From: dbsbanka@solomon.technet.sg (Teo Pit Koon)
Subject: Re: Books on out-of-body
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 1992 11:17:59 GMT

Gary Rosenberg (gbr@access.digex.com) wrote:
: Can someone be so kind in recommending a few good books on the subject
: of OOBE. Reading this conference, I got very interested in OOBE and
: would like to learn more. Thanks 
: gary
: gbr@access.digex.com

Greetings :-)-   (tongue-in-cheek Polynesian Maori-style)

	Some of the literature can be found mentioned an earlier thread.
I am going to add here to the illustrious list of mentionables, one
of my perennial favourites. The author I had in mind had a most
interesting, peculiar or bizarre story to relate (depending on your
perspective). He claimed to be a Tibetan lama who had travelled all
over the world from Tibet to reach the Western world, and his age was
so incredibly old that he did not bother to mention it in his books
as he thought nobody would believe it anyway.  His story is contained in
many of his 18 or so works which he left behind.

	Yes, I am referring to none other than the personage of 
Tuesday Lobsang Rampa. Has anybody read his books?

	I consider him one of my earliest teachers who showed me the
Way of the Invisible, although I hasten to add that I have never met
him in the physical, or otherwise. His book was one of the first occult
books I have came across which mentioned extensively on astral projection,
what is now known popularly as OOBE, the hows and whys, techniques and
pitfalls, etc.

	In terms of sequential time as we have come to know it, I felt
perhaps I should do some justice to mention that one of the earliest works
with any reference to OOBE is, as far as I know, found in an ancient
Taoist manual several thousand years ago. This is not so surprising, since 
the Chinese were the first people to invent printing, and there were many 
spiritual stories abound in ancient times.

	This particular Taoist priest, whose first name was Chen(1) [In
Romanized pronunciation, the numeral stand for one of four vowel intonations.
Long, long time ago, there used to be 5 intonations, and now it was reduced
to four, but that is another long story :-)] was said to be honoured by
a visit from the Emperor who had the intention to obtain from him the
Elixir of Life (or Youthfulness) which the Taoists were known to excel in
those times.

	This particular manual showed a skill invented by Chen(1), and
the accompanying illustration was one of a man lying down, (the sleeping
Buddha posture) on some stack of hay, with a curious smoke coming out of his 
skull, and in the centre of the smoke was none other than a minature replica
of the man himself. There were just four lines of instruction on this
skill (don't ask why four). The Chinese had a way to express the noetic
experience using an economy of words, which is a pity really, since its
meaning is not easily discerned by the modern reader, who is more at home
with verbose how-to-do-it manuals. The last verse, parting shot, if you
like, extolled the reader (whoever the intended audience was supposed to be)
to "propel forward into space (using his soul)."

	Anyway, this turned out to be a long digression, so back to TLR.
As a mark of respect to the man and the Truth he represents, allow me to
list down the books that he wrote, not in any particular order, just for the 
record and posterity [:-)] :-

 1) THE THIRD EYE              - The most popular book on his childhood
 2) DOCTOR FROM LHASA          - stories on mind over matter
 3) THE SAFFRON ROBE           - boyhood at the Lamasery of Potala
 4) THE RAMPA STORY            - more stories from Tibet 
 5) LIVING WITH THE LAMA       - written by his Siamese cat
 6) YOU-FOREVER		       - instruction manual
 7) THE CAVE OF THE ANCIENTS   - Aliens etc.
 8) WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS     - a glossary of occult terms
 9) CHAPTERS OF LIFE           - some predictions
10) THE HERMIT		       - UFO and aliens
11) BEYOND THE TENTH           - answers to reader's correspondences
12) FEEDING THE FLAME          - answers to reader's correspondences
13) THE THIRTEENTH CANDLE      - more correspondences
14) CANDLELIGHT 	       - more correspondences 		
15) TWILIGHT		       - more correspondences	
16) AS IT WAS!		       - more stories - on take-over of physical body
17) I BELIEVE 		       - life after death	
18) THREE LIVES 	       - on reincarnation

	There you have it, the complete list of the works of TLR. There
were also some books written by his wife, entitled "Pussywillow", "Tigerlily"
etc. These books appeared in the early 1970s and were originally published
by Corgi books. Nowadays, I still see the "Third Eye" and "Cave of the Ancients"
in circulation. By far the most popular book was the "Third Eye", which, if
you believe the publishers, sold over 3 million copies in its heyday. The rest
of the books, unfortunately, may only be found in second-hand book stores such
as the Skoobs, (or whatever the equivalent in US) depending on your luck.

	The main manual that gives some instructions on astral projection is
the book "You-Forever", complete with illustration. Ten years or more down
the road, I can really appreciate why the term "astral" is so apt, for in
the OOBE, if you look really carefully, you would be able to find evidence
of the twinkling, sparkling material that composes the "astral" worlds...

	The last I "heard", TLR is currently on the 5th astral plane, and
it was said that "he regretted some of his more caustic remarks at those
people who caused much of his suffering". I have added this as an interesting
footnote, for these are not my words, merely those passed on from someone 
else (I can't remember who).

	TLR himself stated in his books, that he will not communicate with
anyone on the Earthplane after his pass-over, so do take the above comments
with a pinch of salt, or epsom, or whatever :-).

	However, he did not specifically prohibit communication the other
way round, via the astral worlds, though I have not thought of trying it.
For those who want to (do so at your own risk and some such warnings), here 
is the homing signal that you could try (the astralnet address, IYL)

	Dr. Tuesday Lobsang Rampa
        (Try visualising a kindly rotund face, bald skull, eagle-piercing
eyes, bushy eyebrows, and a huge grin hidden by overgrown beard stretching
from cheek-to-cheek, said to cover one of his scars sustained during the
World War)
	"The Land of Golden Light"
	5th Astral Plane

	If anyone tries this, and succeeds, despite the odds, do drop a note 
here, so that we mortals can share in your joy.
	
	If TLR were to know that 20 years later, there are some folks
discussing his works on this net, that would surely elicit a smile or two
from his countenance :-).

The star gazer ***

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Newsgroups: alt.out-of-body