, however, I have to say that Karen Mutton has, in her book "Lobsang Rampa: New Age Trailblazer" (pub 2006, TGS Publishers, ISBN 0-971-3166-0-0), done a better job than I could possibly even consider doing - in particular, she has had access to the key people involved. Having read Karen Mutton's book, which acknowledges things like the inconsistency between Rampa's later books and earlier books on his life details and speculates about the possible impact of his illness and the constant attacks on his identity and credibility, and being very familiar with the effects of constant attacks on personal identity that trans people are forced to endure, I am inclined to empathise with his bitterness.

So ... let's go through a few specific points.

The need for religion
 

Rampa considers that there is a need for the world to return to some form of religion to provide a form of spiritual discipline and guidance. I disagree with this: I consider that humanism and evidence-based decision making could actually make the world a better place.

As an example of the latter, consider children and gay or lesbian parents. Proper, objective, scientific evidence has consistently shown, since the 50s, that gay and lesbian people are not different to other people. More recently, evidence has shown that, if there is a difference between the children of gay or lesbian parents and those of heterosexual parents, it is that the former are more likely to be considerate and inclusive than the latter.

Ergo, there is no reason to ban gay or lesbian couples from parenting. (I am unfortunately unaware of any such studies relating to bisexual, intersex or trans people, but my personal experience is that LGBTIQ people are more likely to think about what they are doing, and hence make far better parents than many straight, cisgendered people. I wish to point out that I fit into a couple of these communities - feel free to disregard what I've said, if you wish, but I still consider rational decision making better than politics which panders to the lowest common denominator.)

So ... I don't consider religion necessarily essential (religious conflicts have been a problem, and the rabid anti-LGBTIQ attitudes of some religious is, in my view, verging on criminal), but caring in a way that many religions claim to preach in favour of, is essential.

On the other hand, if we look at personal satisfaction, I consider that religion, which deals with concepts that I don't necessarily consider scientific method to be suited for, and it often DOES provide a sense of purpose, or motivation, or peace (see here for a past post of mine which touches on this).

So, overall, I consider Lobsang Rampa about three-quarters correct on this point.

Sex

 

My assessment of this is that, despite statements such as:

• "if these people are in love, then a normal sex life increases the strength of the auric current of each, bringing luster and clarity to the color of the aura as any clairvoyant can tell" (Chapters of Life, p. 147) and "Unfortunately Western translations, or mistranslations, state that the Easterner has no sex life at all in spiritual planes. This again is wrong. Sex is all right if the two people need it and if they are truly in love" (Chapters of Life, p. 148; this book goes on to say eastern depictions show right and wrong sex life so can compare);
• the discussion on page 173-174 and 178-183 of "Cave of the Ancients", where the young Rampa expresses amazement at Westerners claiming that mankind has been created in the image of God, yet finds many forms of nudity pornographic, and many Western couples insist on "making love" in the dark; the discussion then goes on to credit much of the problematic attitudes towards sex in Western cultures to the changes made by early Christian church leaders, who are described as being "afraid of women", and state explicitly that sex can increase spiritual force;
• a description of open/free sex and public nudity on a planet which presumably was one from which the (spiritually advanced) Gardeners of the Universe came; and
• in a description of Kundalini, which in itself was part of an interpretation of the meaning of the Garden of Eden myth, Rampa includes the following: "Sex used properly and in a certain way can raise one's vibrations"; the discussion also states that sex can awaken the Kundalini (although this should never be abused), and that those religions which say there should be no sex are tragically wrong.

Rampa is what I would call "sex negative".

Incidentally, Alice A Bailey has, on pages 668 - 671 of "The Rays and The Initiations" a discussion on transmutation of the sex drive which includes consideration of what is described as the two most common mistakes:

• attempting to suppress everything sexual; and
• trying to exhaust the sex drive, as if it is a limited thing, by being excessively promiscuous.

Overall, I would give Lobsang Rampa about a 60-70% ranking on this part of life.

Women 

Rampa wrote the following in "The Third Eye": Lamastic life had upset my “social” values, women were strange creatures to me (they still are!). I consider Rampa's writings around women to be biased, and possibly a result of his upbringing and/or "the times". On the other hand, there is the loyalty showed to him by his wife and, for many years, Sheelagh Rouse, and the work he did to help women (albeit mostly physically).

I'd give Rampa's writings a ranking of around 5% on this aspect.

Gays and lesbians ("homosexuals"), bisexuals, trans, intersex and queer 

Rampa's writings show a distinctly homophobic slant - particularly the comments in "Feeding the Flame" and "Candlelight". On the other hand, it is clear from Sheelagh Rouse's writing that, in everyday life, Rampa was ahead of his times in his personal tolerance of gays (I don't know about his behaviour around lesbians, and bisexuals, trans, intersex and queer people appear not to have existed in Rampa's world awareness ... ).

I'm aware that Rampa's views may reflect cultural and religious biases and "the times", but that doesn't excuse them.

I'll rank Rampa at around 5% on this topic as well.

Psychic Development 

Works for me! Good coverage in Karen Mutton's book.

Verifiable knowledge

Seems to be quite good on this as well.

Hollow Earth 

I disagree with Rampa on this: whilst there may be large caverns and other-dimensional hollows, the sheer volume of information built up from listening to the sounds of earthquakes bouncing round the planet, and proven knowledge of gravity, make the possibility of a physical hollow inside the earth so low that I am comfortable saying it doesn't exist. (SIGH - I nearly had my consulting habits from carry over and lead to me to qualify that ... )

Predictions 

• The Third Eye, p. 118 (first pub. 1956): "if England and America do not check Communism, a war will start in the Year of the Wood Dragon, which in this cycle, is 1964":
  - US President Lyndon B Johnson reversed Kennedy's disengagement policy and escalated US commitment in late 1963 (see here), and the "Gulf of Tonkin incident" occurred in August 1964, although US military involvement dated back to 1961 and the Vietnamese had been at war since the Japanese invasion during the Second World War in 1940 (and, after that war, against the French in 1950-54), but ... maybe the Cuban missile crisis was the "check of the communists" that was referred to, and hence the war which was meant did NOT start in 1964?;
•  ... (assessment not completed)

Personal characteristics 

From Sheelagh's essay Grace:
he evidently practised what he preached in terms of helping others, but decried pity. Think this is a bit hair splitting. Clearly no snobbery.

Overall 

Was Rampa a fraud? Not in my opinion - despite his obvious shortcomings on Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism (and Buddhism generally). Are other explanations for flaws, but I think the constant attacks on his identity were key problem.

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